Multi-talented Lange knew how to get job done at 'The Square'

Mark the correct description.

Charlene Lange is:

A. An accomplished seamstress.

B. An agricultural journalist who once published an article in "Hoard's Dairyman."

C. The first female student to study agriculture at Chelsea High School in Chelsea, Mich.

D. The hard-charging former city department head whose brains and vision led to the creation of Hutchins Street Square.

E. A skilled equestrian with a fondness for horses known as "Dutch Warmbloods."

F. All of the above.

The correct answer, of course, is F.

The multi-talented Lange is among the 2004 inductees to the Lodi Community Hall of Fame. She is being recognized for her indefatigable leadership in the creation of "The Square," as the community center is known.

Charlene Lange

Other inductees this year are John Borelli, downtown merchant and community leader; Mark Chandler, executive director of the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission; Ted Heinrich, retired Lodi Unified drafting and woodshop instructor; and Joe Serna Jr., the late mayor of Sacramento.

Lange, who left the city last year, is widely credited with the establishment of Hutchins Street Square, the former burned-out high school that is now routinely described as Lodi's crown jewel.

Her nomination for the Hall of Fame, prepared by Police Chief Jerry Adams, notes her blend of passion and pragmatism: "Hutchins Street Square needs a visionary and a 'doer' to become a reality. It needs a tireless organizer and a leader who is never afraid to roll up her sleeves and get a little dirty to get the job done."

As director of the community center, Lange raised money, supervised programs, wrote newsletters and brochures, marketed The Square and acted as liaison for city commissions.

Along with the sweep of her civic and managerial responsibilities she found time to tend to the little things. For instance, she personally stitched banners and tablecloths for some of the fund-raisers.

She also, she freely admits, had a lot of fun.

"I worked with a great group of people -- so creative and energetic," she said. "I was really just a cheerleader; they made it happen."

Lange recalled one arts commissioner suggesting a fund-raiser featuring a herd of pink elephants. In fact, Lange was able to line up an elephant that provided rides and was the hit of the event.

"Things can get boring if you don't give them a twist," she said.

While poring over budgets and planning events, she also juggled being a wife and mother. She was one of the city's first female department heads and one of the first women to return to a management position after having children.

When they were older, Lange's kids would often drop by The Square after their classes at Lodi High and either study or help out -- answering phones or helping with decorations -- on a volunteer basis. (Lange and her husband, Randy, live in Acampo and have three adult children, Marissa, Aaron and Joseph.)

Even as a girl, Lange found a way to get things done.

In high school, as the daughter of a farmer, she successfully petitioned to become the first female student to take agriculture classes at her high school in Michigan.

Later, she earned a degree in agricultural communications at Michigan State University, writing freelance stories for "Hoard's Dairyman," and other publications.

She was one of two students in Michigan honored with a six-month International Farm Youth Exchange scholarship to study in Greece.

Lange moved to Lodi after college and married Randy, whom she had met when her family spent a year in California while she was in the sixth-grade. The two stayed in touch largely through correspondence. Lange says their relationship reflects the play "Love Letters," which was staged at The Square starring Hal Holbrook and his wife, Dixie Carter.

These days, she's helping Randy, a grape grower, with harvest operations. She's also involved in raising and showing the Dutch Warmbloods. Regrettably, she said, a previous engagement involving her equine pursuits will prevent her from being at the Hall of Fame dinner.

At 53, Lange dismisses suggestions that she has retired. She is simply taking a year to relax a little and assess her future.

"Life is darn short," she said. "There are so many opportunities and adventures out there. You just have to go out and do it."

Those interested in attending the Hall of Fame dinner on Sept. 25 may contact the Boys and Girls Club at 334-2697.