Regional Roundup

Lodi citizens donate to parks

For the past several months, Carol Meehleis has been soliciting donations from citizens and businesses to enhance Lodi's parks in honor of Lodi's Centennial Celebration. The City Council will accept the donations at its meeting Wednesday night.

Donated items include park benches, arbors and buildings. The council also plans to discuss upgrading certain park areas.

In other action, the council will hear a presentation about clean, reliable energy by Northern California Power Agency. The council also will review the Downtown Lodi Business Partnership annual report.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Carnegie Forum, 305 West Pine St.

News-Sentinel seeks pumpkin cooks

The News-Sentinel is looking for unique, favorite pumpkin recipes — from cakes and cookies to soups and stews — and how to prepare pumpkins (no pies, please!). If you're a self-proclaimed pumpkin expert and know the best ways to work with fresh pumpkin, call Jennifer Gokhman, Panorama editor, at 369-7035 or e-mail jenniferg@lodinews.com.

Lodi man dies in Tracy crash

A Lodi man died Sunday afternoon in a solo-vehicle accident that left his five passengers with minor or no injuries.

Raul Bernardino Cazares, 58, was driving north on Interstate 5 through Tracy at 4 p.m. when he braked for traffic south of Steward Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Cazares' 1988 Ford Aerostar van swerved across the road and overturned in the grassy median, where Cazares and at least two passengers were ejected from the vehicle, according to the CHP.

All but Cazares were wearing seat belts.

Cazares was taken to San Joaquin General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:35 p.m., according to the CHP.

The front passenger, Elsa Segura, 40, complained of pain and rear passenger Maria Clemaco, 37, possibly had a concussion, the CHP said. Antonio Munoz, 20, had an abrasion to the left arm.

Passengers Enrique Barrea, 42, and Jose Cervantes, 21, were not injured.

Though the CHP listed Cazares' primary mailing address as Stockton, the Coroner's Office, which identified him, said Cazares lived in Lodi.

Lodi school board discusses health policy

Lodi educators will present their school board with a report on student wellness this evening at the regular meeting.

A federal law requires each school district in the country that receives school meal and nutrition funding to adopt a health and wellness policy. This plan must include goals for nutrition, related education, and physical activity. Lodi's plan will also limit the types of food and beverages that can be sold on campus or for school fund-raisers.

A 22-member panel of educators and health professionals organized the plan, which will be put in place this year.

The board will also hear about student testing results from school year 2005-06. Staff will discuss results of the California Standards Tests and high school exit exam, and federal and state education accountability programs.

The Lodi Unified School District's Board of Trustees is set to meet tonight, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. at the James Areida Education Support Center, located at 1305 E. Vine St., Lodi.

Lodi campus on Delta College agenda

STOCKTON — The San Joaquin Delta College Board of Trustees will meet tonight at 6:30 in closed session to discuss possible sites for satelite campuses.

Sites to be discussed include the Victor Road location in Lodi.

Board members were expected to make a decision about the site on Aug. 29, when they paid a $150,000 deposit to landowners in the area.

The decision was continued to today, but may be further continued, according to board members.

The meeting will be held in the board room at 5151 Pacific Ave., Stockton.

Congressional debate Thursday

Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Gold River, who represents Galt, and his Democratic opponent, Bill Durston of Gold River, will participate in a community forum at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Robert L. Trigg Education Center, 9510 Elk Grove-Florin Road, Elk Grove. Seating is limited to 75 people.

The forum will be conducted by the League of Women Voters.

First published: Tuesday, October 3, 2006