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• Chancing upon cash

• $131 million for city in 30 years?

• Medicare bus rolls into Lodi

• Unexpected damage increases costs for Tokay High's cleanup

• Cell tower could help pay for sports programs at Lodi High

• Regional Roundup

• Galt leaders to discuss state-mandated housing

November 21st, 2009

• Logbook

• Holiday drive spreads cheer to U.S. troops

• Galt High students want board to approve open-campus policy

• Poisoning victims remain hospitalized

• Expert: Half a mushroom cap can be deadly

• Tokay grad files claim over Lodi's Grape Bowl

• Lodi Middle School holds annual Turkey Trot

• Regional Roundup

• No motive or suspect in shooting

• Sacramento cop arrested for alleged kidnapping

November 20th, 2009

• Acampo woman killed

• Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

• Advocacy groups sue East Bay Municipal Utility District over Pardee expansion

• Regional Roundup

• Galt plans to help residents with energy-efficient projects

• Stable southeast of Lodi approved

• One year after a heart attack, Lodi's Judy Mims thanks rescuers

• National Guard troops return home in time for the holidays

• Real estate market gets on more solid ground

November 19th, 2009

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Chase ends in crash

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

• Sales tax hike yields dividends: 5 new officers join Galt Police

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Corrections

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react

• Lodi man finds wife's ashes during police display of stolen property

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

November 17th, 2009

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Regional Roundup

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Clarification

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• City Council 'triple-dog dared' to ditch cars, use Lodi buses

• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi

• Lodi's First Sip event showcases area wineries' latest vintages

• Three members of Lodi-area family fall ill after eating poisonous mushrooms they reportedly found at Lodi Lake

• Regional Roundup

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• The country's mess is our fault (170)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (73)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (50)
• Public health care is a Christian option (50)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (22)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

ADVERTISEMENT

Little-known and amazing stories of Lodi finally coming to light

Recently, television personality Fuel Dowser came to Lodi to film and share with the world the highlights of our famous and fabulous history.

Most people don't know that Lodi was first and foremost in many areas of modern life and technology. Our town's history is full of interesting and provocative stories. Here are just a few examples of our peerless past that will be revealed in Dowser's documentary:

Did you know that the Lodi City Council was the first to endorse the wearing of shorts at council meetings? Yes, it's true. Back in 1936, Sam "Skinny" Schwartenbaum showed up in this leisure attire, shocking his fellow council members. However, due to that fact that he was also wearing a top hat and a T-shirt with a tuxedo printed on it, he was allowed to enter the chambers to perform his immeasurable and important duties. His actions set the standard for city government officials throughout the country where today, T-shirts that read: "Impeach George Bush" and "Out of Iraq," are quite common.

Here's another little known but trend-setting fact: Most think that a teenage movie and Japanese cars set the stage for the "Fast and Furious" trend. Not so, according to a little known book, found by Dowser, on the back shelves of our library entitled: "Teenage Hooliganism in Lodi." Page 98 clearly and concisely conveys the story of Klem Karstairs and Kyle Horsepuck, drag racing on Lodi Avenue, back in 1914. Klem was driving his father's buggy, pulled by the old gray mare, and Kyle was driving his two-horse Studebaker delivery wagon.

Although the boys fervidly denied racing, the evidence was clear by the "doughnut" marks left in the dirt at Church and Pine. This dastardly and destructive act was the beginning of what we now know as "street racing." Fortunately, no animals were harmed in the making of this exhibition. Dowser plans to film a reenactment of this famous event just as soon as the Hollywood writer's strike ends.

Dowser asked a local audience how many of today's citizens know that we had one of the first television stations back in 1949? True, programming was very limited but award-winning for the time. Shows such as "Good Mooing, Miss Jersey" and the thespian masterpiece "The Grapes of Winnebago" were all the rage. Ratings were very high among the three television sets in town.

Moving forward in time, the documentary creator revealed that our citizens have all but forgotten Lodi High's famous Downtown, festival street parades, led by drum majorettes and the Lodi High School Band. The most famous majorette of all was Diane "Dynamite" DeVries, who in 1956, threw her baton one thousand feet into the air, striking a landing DC-7. Fortunately, no one was injured, and the plane landed on three out of its four engines.

Dowser is bursting with excitement because there are so many more interesting tales to tell about our wonderful little town, but his show is only 30 minutes long, so content must be limited. There's the story about Clara Karstairs (Klem's sister), who was fired and disgraced as a teacher because she forgot to pull her dining room shade down while smoking. Then there's the tale of the incredible shrinking greenbelt, which soon will be made into a Hollywood horror film.

"In my future shows, I would love to point out that Lodi was the host to the first country western 'she left me in the barroom' song, along with an exposé of its famous massage parlors, but for now, these stories will have to wait," said Dowser.

Steve Hansen is a Lodi writer and satirist. He can be reached on the third Thursday after the first Monday in the thirteenth month of the lunar eclipse.