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Last 7 Days

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• History in the making

• Lodi yo-yo man goes for record: 2,500 people spinning

• Cause of Lodi warehouse fire unknown; may never be solved

• Galt keeps budget modest despite revise

• Court overturns death sentence for third time

• Regional Roundup

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)
• Public health care is a Christian option (85)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (73)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (52)
• The haves should help the have-nots (31)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (26)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (18)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (17)

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Upping the ante

Owners and consultant dealing out changes for the Wine Country Card Room in Lodi

When it was first proposed, the Wine Country Card Room and Restaurant on Cherokee Lane in Lodi was the subject of much controversy. In the past year, it has gone largely unnoticed in the surrounding area.

All that is about to change, as the owners are placing all their cards on updated looks and changes to take place over the next six months.

Randy Yaple, an entertainment consultant, has been vigorously working with the partners of the card room recently to not only change the image of the establishment, but to offer more than the current eight tables of gaming.

"The bar will be full service, and in the dining room we will be serving the best in food — steaks and seafood — Lodi has never tasted anything this good," Yaple said. "The prices will reflect the prices of the '70s and '80s all the time."

Though the business serves food now (gamers can get free breakfasts), they want to remodel the dining room to be fully functional, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Along with the completion of the dining room (which will serve all ages), the bar (21 and up) will become more of an upscale lounge and the gaming room will be given a makeover to reflect more of a Las Vegas feel, according to Yaple.

"The gaming room will have a complete makeover," Yaple said. "It will feel like Las Vegas. It will have a warm feeling ... a fun, sparkling, safe feeling."

One of the owners, Chris Ray, who has a background in the law enforcement side of legalized gambling, sees the upgrade as a necessary step in the success of Wine Country.

"We're a legal business and we have to grow," Ray said. "Right now we have between 45 and 50 employees." He says that the number of employees will grow with the business as it offers more services.

Both Ray and Yaple point to one of Yaple's past consultancies on a card room in Petaluma as an template for the update of Wine Country Card Room and Restaurant.

The 101 Casino in Petaluma was recently given a five-star rating in dining and entertainment, according to Yaple. And, for first-time players, they plan to have game demonstrations so that those new to the facility can learn how to play.

Outside of the dining, lounge and gaming, Yaple is working toward bringing in comedy nights at least once a week to the establishment.

"Our goal is to make this a class-one facility," Yaple said.

Their main focus, both Ray and Yaple emphasized, is the security and safety of their patrons.

Yaple stated that they also work to hold fundraisers in order to give back to the community, and they try to work with only local vendors to support the Lodi-area economy.

"As we do better, the city does better," Yaple said.

An open house will be held when all of the stages of redesign have been completed in about six months.

Contact Business Editor Marc Lutz at marcl@lodinews.com.