Video

Story Tools

Email this story | Print this story

Indexes

Today's Stories

Last 7 Days

Top Blogs

• The excess at the Lost Isle resort is really just one part of the Delta community

• Police, private security, AMR ensure Lodi Grape Festival is safe experience

• Woman arrested after finding missing daughter

• Lodi Hall of Fame

• Regional Roundup

• Public Meetings

February 8th, 2010

• Public Meetings

• Locals pick best, most memorable Super Bowl commercials

• Regional Roundup

February 6th, 2010

• The Home Depot hopes to join Costco at Reynolds Ranch

• Meet Larry, Curly and Moe

• Baboon business

• Regional Roundup

• Several Lodi venues let you watch the Super Bowl in style

• Lodi Library celebrates 100 years of serving the community

• Culinary craft

February 5th, 2010

• Kids, teachers help Haiti by collecting pennies for Learning Link

• Lodi, Galt students reach out to help Haiti earthquake survivors

• Tasered suspect claims he is Yosemite Sam

• Hours of sweat and work go into putting on crab feeds

• Things looking up for state's real estate

• Correction

• Regional Roundup

• Stray bullet strikes Lodi home; police suspect gang activity may be factor

February 4th, 2010

• Managers at Geweke Toyota answer questions about recall

• Lodi City Council votes to replace play structure at Century Park

• Lodi extends ban on pot shops for another year

• Mokelumne River triathlon set for June

• Family, friends to run half-marathon in memory of Galt family

February 3rd, 2010

• Correction

• Regional Roundup

• Delta College trustees again collide over stipend committee

• Lodi-area senators Dave Cox, Lois Wolk admit to gifts; Tom Berryhill case pending

• Lodi Unified School District president issues warning to speakers over cuts

• Galt City Council avoids budget cuts — for now

• New Lodi Memorial Hospital emergency room opens to the public without a hitch

• Bad bugs, weeds are hot topics at Grape Day

February 2nd, 2010

• Big rig plows 7 cars

• Local business leaders say tourism, Costco, Home Depot may play roles in city's future

• Former Lodian Erica Davis is first paraplegic woman to summit Kilimanjaro

• Jumpers across California

• Correction

• Regional Roundup

• No snow leopards, otters for Micke Grove

• McNerney leads in campaign cash

• Police: Train victim was a Lodi teen

February 1st, 2010

• Find cuddly alpacas not too far from Lodi

• Public Meetings

• Patients can expect faster, better service when Lodi Memorial Hospital's new emergency room opens

• Man killed by Amtrak train in Lodi

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

• Will terrorists be given Miranda warnings? (69)
• President Obama's first year (67)
• Lodi Unified School District president issues warning to speakers over cuts (64)
• Local business leaders say tourism, Costco, Home Depot may play roles in city's future (60)
• Islamic symbol in mosaic — what is all the fuss? (49)
• Writer comments on Neely column (42)
• The Home Depot hopes to join Costco at Reynolds Ranch (41)
• Police: Train victim was a Lodi teen (32)
• Many reject the politics of 'no' (32)
• We need to conduct respectful conversations (30)

ADVERTISEMENT

Police, private security, AMR ensure Lodi Grape Festival is safe experience

The Grape Festival had all kinds of people protecting festival attendees and making sure they had a good time. There were about 20 Lodi police officers most of the time, a handful of private security and a half-dozen paramedics and emergency medical technicians.

The four-day festival, which ended Sunday night, was quiet and uneventful, according to police officers and paramedics.

"It's been 23 years I've been doing this," police Lt. Steve Price said. "We used to have huge fights and brawls in the beer garden."

But not anymore. Price couldn't come up with a reason why it's been more mellow at the Grape Festival.

There were two fights outside the festival grounds on Friday night, but they weren't major fights, security officer Armando Riberal said.

Police officers and personnel from American Medical Response often rode bicycles around the grounds just to maintain visibility and see if anyone needed help.

"We're here to make sure people have a good time," Price said.

Gang members have caused trouble at the Grape Festival in recent years, but Price said they aren't so much any more.

"They're here, but as long as they don't congregate in groups, it's OK," Price said. "They have a right to be here, too."

Gang members no longer glare at people or block the walkways, Price said. Anyone who causes trouble can be evicted from the festival grounds. If they return, they can be arrested for trespassing, Price said.

Sunday afternoon was rather quiet, with only four police officers on duty. But by 3 p.m., there were more than 20 officers.

Meanwhile, paramedics and emergency medical technicians from American Medical Response watched for people suffering from heat exhaustion or other medical problems.

On Sunday afternoon, paramedics helped a man at Zinfandel Hall who was nauseous. Two AMR personnel blocked two entrances with their bicycles so that the public wouldn't stare at the man who was being treated. The routine is to take the victim to the first aid building and determine whether he needs to be taken to the hospital, said Matt Foster, an AMR paramedic.

Later in the day, a woman walked into the first aid office saying she was having an asthma attack. AMR personnel gave her an inhaler to get her breathing normally again.

Paramedics and EMTs said they didn't have a busy time at the festival, possibly because Lodi didn't experience the heat it has in past years, Foster said.

Two people were taken to the hospital during this year's festival, one for heat exhaustion and one due to intoxication, Foster said.

Not only do AMR personnel help those with health problems, they also handle missing children and serve as a lost-and-found outlet for people who have lost their cell phones or glasses.

Four lost children ages 3 to 5 turned up at the first aid office on Saturday, but their parents found them within five or 10 minutes, said EMT Debra Cook.

AMR had two groups of personnel riding bicycles throughout the grounds just to check things out. Two of them rode together on the west side, and another pair cruised the east side. Riders carried all the medical supplies they needed, except for gurneys.

"It's a little bit of a compact version of an ambulance," Foster said.

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.