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• Larry Hansen prepares to take helm as next Lodi mayor during continuing budget woes

• It's not quite a 'White Christmas,' but a wet one is in the forecast

• Regional Roundup

• Public Meetings

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

November 4th, 2009

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

November 3rd, 2009

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• Clarification

November 2nd, 2009

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• Regional Roundup

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Group investigates reports of haunting

October 31st, 2009

• Area schools have no plans of closing due to H1N1 virus

• Tokay High evacuation

• Gated communities in Lodi

• Finishing touches on Hill House replica

• Regional Roundup

• In remembrance of Kyle Coumas

• Lodi-area Halloween events

• City of Lodi settles case of mistaken identity

• Lodi a reflection of Halloween's retail emergence

• Izzy Laviola and Seth Siddle-Mitchell crowned Tokay homecoming queen and king

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

• Bible is entwined with American civic life (135)
• I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (73)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (70)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (60)
• Universal health care solves big problems (54)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (35)
• Stuck in neutral? Hardly! (35)
• Words from our forefathers (27)
• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks (24)
• Majority cannot deprive the minority (23)

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Larry Hansen prepares to take helm as next Lodi mayor during continuing budget woes

Larry Hansen has just begun his second term as mayor of the city of Lodi. Hansen recently discussed a laundry list of priorities he has for his next year in office with News-Sentinel Staff Writer Maggie Creamer. Hansen said his main focus will be the economy, but he also hopes to see progress on a new electric generation plant and a water treatment plant.

Q: What will be your top priorities?

A: Clearly, the No. 1 priority is the budget and what the state is going to do. We've got to find ways to live with what the state decides. We don't know what it is going to entail and how it is gong to impact us as a city. I will say I think the city, not by accident, is faring better than many cities. We have not had to do furloughs yet or major layoffs. But we've trimmed about as much as we can, and any significant cuts could lead to layoffs or furloughs.

Q: Other priorities?

A: I've stated one of my goals is that the city be a financially solvent and sound city.

Then, there are other high priorities. We are in the middle of a permitting process from the state to build a electric generation plant by White Slough (the city's wastewater treatment plant). It will provide an ability to control our costs and to ensure reliability of the system. California as a state really needs to build a lot more generation. And this is one of the few opportunities to do it.

Another priority is a water treatment plant for the water we purchased from Woodbridge Irrigation District. I think water could become a greater resource than electricity. We have an underground water table, and it's shrinking.

We purchased additional water every year from the Woodbridge Irrigation District. We were fortunate to get to do that. But it cost us $1.2 million a year. We've not been able to use a drop of that water because we don't have a delivery system. It's going to require some difficult financial decisions and, yet, it needs to be done. I want to put it in this context: What is it worth to know that you have water available?

Then, there is the ballot measure in March for redevelopment. It puts a lot of tools in the toolbox for us to address issues we cannot otherwise because we don't have the funds. It would be hugely disappointing to me if the voters rejected redevelopment. We are going to be very conservative in how we use redevelopment and, again, without it, our hands are almost tied about some of the needs that exist today in this community.

Also, affordable housing. Our goal is to provide something for seniors as the first step but eventually provide affordable housing for families. We are sorely lacking in affordable housing in Lodi. We are behind the curve on that.

My personal goal, I want to see us capture more sales tax. We have a lot of people leaving Lodi to spend their money. And sales tax is a major funding stream. I hope we see more retail come to Lodi.

Q: Do you think the Wal-Mart plan would be a good start to that?

A: Well, I supported it. It will be a miracle if we can get some retail to come to Lodi in these economic times, but I think it's possible.

Q: Any more goals?

A: I want to see us continue to improve Downtown. We can't give up on that. The Downtown, the connection with the wine industry and making Lodi a destination, I support all of that. Where I differ from some people is we can have on the outskirts of town retail that can provide funds to help Downtown. I don't agree that a Wal-Mart Supercenter would kill Downtown. Downtown's different. It's got unique shops and wonderful restaurants. A Supercenter is not going to impact that.

Q: Can you compare this term as mayor and the challenges we are facing to your last term?

A: My previous term was almost entirely focused on resolving groundwater contamination, and that was a difficult time for the city.

I spent hundreds of hours working on that with a lot of time in board rooms negotiating with attorneys and settling lawsuits. I was a brand new mayor, and I pushed about two weeks in to fire the city attorney and the entire outside counsel. And we were going to court the next morning to start the trial. Councimembers (Susan) Hitchcock and (John) Beckman collectively agreed we are going in the wrong direction. So we fired everybody. We went into court the next morning and asked the judge to work with us because we were starting at square one. And he was willing to do that, but I didn't get too much sleep that night.

But I guess what I'm pointing out is, I became a stronger person because of that. It will carry me through a very difficult year for different reasons in 2009.

Q: Having been mayor before, is there anything you'll do differently?

A: I'd like to see us focus on making decisions and not just debating it endlessly. The water treatment plant is an example. That's taking us too long. That makes me feel like we are cousins with to the state of California, that can't make a decision. I'm open to discussion and to debate, but at some point, we've got to make decisions and move on.

Q: What do you think is the No. 1 thing Lodi needs?

A: Clearly, as a city, the No. 1 thing we need is financial stability.

As a community, we are divided. There are people that want to see Lodi not grow at all. There are people that want to see more services and opportunities in Lodi. So you have two camps. I hope the General Plan will be a good step in setting the parameters of what the future of Lodi is going to be. I just hope we can find ways to compromise and meet everybody's objectives to a certain level.

And you've led me to something I want to point out. I don't have any political ambition beyond being on the City Council. I just want to serve Lodi. And I work very hard at it. I put in between 30 and 50 hours a week. Sometimes I get e-mails from people saying, 'If you don't vote this way, I will never vote for you again.' My response is, That's OK. I'm not going to vote based on your vote. I'm going to vote based on what I think is best for Lodi. When the people of Lodi say we don't want you anymore, my feeling is they've kind of giving me my life back because I was retired before. I could enjoy being retired again. And if I'm not working hard enough then, yeah, you need to get someone else.

Q: What do you want for Christmas?

A: I got a brand new Toyota Tundra pickup. But what I want for Christmas, I'm also going to get, which is time with my five beautiful grandchildren. They are all going to be at my home on Christmas. That is the greatest gift.

Q: Are there any questions you wished a reporter would ask you about?

A: One of the things that bothers me about being on the City Council is the anger we receive from people. I know part of it is a hatred of government. I think City Council government is the purest form of government we have. If you're going to have a chance to influence something, it's going to be at this level. It might not go your way, but at least you have a chance.

Contact reporter Maggie Creamer at maggiec@lodinews.com