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• Lodi hopes to build new power line to the west

• For the health of it

• Galt judge James Henke dies at 61

• Capt. Steve Butler is Woodbridge firefighter of year

• Robert McDonald is volunteer firefighter of the year

• Regional Roundup

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)
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Future Downtown store aims to fill Lodi's celebration supply needs

It may not look like it right now, but the building at 24 W. Elm Street in Downtown Lodi will soon be home to a huge party. Party supply store, that is.

The Party Guys, a full-service party supply store, will be occupying the space when construction and renovation work is completed, hopefully, owners say, by mid-February or the beginning of March 2009. The upstairs portion of the building will be office suites.

The space, which was once the location for Shared Network Services (an Internet provider and Web hosting company), has been vacant for several years, and the new owners, Central Valley Party Supply, chose it because of the "old Downtown feeling."

"We like the renaissance that's going on down there. Our product is oriented a lot more to the consumer that would frequent the Downtown Lodi area," said co-owner Loren Marple.

It's the goal of the company's partners to expand throughout the Central Valley in the coming years. The original location opened three years ago in Stockton on West Lane and Hammer Lane, and, according to Marple, has continually grown each year.

Lodi was the next logical step for the company.

"We're not immune to what's going on in the economy, but we've grown every year, year-over-year," Marple said.

Though the Lodi store will only have 4,000 square feet (as opposed to Stockton's 10,000 square feet), it will still carry all the supplies found at the sister store.

Marple said they will have a full-service balloon department, all the disposable party items such as plates, cups and utensils, catering products, licensed children's birthday products such as Spider-Man and SpongeBob Squarepants and seasonal party items as well.

Some of the more popular portions of the Stockton store, which will also be found in the Lodi store, are baby shower supplies, wedding reception supplies and Halloween costumes.

The building, which is L-shaped, can also be accessed via School Street. The portion of The Party Guys that faces that direction will be revamped into Miranda and Moranda, a home-decor and novelty store.

"That won't open up simultaneously as The Party Guys, but that area is perfect for things like that," Marple said.

Upstairs, the space will be converted into separate offices for various businesses to lease.

"We'll supply them with a secretary and everything, and we'll have a conference center," said Stanley Evans, the general contractor in charge of revamping the building's interior.

Marple said one of the things that sets The Party Guys apart from other supply stores is their ability to competitively price their merchandise, due to the fact that the company constantly shops around for the best quality and best prices.

But more than quality service and products, Marple said it was a priority that their potential and current customers understood one thing about The Party Guys.

"It's important to us that people know that we are from the Central Valley, born and raised," Marple said.

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