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• Tracking down the best eats at Lodi Grape Festival

• Lodi Grape Festival's manager reminisces about early years

• Times a-changin' at junior colleges

• Third Republican hopeful joins race to seize Jerry McNerney's post

• Lodi man pleads not guilty to threats, sexually abusing wife

• Regional Roundup

February 8th, 2010

• Public Meetings

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February 6th, 2010

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• Meet Larry, Curly and Moe

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

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February 5th, 2010

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• 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

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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

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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

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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? (75)
• Lodi Unified School District president issues warning to speakers over cuts (64)
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• The Home Depot hopes to join Costco at Reynolds Ranch (41)
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• Tasered suspect claims he is Yosemite Sam (25)

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Lodi Grape Festival's manager reminisces about early years

Since becoming general manager at the Lodi Grape Festival, it has been a family affair for the Armstrongs.

In 1993, Teresa and I had been married for 10 years and had three children, Sarah, 6, Elizabeth, 4 and Patrick, 2, plus Teresa was pregnant with Joseph. Because the house we were going to move into was not going to be available for two months, we moved into two adjoining rooms at the Best Western Royal Host Inn on Cherokee Lane. There was no kitchen in our room, so every night we went down to the fairgrounds and had dinner in the boardroom kitchen.

The first year we moved into our house in Woodbridge, Sarah started school at St. Anne's and Joey was born on Aug. 20, the night of the annual festival president's dinner. Bruce Mettler, the board president at the time, joked that I would do anything to get out of wearing a tie.

The first festival was a blur, but I still remember how excited the kids were. Sarah never wanted to leave and my office became a baby changing station, stroller storage and nap room at fair time.

As the kids got older, they became more involved at the fair. Teresa took over the duties of Pavilion decorator and always worked hard, often balancing the kids' schedules and naps to make it work.

Through the years, you could always find Sarah under a spell at the hypnotist show. We think there was a year when she got in all Susan Rosen's shows. Elizabeth was never very adventurous, but was always willing to help mom or go to the shows with Patrick and Joey. As Sarah got older, she got more involved in the planning stages of the fair, helping with entries or in the office. It was always a fun day for the kids to come down and help me lay things out for the fair. They loved to pound in stakes and use the spray paint.

As I wrote this story I asked the kids to help me, and they had this input:

Sarah

Jobs she has had at the fair: Selling tickets, taking sign ups for grape stomps, hanging banners, helping decorate the Pavilion, making murals, passing out flag stickers at the parade, selling raffle tickets at the Car Show, pouring beer at the Wine Show, designed the Wine 101 interior, worked all summer painting doors and interiors around grounds.

Worst job she has had at the fair: Taking posters around town and hanging them up in business windows.

Favorite memories of the fair: Rides, getting hypnotized, watching the shows, bringing friends to the fair, riding in the parade, talking with vendors and concessionaires right before the fair closes.

Funniest moment at the fair: While hypnotized, she thought she was lifeguarding and yelled at a man for peeing in the pool, and when she was following people around with the video camera and broadcasting them on the big screens.

Favorite food at the fair: Lockeford Sausage.

Elizabeth

Jobs she has had at the fair: Planting flowers, helping decorate the Pavilion, selling raffle tickets at the Car Show, running grape stomps, judging scarecrows, passing out coupons and flag stickers at the parade, running the snack bar at basketball tournaments during the winter, picking up bands at the airport.

Worst job she has had at the fair: Running the grape stomps.

Favorite memories of the fair: Being old enough to run around the fair with her friends.

Funniest memory of the fair: When all the kids passed out flags at the parade and our electricians' son was two hours late getting back to the fairgrounds because he passed out so many. Also, when Dalton (the son of the previous petting zoo operator) kicked Smooth (his dad) over a bag of chips.

Favorite food at the fair: Paz's hamburgers and dad's candy drawer.

Patrick

Jobs he has had at the fair: Hanging banners, working grape stomps, setting up the Pavilion, rearranging things with his dad, laying out the fairgrounds, food tasting, putting flowers out, hanging grape guys, running scoreboards at basketball tournaments in the winter time and taking bands to the airport.

Worst job he has had at the fair: Hanging banners.

Funniest memory from the fair: "I don't know if it's funny or not, but once I got hit with a bat on opening night and missed the fair. Another year I had to get stitches after my football game on the first night of the fair, but I still made it."

Best memory of the fair: Getting to know the guys from the Tiger Show and the Slingshot. They were funny and fun to be around. Plus, you got a close-up view of the tigers.

Favorite food at the fair: Tri-tip sandwiches.

Joseph

Jobs he has had at the fair: Hanging banners, planting flowers, building commodity murals, helping with grape stomp, performing in the Variety Show with the band Voodoo Child. "There were so many people there!"

Worst job he has had at the fair: Helping my dad move hay bales.

Best memory of the fair: Joey probably remembers fewer fairs, but loved playing in the variety show and also playing the drums on the amphitheater stage after one of the concerts and riding around on the golf carts.

Favorite food at the fair: Pizza.

Through the years some interesting things have happened: