Story Tools

Email this story | Print this story

Indexes

Today's Stories

Last 7 Days

Top Blogs

• California taxpayers soaked for out-of-state parolees

• Michael Jackson's ride featured at the Lodi Grape Festival

• Lodi Police arrest alleged thief of school surveillance cameras

• Firm hopes to unify Galt High School District, school board with new leader

• Working vacation: Grape Festival security chief oversees patrols

• Regional Roundup

• Former Flames gather for 70th high school reunion

• Six lucky students save with Bucks for Books

• Corrections

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? (75)
• 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)
• Many reject the politics of 'no' (45)
• Writer comments on Neely column (42)
• The Home Depot hopes to join Costco at Reynolds Ranch (41)
• Time to shed the convenient sham of 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy (34)
• Police: Train victim was a Lodi teen (31)

ADVERTISEMENT

Working vacation: Grape Festival security chief oversees patrols

It's not your typical vacation, but Craig Canepa knows exactly how he's spending four days off from his day job this month — he's heading up the security operation at the Grape Festival.

This year the 27-year-old Lodi resident is supervisor of all private security guards who will work the festival. About 33 guards work each day, and Canepa is charged with keeping track of them, monitoring their walkie-talkie traffic, communicating with Lodi police and also doing his own security patrols.

"Our main focus is access control — trying to prevent people that shouldn't be coming in, because this is a family event," Canepa said. "Mainly, we're the eyes and ears of the Lodi Police Department."

Canepa grew up and attended schools in Lodi and Stockton. He's always considered following his dad's footsteps as a sheriff's deputy — his father worked for Alameda County — or becoming a bodyguard.

He looks imposing enough for such a job, with his no-nonsense bald head and his rather tall stature. When he starts chatting, though, the conversation and smiles are dead give-aways that he has a solid sense of humor.

Canepa has amassed eight years of experience in the security field and currently works full-time for GuardsMark. His task is to monitor trucks and other vehicles that leave and enter a military distribution center in Stockton.

A little more than a year ago, Canepa took on a part-time gig with the Lodi Grape Festival, which hires private security for weekend events (weddings, quincineras, etc.) and the annual Grape Festival fair.

Last year's festival was "a bit of a blur" for the newly hired Canepa, who worked about 45 hours in four days, not counting the time at his regular job. But that experience was apparently a good one, because he decided to try for the vacated supervisor position. He got the job.

This year, he took vacation days from Guardsmark, knowing he'd be working even longer hours at the Grape Festival. He doesn't seem to mind, and his wife, Nicole, apparently approves — she's going to work in security there, too.

The private security guards don't carry weapons and mostly patrol in the buildings and at the entrance gates. They communicate on their own portable radios, but can also report any problems to Lodi police. Officers tend to focus on the carnival area, where the occasional gang fight breaks out, and traffic issues outside the festival grounds.

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.