91 Years Home
No plans to move
About Town – SATURDAY, 8/15/26
When Beverly Stroh moved into her family’s home on Crescent Avenue in 1935, who could have guessed she’d still be living there 91 years later? Born in 1932, the retired schoolteacher moved with her family into the newly built house in the 200 block of South Crescent and, except for a short time away at college, has lived there ever since. She married Malen Stroh in 1956, and they were together in the house for 67 years before his death in 2023. Malen was also an educator, teaching English at the University of the Pacific until his retirement in 1987. Jeff says the home has hosted several weddings over the years, along with countless family gatherings. “The house became part of our family tradition,” he says. He adds that Beverly remains in good health at 94 and still walks up to a half-mile a day. Jeff says his mom has no plans to leave, hoping to die there just as her husband did three years ago.
CASH FOR A CAUSE: It was a good day last Sunday for first grader Leo Anderson, 6, who set up a lemonade stand on his grandma’s front lawn on West Elm Street. The youngster wanted to earn money to buy himself a 3-D printer. Leo’s grandmother Charise Corpe says friends, neighbors, and local first responders, including Sergeant Ryan LaRue, stopped by to help Leo reach his goal. Charise says she’s hosted lemonade stands on her front lawn for several of her grandchildren over the years so they could earn money to buy something they wanted. “It started with Lego sets, an enclosure for a live toad, then progressed to a Chromebook for school, and (now) 3D Printers,” she says. Charise says it’s all totally “old school,” saying that’s the way she was brought up. “That is how my parents taught me, back in the day! The value of a dollar when you work for something you want to buy. You appreciate it and take care of it, because you know what it took to work for it,” she says. Charise and her family own M&R Metal Sales in town. “This isn’t just about a lemonade stand. It’s about teaching life lessons, overhead expenses, and gross and net profit,” Charise says.
TRAGEDY: Four years ago, San Joaquin County Sheriff Deputy James Morgan was thrown from his horse during a week-long Mounted Patrol Unit training activity and suffered a devastating spinal injury, according to sheriff officials. What followed was a long and painful medical journey. A fundraising page says James spent the next several years searching for answers and doing everything he could to recover. Even with chronic pain and repeated setbacks, he stayed focused on getting back to full duty, patrolling alongside his wife Teresa, and returning to the Mounted Patrol Unit and his horse. In hopes of restoring his quality of life and making that return possible, James underwent a complicated, high-risk spinal surgery. He died July 2 from complications related to the surgery. So far, nearly $10,000 has been raised toward a $50,000 goal. If you’d like to help, the fundraiser is at porac.org/fundraiser/san-joaquin-county-deputy-morgan.
FINALLY: It took a year, but the News-Sentinel finally received a larger batch of documents it requested about charges on city-issued credit cards. The 82 records do not amount to much, but the largest single mistaken charge was made by former Assistant City Manager Andrew Keys. On June 24, 2023, Keys used his CalCard to order from Uber Eats. He was contacted about it and repaid the city in full, according to documents received by the newspaper. A memo also says he was reminded of the city’s credit card policy. In another instance, a Public Works employee bought an item at a Chevron station, then returned it after recognizing the mistake, city records show. After one employee bought a meal during a storm response, a reimbursement request was denied because it did not meet MOU requirements. It was later approved, however, because another employee had been reimbursed incorrectly. At least two subsequent independent audits found no fraud or attempted fraud by employees.
SPONSORS WANTED: Want to name a park amenity after yourself or a loved one? Whip out your checkbook. The Parks and Recreation Commission is looking into the possibility of establishing sponsorship and advertising opportunities in order to raise badly needed funds for the department. A package of possibilities was presented to the commission recently, according to city spokeswoman Nancy Sarieh. As for naming whole parks after someone, maybe not. She says, “The package speaks broadly to the possibility of naming park amenities or enhancement opportunities, not whole parks. Any naming would be reviewed by the Parks Department, recommended to the P&R Commission and ultimately require Lodi City Council approval.” The city has historically named parks after local luminaries who have made significant contributions to Lodi over the years. Hale Park was named after Frank Hale, one of Lodi’s original council members. Lawrence Park, named after Lodi’s first mayor George Lawrence. Chapman Field, named after long-serving local umpire-in-chief Tom Chapman. Katzakian Park, named after prominent local businessman and former mayor Bozant Katzakian. Peterson Park, named after beloved city manager Tom Peterson. Blakely Park, named after long-serving Lodi city clerk and chief administrator John Blakely. Bob Johnson Park, named after the late councilman. Then there’s Charlene Powers Lange Performing Arts Theater at Hutchins Street Square, named after the person who worked tirelessly to transform the old high school site into the community center it is today. There are many parks in town without official names, but maybe that’ll change someday.
LAST LAUGH: Someone posted, “Every time I buy milk the cashier asks if I want it in a bag. I tell them it’s easier to carry if I leave it in the jug.”
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Steve is a former newspaper publisher and lifelong Lodian whose column appears most Tuesdays and Saturdays in the News-Sentinel and at stevemann.substack.com. Write to Steve at aboutlodi@gmail.com.