Deadline Extended
Nakanishi is not running
About Town – TUESDAY, 8/11/26
The regular filing period has ended for prospective city council candidates. However, Councilman for District 1 Alan Nakanishi followed through on his pledge to not seek re-election, which extends the filing period by five days for his district only. The extended deadline is now Wednesday, Aug. 12. Nakanishi will conclude a remarkable 20-year tenure on the Lodi City Council, making him one of the longest-serving members in Lodi history. Only Frank Hale served longer, from 1906 – 1929.
LATE MINUTE UPDATE: Jordan Duncan has filed papers to run for city council in District 2 against incumbent Lisa Craig-Hensley. If the name sounds familiar, Jordan is a former Lodi police officer who says he was fired from the force for refusing to enforce stay-at-home orders issued by the county in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Duncan had only been employed by the department for four months when he was allegedly terminated. Duncan’s father, Jon, is pastor of the Cross Culture Christian Center church, which meets in the former Bethel Open Bible Church space at Ham and Sylvia. The elder Duncan continued to hold church services in spite of the county-mandated closure. He told a TV news reporter at the time, “We’re going to meet as often as we can meet, and we do believe that this right is protected by the 1st Amendment and should be considered essential.” Duncan said the church had implemented a social-distancing policy in addition to frequent hand-washing recommendations. The church’s landlord, Bethel Open Bible Church, was put on notice by Lodi Police that allowing their tenant to meet was in violation of county restrictions. Bethel administrators changed the locks on the building in a move to keep church members out. Cross Culture Christian Center settled its federal lawsuit against both the State of California and San Joaquin County (not the city) in August/September 2021. The state paid $400,000 for attorney fees and San Joaquin County paid $100,000 in damages.
CLOSE LOOK: Lodi is about to put its community development process under the microscope. The city council approved a $115,000 contract with CityWise Strategies, LLC, to figure out what’s working, what’s slowing things down and what needs fixing when it comes to reviewing and approving new development. Over the next six to eight months, consultant Aaron Busch will dig into everything from permit processing and customer service to staffing, technology and how well city departments work together. If that name sounds familiar, Mr. Busch was the stand-in city manager while the council recruited a replacement for fired manager Scott Carney. Busch will compare Lodi’s practices with those of other California cities and recommend ways to make the system faster, smoother and more predictable for builders, businesses and residents alike. City officials say the timing is right, with new development on the horizon and the city’s Economic Development Strategic Plan now in place. The study will be funded through the Community Development Special Revenue Fund. The council also decided to chuck the normal bidding process “due to Mr. Busch’s extensive experience, technical expertise and familiarity with the city of Lodi,” saying, “Contracting directly for these services is in the best interests of the city.” The city has spent more than a half-million bucks on consultants and auditors over the past year or so.
THE WINNER IS: The Lodi District Chamber of Commerce has announced nominees for this year’s Change Maker of the Year award. They are Janelle Wilkerson with Loel Center; Johnny Coughran, director of the Lodi Access Center; Ryan Ranchhod with Diede Companies; and Dr. Stephanie Bolton at the Lodi Winegrape Commission. The winner will be announced Thursday, September 10th at Jessie’s Grove Winery. “Each of our 2026 Change Maker Award nominees exemplifies the passion, dedication, and strength Lodi is known for,” the chamber says.
POLICE REPORT: The Lodi Police community liaison officer conducted over 141 homeless camp cleanups and postings in the last 12 months. The police department handled 2,700 transient-related calls. The department says that 75% of the homeless population are substance abusers and some 50% of them suffer from mental health issues. The department also says there are about 100 documented gang members living in Lodi, including Norteno and Sureno club associates. Known mainly for their violent behavior, gang members are packing much more firepower these days. Police say they are finding shell casings from a mix of handgun and riffle rounds. They say they also find arrestees with “ghost guns” with 30-round magazines. These guns are un-serialized, which makes them untraceable. Fentanyl use has also skyrocketed in Lodi, producing a “dramatic” increase in overdoses and overdose deaths. During the first half of this year the department received over 21,000 calls for service. There have been 17 rapes, 33 robberies, 71 auto thefts, 88 burglaries, six arson fires, 269 felony arrests, 154 DUI arrests, and 13 Narcan deployments. There were no homicides reported through June 30.
UPDATES: The former Sambo’s\U.J.’s,\Omelet House\Village Coffee Shop building on Victor Road at Highway 99 has gone to seed. A cyclone fence attempts to keep people out, but the spray-painted tags on the walls suggest it’s not been effective. The property was sold a couple years ago and the city says no plans have been submitted to renovate the place. At this point most would agree the only permit needed is for demolition. … Work has started on the former Buy4Less grocery store building on Lockeford near Hutchins. The property was purchased two years ago by the veterinarian clinic next door with plans to move the practice into the remodeled space. The market opened in 1994. The building previously housed Lodi Lawn Mower Center in the ‘60s and later Valley Appliance in the ‘70s. … So when is something going to happen with the former Sunset Theater property at the corner of Lodi Avenue and Fairmont? Not until next year, we’re told, when apartments to the south will be demolished to make way for 44 new senior housing condos.
LAST LAUGH: Someone posted, “Nothing keeps a husband humble like watching his wife catch fish on all the gear he bought for himself.”
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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.