The Record's Lodi Blog

Lodi Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Director Jeff Hood said the city has received reports that a mountain lion might be roaming the Lodi Lake Nature Area.

Hood said that the city has found no evidence of the big cat yet.

However, signs will be posted to warn hikers that there might be a mountain lion around.

There have been mountain lions at the lake in the past, but no reports recently until now.

As reported in this morning’s paper, the Linden Unified School District board allegedly failed to act on an independent law firm’s investigation that found Superintendent Michael Gonzales did sexually harass  Waverly Principal Lisa Pettis.

Read the lawyer’s full Summary of findings. The document was seen by the Board of Trustees no later than March 20 according to labor law attorney Warren Osgood.

Lodi Unified’s Associate Superintendent/CBO Tim Hern is up for a two-year contract extension at Tuesday night’s board meeting.

Hern was hired two years ago after Trustees first balked at granting him a two-year deal to replace the retired Doug Barge.

The contract is on the consent agenda, which likely means it will be greenlighted without much conversation.

Here’s a copy of the  Hern Contract.

ICYMI, here is a link to today’s story on a fair employment complaint filed against Linden Unified Superintendent Michael Gonzales by Principal Sharon Womble.

To view a PDF of the entire complaint, click here.

People are building! Is it a sign that Lodi is coming out of the recession?

From City Manager Rad Bartlam’s online (sometimes) Weekly Update:

Permit revenue up: The number and value of building permits continues to exceed last year’s figures. Through March, the Community Development Department has collected $1.12 million in fees in the fiscal year, compared to $743,608 through the first nine months last fiscal year.

…you gotta sell yourself.

The Lodi Arts Commission posted on Facebook that they are searching for a judge for the 3rd annual Taco Truck Cookoff.  The June cookoff has become a highlight for the mobile food vendors and central Lodi.

If you can tell the commission why you should be a judge in 50 words or less, you might find yourself eating a whole lot of tacos in a couple months.

Here’s the Commission’s Facebook page.

Jeanie Biskup seems to have done it all after working 25-years in management for the Lodi Police Department. She’s not an officer, but has been a services manager or most recently classified as a management analyst.

“They are the catch all,” City Manager Rad Bartlam said, meaning that the management analyst’s job is to pick up duties that don’t quite fit on other employee plates.

What that has meant for Biskup is a long list of contributions to the department and, well, popularity. The community room at the police station was overflowing Thursday with people wanting to wish Biskup well in retirement.

Chief Mark Helms rattled off many of Biskup’s work: Crime prevention unit, field evidence technician, police volunteer supervisor, public information office team member, community improvement/code enforcement, animal services, council communications, mobile food vendor ordinance, crime prevention fair organizer, computer system changeovers, developed new radios, coordinator of Every 15 Minutes at the high schools, special event coordinator, built the department website, wrote Behind the Badge features for the Lodi News Sentinel, administered customer surveys, Crime Stoppers board member and Lodi Police Foundation board member.

And there’s more.

Biskup completed the LAPD West Point Leadership Academy in 2004. She oversaw the partners volunteer program, developed Neighborhood Emergency Training, was nationally recognized for her work on National Night Out coordination.

Biskup was Lodi Police employee of the year in 1994. She received the Meritorious Service award in 1994 and 2009. She won the Chief’s Award in 2000.

Quite a career. Here’s a blurry photo I took at Thursday’s retirement recognition with Biskup and Chief Helms.

Lodi Unified Personnel Director Mike McKilligan confirmed the district is shuffling its vice principal and assistant principal rosters.

District officials have not commented on why the switches are necessary. No one is being laid off under these moves, just changing schools. Here’s the new roster at each high school:

I’m not sure in every case who was where before. I can confirm that Martha Dent moves from Tokay to McNair; Marlon Gayle from Bear Creek to Lodi High; and Allen Dosty – the former  Henderson Day School principal – is now Bear Creek assistant principal.

…at golf.

Lodi Attorney Russell Humphrey (pictured below on the left) took first place in a recent 4-ball Championship in Granite Bay. Humphrey’s website notes how he attended college on a golf scholarship. He apparently chose law over the PGA tour, though. He and his partner shot a 66 and a 69.

Humphrey’s name has been in The Record on a number of occassions. He’s worked several high profile court cases, and worked a settlement agreement with a man who was badly bitten by a Lodi K-9. He also represents a client in making American’s with Disabilities Act claims – and he is also himself being sued for an ADA violation.

Below is a link to the full complaint filed by former Mayor James McCarty against Lodi ADA lawyer Russell Humphrey in federal court.

Complaint