Considering where I live, you may think that I’m talking about downtown Stockton, but nope, I am talking about Lodi. I’ve recently learned that the signature event of downtown Lodi, the Thursday evening farmers market, has been shortened by several weeks. Wow. Woah. What? Farmers’ markets are something very near and dear to my heart, I quite literally grew up going to them, not as a customer, but as a vendor. As soon as I was able to see over the counter and count back change, I worked at the stall my family has maintained at various markets since 1979 (I was able to see over the counter in 1985). Needless to say, I’m critical of any move to shorten this weekly community gathering, community being what we need more, rather than less of.
Enter the Downtown Lodi Business Partnership, the organization that not only oversees the market, but is tasked with promoting the vitality of downtown Lodi itself. Over the years, friends and acquaintances of mine have had some negative interactions with this organization. I’m not at all pleased with the conduct of this organization, but don’t take my word for it, the Lodi fishwrap has plenty of accounts of issues with them. I’ve spent the evening searching the Lodi News-Sentinel archives, here are just few of the more notable articles (and letters to the editor) I’ve found:
DLBP fee approved by council (10/18/2006)
Appalled by approval of DLBP’s annual plan (10/13/2006)
Angry business owners call for DLBP resignations (10/16/2006)
Missing city money, bad bookkeeping, thing of the past, right? Not really, and any attempt to call them on it is met by attacks and bullying. Take a look at this article:
Michael Warren quits Downtown Lodi Business Partnership, states he is ‘at odds with policies’
I’ve had a chance to sit down with Mr. Warren at his establishment, and talk a bit about the situation. I very much admire his effort to bring to light the corruption that plagues the organization he resigned from, and I wanted him to know he has friends in this effort.
How does the farmers market fit into this? Just a result of flawed and unquestioned decision making, many years in the making. Lodi needs to break out of its creative stagnation, progress while not losing its charm, break away from the “good ‘ol boy” way of doing things. Eliminating the DLBP would be a good start, turn over functions to the chamber of commerce, have the farmers market be a joint venture between the COC and the SCFMA, the latter representing a wide variety of growers from throughout the Lodi/Stockton area.
Well, there is my two cents, see you at the farmers market!