Summertime is perfect for tasting fresh, cool, crisp white wines! Don’t miss this fun and informational weekend to taste the best of Lodi Albariño! On August 9-11th, 8 of Lodi’s wineries will be celebrating International Albariño Day during the 4th Annual Lodi Tour of Albariño weekend. The Lodi appellation is well known for its innovative approach to winemaking and wine varieties, with over 100 different varieties being produced in the area. Albariño is one of the leaders and has been grown in Lodi for over 20 years. There is a reason this Iberian grape varietal continues to gain popularity locally and across the country. Albariño is a crowd pleaser and is crisp, yet complex with balanced acidity and incredibly intense aromatics. During this unique weekend, visitors will be able to pick up a free guidebook at any of the participating wineries and map their visit to enjoy a complimentary taste of Albariño. You can taste the different terroir and winemaking styles. Many wineries will offer special tastings only available at this event. And the fun doesn’t stop here…participants will be entered in a raffle for each winery they visit.

Just in time for the holiday season, everyone’s favorite Peanuts television special comes to life on stage in Bob Hope Theatre, Stockton, December 28.  A Charlie Brown Christmas Live On Stage (https://www.acharliebrownchristmaslive.com) celebrates the timeless television classic as the whole family can join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the Peanuts characters in their journey to uncover the true meaning of Christmas. Tickets are on sale now at the Stockton Arena Box Office and Ticketmaster.com. VIP packages are available at Ticketmaster.com.

Iconic guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and three-time Grammy-Award winner BRIAN SETZER and his 19-piece ORCHESTRA will tour the country on their 16th annual “Christmas Rocks! Tour,” presented for the fifth consecutive year by SiriusXM. The over 20-city annual and critically acclaimed holiday extravaganza will come to Bob Hope Theatre in Stockton, CA on December 17. Tickets will go sale Friday, July 26 at 10:00 AM (local time), and can be purchased at the Stockton Arena Box Office or on Ticketmaster.com.

First Tee and PGA TOUR Champions announced Lauren Garces will represent The First Tee of San Joaquin when she competes in the 2019 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee, an official PGA TOUR Champions event to be contested at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California, September 24-29. The 16^th annual event, which is hosted by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, will be televised internationally on Golf Channel.

It was with sincere sadness I read of Thelma Stewart’s passing this past week. Having been living out of state for the past six and a half years,  I’ve been back in Stockton for some time now and kept thinking need to give Thelma a call. But sadly, now I shall be attending her funeral Mass on Wednesday, and not have a chance to tell her how much I treasured all she did for our community.

The public is invited to a series of open house events beginning July 22 to review proposed maps defining new San Joaquin Delta Community College District trustee areas.

St. Joseph's Medical Center has recently been recognized by the American Heart Association for outstanding stroke and heart attack care, receiving the Get With The Guidelines® Target: Stroke Honor Roll Gold Quality Achievement Award and the Mission: Lifeline® Gold Receiving Quality Achievement Award.

The City of Stockton is now accepting applications from local artists and arts organizations to provide creative services during Stockton Arts Week, celebrated this year the week of October 11 – 20, 2019. Applications are being accepted in the following three categories:  Community Center Workshops, Collide Festival Workshops, and the Collide Festival Sculpture Garden. The deadline for completed applications is July 31, 2019, at 5 p.m. 

The Delta College Board of Trustees has approved a contract with Dr. Omid Pourzanjani, officially appointing the longtime educator to be Delta’s 11th Superintendent/President.

Start the holiday season on the right foot!  Before you stuff your face, come run the race! The Emergency Food Bank Stockton/San Joaquin will be holding the 15^th Annual Run & Walk Against Hunger, a 5K Run/Walk and 10K Run on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 28^th.  All proceeds will go to the Emergency Food Bank of Stockton/San Joaquin.  Come out to help in the fight against hunger!