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• Reorganization for Lodi's SPARC

• McNerney makes visit to Lodi today

• 'If we can help one person'

• Inmates clean up 14 tons of trash near river in Lodi

• Pot-laced brownies in school

• Technology helps Lodi mend aging sewer lines

• Efforts to recharge groundwater may mean new charge for area ratepayers

• Regional Roundup

• 'McMansion' regulation on hold while study reviewed

November 21st, 2009

• Logbook

• Holiday drive spreads cheer to U.S. troops

• Galt High students want board to approve open-campus policy

• Poisoning victims remain hospitalized

• Expert: Half a mushroom cap can be deadly

• Tokay grad files claim over Lodi's Grape Bowl

• Lodi Middle School holds annual Turkey Trot

• Regional Roundup

• No motive or suspect in shooting

• Sacramento cop arrested for alleged kidnapping

November 20th, 2009

• Acampo woman killed

• Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

• Advocacy groups sue East Bay Municipal Utility District over Pardee expansion

• Regional Roundup

• Galt plans to help residents with energy-efficient projects

• Stable southeast of Lodi approved

• One year after a heart attack, Lodi's Judy Mims thanks rescuers

• National Guard troops return home in time for the holidays

• Real estate market gets on more solid ground

November 19th, 2009

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Chase ends in crash

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

• Sales tax hike yields dividends: 5 new officers join Galt Police

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Corrections

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react

• Lodi man finds wife's ashes during police display of stolen property

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

November 17th, 2009

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Regional Roundup

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Clarification

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• City Council 'triple-dog dared' to ditch cars, use Lodi buses

• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi

• Lodi's First Sip event showcases area wineries' latest vintages

• Three members of Lodi-area family fall ill after eating poisonous mushrooms they reportedly found at Lodi Lake

• Regional Roundup

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• The country's mess is our fault (170)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (73)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (50)
• Public health care is a Christian option (49)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (22)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

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10 questions with Greg Wright

Greg Wright is the track and field coach at Lodi High. Wright, 44, graduated from Lodi High in 1981. He competed on the track and field and football teams.

Greg Wright

Wright is spearheading a fundraising effort to purchase an all-weather track at Lodi High. The estimated cost of the project is $405,000.

Wright and his wife, Suzanne, have two boys, Nathan, 8, and Sam, 5.

"They're future track athletes," Wright said.

Q: What inspires you to volunteer so much of your time to track and field?

A: The great thing about track is it's like a chess game. You can move the pieces around in the right places and give athletes a better opportunity to succeed. What we're trying to do is motivate kids to be healthy for life, to be active for the next 50 years.

Q: What's your favorite track and field event?

A: I'd say the 400. It combines speed, intensity, intestinal fortitude, and you have to have a lot of will to win. A lot of heart.

A lot of kids at Lodi run the 400. It's something we do as a team-builder. A lot of kids think they're fast and want to run the 100. We use the 400 as a training base for the hurdlers and jumpers.

Q: Why don't local teams compete in the javelin throw?

A: The javelin event is outlawed in every state except Kansas and Rhode Island. States found there were accidents; but not (the javelin) hitting people so much, but it sticking in the ground and people running into it.

Q: What's your most memorable track and field moment from the Olympics?

A: I was very young, but watching Billy Mills in 1964 win the 10,000 meters. (Mills is the only American to win gold in the event. His victory at the Tokyo Games has been called the greatest upset in Olympic history.)

He was an American that no one thought could win. He came out of nowhere because of his desire.

Q: What's the better movie, "Chariots of Fire" or "Prefontaine"?

A: It's a toss-up. Sentimentally, I have to go with Chariots. It's probably not a good choice as an American. The kids will be mad, because they love Prefontaine.

Chariots came out at a time when my athletic career was over. There's this scene about life going on, when it's time to go on and live your life, take all the lessons you learned as an athlete and apply them to your life.

Q: With so many high-profile track and field athletes linked to steroids in recent years, is there any concern about prep athletes following their lead?

A: There's always concerns with steroids. We want to teach athletes to live a healthy lifestyle.

(Track and field) polices itself so strictly. You find people using them, but other sports don't come anywhere near the strict guidelines.

Q: What track and field coach do you model yourself after?

A: There's a wonderful book, "The Track and Field Omnibook." It profiles different coaching styles, including Brutus Hamilton (former University of California coach from 1933-65 and Olympic head coach in 1952).

In his bio he talks about his academic athletes, and how track and field is a tool for young people to become better prepared for life. Track as a means to an end.

Q: Who's the best local athlete you've coached?

A: In '97 at Bear Creek (Wright was head coach), David Gritz won state in pole vault at 16-7. That same year, high jumper Darryl Feilbach was second at state at 7-1.

We were really fortunate that year. We took five jumpers to the state meet.

Q: Will Lodi High get an all-weather track?

A: It's my dream that we will have one. I'm very optimistic. I have faith in the community that we're going to get this done.

Q: One of your areas of expertise is pole vaulting. Do you think you could teach a sumo wrestler to vault?

A: You can teach anyone to vault; you would just need big poles. As much core strength as (sumo wrestlers) have, they could clear some bars, but they would need big poles.

I would love the challenge if I had the budget for the poles. I would love it.

First published: Thursday, January 25, 2007