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• Local boards adopt protocols on use of electronic devices

• Electric cars sparking interest of consumers

• Dry weather doesn't spell drought for Lodi; reserve water will carry area through year

• Police find 200 lotto tickets stolen from gas station

• Acampo man faces long road to recovery after train accident

• Science museum backers win big with fund-raiser

• Logbook

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

November 4th, 2009

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

• Regional Roundup

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

November 3rd, 2009

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• Clarification

November 2nd, 2009

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Regional Roundup

• Group investigates reports of haunting

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

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

• Bible is entwined with American civic life (135)
• I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (73)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (70)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (60)
• Universal health care solves big problems (54)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (35)
• Stuck in neutral? Hardly! (35)
• Words from our forefathers (27)
• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks (24)
• Majority cannot deprive the minority (24)

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Conversations, touching moments make 'Smoke' memorable (*** 1/2)

Often, I'll be talking movies with a friend or co-worker and they'll ask me if I've seen a certain movie. Every so often, they'll throw out an obscure title that I was convinced nobody else had seen, but one that certainly deserves a wider audience. These conversations about "treasure movies" are part of the reason I love talking about film so much; it's great to hear about a movie you've "gotta see," but it's even more rewarding when you discover that one of your buried treasures may not be quite so undiscovered after all.

Such is the case with Wayne Wang's "Smoke," a profound, quiet little sleeper from 1995 that I don't think about nearly as often as I should. I was reminded of it recently by a friend who was equally as convinced as I was that almost nobody else had yet uncovered this old-fashioned character drama, which he cited as an example of the kind of film they just don't make anymore. Of course, they do make them — it's just that hardly anyone ever hears about them.

"Smoke" is centered around the Brooklyn Cigar Co. operated by Auggie (Harvey Keitel), who runs his business with the intimacy of a corner pub and carries on fascinating conversations with his various loyal customers. (Their gab is so naturally interesting that it spawned "Blue in the Face," a sequel of sorts comprised entirely of these random exchanges.) One of his oldest patrons is Paul (William Hurt, in a great comeback performance), an artistically sapped writer who has never gotten over the death of his wife some years back.

There are several story threads contained in "Smoke," but perhaps the most interesting involves Paul's relationship with a wandering teen who calls himself Rashid (Harold Perrineau Jr. of TV's "Lost," who manages to be believable as a 16-year-old despite the fact that he was in his early 30s when the movie was shot). Rashid's search for his own past leads him to a one-armed mechanic named Cyrus (Forest Whitaker), and the scenes these two share together are possibly the film's most touching sequences (and believe me, there's some stiff competition).

It's been more than 10 years since I first saw "Smoke," but I will never forget the initial impression left on me by Whitaker, who was then a relative unknown to the public and a complete unknown to me personally. It's one of those performances that catches you completely off guard, and you're left wondering why the actor isn't more well-known considering the breadth of their talent. And I still remember the first thing I said to my viewing companion the minute the credits started rolling: "That guy's gonna win an Oscar some day."

"Smoke" is rated R for language.