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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 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 (48)
• 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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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.