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• On board the Lynx

• Schauer feels it's her duty to give back to Galt school district

• Prominent valley developer sees need to create jobs — not just more houses

• Local teens win big at 40th annual SkillsUSA conference

• Bicyclist dies after being struck by truck east of Lodi

• Regional Roundup

• Mother's Day brunches in Lodi, surrounding areas

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 (165)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (71)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (49)
• Public health care is a Christian option (31)
• 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 (18)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

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Local teens win big at 40th annual SkillsUSA conference

When you walk into Paul Guthrie's classroom at Lodi High School, the first thing that catches your eye is the award wall.

Guthrie, who teaches architectural design and mechanical drafting at Lodi High, said he only puts his students' gold medals on the wall — not because the others aren't important, but because there just isn't enough room.

"If we did that, it would be pulling the sheetrock off the wall," Guthrie said.

Last month, Guthrie's students brought home even more medals from the 40th Annual SkillsUSA Championships in Riverside.

The conference, in which students compete in everything from fire technology to graphic communication, showcased the vocational talents of California's students from April 19-22.

Lodi High Junior Nick Iturraran, who won a gold medal in the technical drafting combination competition, will be the only student in Lodi Unified School District to attend the SkillsUSA National Skills Championships in June.

Iturraran said he was excited to win, but expected fellow Lodi junior Garett Neuvert to beat him out. Neuvert, who took a silver medal in the same competition, said he wasn't too beaten up about coming in behind his classmate.

"If Nick starts his own company he's going to hire me," Neuvert said.

Both Iturraran and Neuvert said they hope to pursue engineering careers after they finish school.

Looking toward a future career is something that Guthrie takes pains to emphasize in his class. Each student makes a portfolio of his or her work, complete with a cover letter, resume and letters of recommendation.

"If we don't start training them now, what's it going to be like when they go out into the workplace?" Guthrie asked.

Guthrie credits much of the program's success to his predecessor Ted Heinrich, who now works at Lodi Technical Academy as a special projects coordinator and has taught for over 35 years.

Guthrie keeps Heinrich's picture posted on the classroom's clock to keep him on task.

"He's my friend and my mentor," Guthrie said.

Madilynn Farmer, a junior, said before Guthrie's class she had seen people mention resumes on television, but never really knew what one was.

Farmer would like to pursue forensic science in college, but plans to continue drafting on the side. She said the skills learned in Guthrie's class will give her an edge when she enters the workforce.

Contact reporter Amanda Dyer at amandad@lodinews.com.