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• Vacant properties

• The Morales investigator

• Growing a garden — and goodwill on Lodi Avenue

• Highway 12 to close next week for repairs, safety work

• 'Storm drain detectives' checking water quality of Mokelumne River

• Regional Roundup

• A world away no more: Son separated from mother in Afghanistan is reunited

• Best of the Tokay Press

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 (70)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (48)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Public health care is a Christian option (29)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (17)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

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A world away no more: Son separated from mother in Afghanistan is reunited

Wais Hakimi circled a terminal at San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday night to pick up his mother — but he didn't know what she looked like. He'd only seen her on TV — 20 years ago.

"Do I call her mom?" he thought as he coasted toward the US Airway terminal. "Should I hug her or shake her hand?"

Sunday is the first Mother's Day Hakimi will spend with his biological mother. He and his older sister were raised by their father's parents in Kabul, Afghanistan. They grew up to believe their grandparents, then doctors and politicians, were their mother and father.

The children were sheltered from their mother, Zarghana Aram, a young, famous stage and television actress. Actors were not respected in the community in Kabul and did little for the image of the upper-middle class, political family, Hakimi said.

"Politicians will do whatever they can to win," Hakimi said. "But why do this to innocent children?"

Rumors that Aram the actress was his mother spread throughout his childhood community. He was teased whenever an image of Aram flashed on the television.

Hakimi shrugged the comments off as rumors and moved to Russia at the age of 16 to study economics.

"It's easier to believe the lies after so many years," he said.

While Hakimi was in Russia, Aram was on tour with her second husband, an Afghani film producer. In between shows, she tried to find her children, but calls and letters were blocked by her ex-husband's family.

"I gave up," Aram said. "Not because I didn't want to see them. I didn't want to make problems worse for the kids."

Her children became only a memory — until the phone rang two months ago in her Philadelphia home, where she moved last year from Afghanistan.

Hakimi's sister spotted Aram on TV. She called the theater company and, after some run-around, convinced them to pass on the phone numbers of her children to Aram.

Hakimi got the call in late March.

"This is your mother," she said.

The two didn't exchange any more words on that first call. Just tears.

They later planned to meet on Mother's Day weekend.

"In my mind and my heart, I still have questions," Hakimi said. "No matter what's happened, mom is mom."

Now 37, Hakimi owns Tracy American Home Painting and Extreme Oil Change in Modesto. He and Aram have exchanged stories and laughs over the past few days.

"I feel like he was just born," Aram said in her native tongue as she grabbed her son's arm for a hug.

Hakimi will meet his half-sister today and throw a Mother's Day party for his new family Sunday.

"This is chapter two of life," he said.

Contact reporter Danielle MacMurchy at danielle@tracypress.com.