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• Galt residents may pay for loud parties

• Bell-ringing ceremony held for Lodi CHP officer killed in crash

• Man suspected of hitting Lodi fire captain makes first court appearance

• Regional Roundup

November 19th, 2009

• Logbook

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

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

• Operation: Christmas

• Corrections

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

• Chase ends in crash

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

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

November 18th, 2009

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

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

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

• Regional Roundup

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

November 17th, 2009

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

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

• Regional Roundup

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Clarification

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

November 16th, 2009

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

• Regional Roundup

• Correction

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

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

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

• Public Meetings

November 14th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• 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

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

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

November 13th, 2009

• What to expect with new homebuyer tax credit

• Lodi Muslim: Local mosque not involved

• Regional Roundup

• Burglary suspects are under arrest

• Lodi veteran recounts close calls in Vietnam

• Mayor Larry Hansen points out Lodi's economic progress

• First phase of Lockeford park by 2011?

November 12th, 2009

• Logbook

• Correction

• Robotics team at Jim Elliot invited to compete in Israel

• City of Lodi begins annual leaf removal program Monday

• Liberty Ranch construction at standstill as state pulls funds

• Will Lodi adopt a program that will allow volunteers to work at parks?

• With song and speech, veterans are recognized in Lodi

• 20 years later, Acampo man remembers the fall of the Berlin Wall

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

• The country's mess is our fault (130)
• Obama is not a moderate (129)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (60)
• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise (49)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (45)
• Lodi Flames slim playoff chances vanish in setback to Tracy Bulldogs (25)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• The haves should help the have-nots (25)
• Tokay Tigers blow late 27-point lead in loss to Wolf Pack (22)
• Nightmares about America's future (21)

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Beautiful outcome

Lodi's Ianni basks in aftermath of MLS championship

Soccer is sometimes called "The Beautiful Game."

It sure looked good to Lodi native Patrick Ianni and his Houston Dynamo teammates on Sunday afternoon — twice as nice as last year.

The Dynamo captured back-to-back Major League Soccer championships when they rallied to defeat the New England Revolution 2-1 in the MLS Cup on Sunday at Washington's RFK Stadium.

In a rematch of last year's final, Houston became the first team to repeat in a decade.

Ianni, who flew to Los Angeles on Monday morning to spend time with his girlfriend before leaving for Spain on Friday, was in a reflective mood late Monday evening.

"It's not the championships that make it worthwhile, but the relationships, the community involvement," said Ianni, a second-year defender who played in about one-third of the team's minutes this year. "It's about sacrificing for each other. When people sacrifice for each other, it's one of the most beautiful things in life. The joy of watching your teammates succeed.

Patrick Ianni

"I don't think I'll really appreciate it until I don't make it to a final or lose one. But that's not something I want to do."

Ianni was much less philosophical on Sunday, when the team partied late into the night.

Several hundred fans made the trip from Houston to Washington and the orange-clad throng hailed their team from the stands while the players and coaches celebrated with family and friends on the field.

Ianni, who didn't see any playing time in the final, said his parents, cousin and girlfriend were in attendance.

"To have them there, I couldn't ask for anything more," Ianni said. "Everyone was happy and hugging each other and posing with the trophy. It was awesome."

Ianni said the party carried over into the locker room, where corks popped, cameras clicked and champagne-drenched men sang songs and played boyish pranks.

"Everyone was soaked by the end of it," said Ianni, who returned to his hotel room around midnight.

Ianni says this year's title is more special because he was able to contribute more after a knee injury slowed him most of his rookie season.

He broke into the starting lineup for a few games earlier this season and also registered his first career goal, which was a game-winner.

Ianni admitted coming off the bench was tough, but it never became a distraction.

"The attitude you show when you're not playing shows a lot about yourself as a person. It's a big test of character," Ianni said. "More important than scoring goals is how people view me. It wasn't that frustrating to sit. I enjoyed the challenge of playing the role I did and being supportive of my teammates."

Ianni has a few days off before leaving for Spain as part of an Adidas-sponsored developmental tour. Top young players from the United State will train with European teams and play exhibition matches during the trip.

After returning to Los Angeles, Ianni will train with the U.S. Olympic team for a week before traveling to China to compete in exhibition games.

Ianni, 22, is vying for a spot on the 2008 Olympic team.

"Everyone's a legitimate candidate to make the team," said Ianni, who hopes to make it back to Lodi for Christmas.

As for the next few days, Ianni plans to bask in the delight of a second straight championship.

"I just want to spend some time with my girlfriend and spend some time in sunny Southern California," Ianni said.

It's a beautiful plan.