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• Braving Black Friday

• Deadline looms: Local students face challenges while applying to college

• Man jailed after allegedly running from car crash in Lodi with liquor in hand

• Carriage rides, Santa photos today in Lodi

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

• 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

• Chase ends in crash

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

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

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

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

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

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

November 17th, 2009

• Clarification

• 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

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• Regional Roundup

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

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

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

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

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

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

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

November 13th, 2009

• What to expect with new homebuyer tax credit

• Lodi Muslim: Local mosque not involved

• Regional Roundup

• Mayor Larry Hansen points out Lodi's economic progress

• First phase of Lockeford park by 2011?

• Lodi veteran recounts close calls in Vietnam

• Burglary suspects are under arrest

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

• The country's mess is our fault (147)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (63)
• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise (54)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (46)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Lodi Flames slim playoff chances vanish in setback to Tracy Bulldogs (25)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Nightmares about America's future (22)
• Tokay Tigers blow late 27-point lead in loss to Wolf Pack (22)

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Braving Black Friday

Local shoppers embrace tradition, and the cold, to find deals

It's 4:30 a.m., but it's prime shopping time for the Black Friday buyers camped out in front of Wal-Mart.

Though the sun has yet to rise, a few hundred shoppers have formed a line that reaches deep into the store's parking lot.

"It's just tradition. We do it every year," said Audria Arceo, 34.

Arceo and a group of relatives and friends had already visited JC Penney, before resuming their place in line as the second group to go into Wal-Mart early Friday.

Her strategy — divide and conquer.

While Arceo grabs a new George Foreman Grill, her nephew Joseph Zamora, 16, will head to the electronics section. She's assigned several others in her posse to different departments to get items.

The group of Black Friday veterans hopes to beat their personal best from last year — in and out of the store in 15 minutes.

As the doors open Zamora, dressed in a Yankees ball cap and a leather jacket for warmth, rushes past the Wal-Mart employees to the electronics section.

"We're just an electronically prone family," the teenager said.

Zamora grabs a handful of memory sticks and a few DVDs before the crowd catches up to him.

Within seconds of procuring his items Arceo is behind him with her grill. Apparently, she had trouble finding it, but nobody would have guessed given the speed with which she ended up in the electronics department.

"Did you get the camera?" Arceo asks Zamora.

Not seeing it in his hands Zamora makes a beeline toward the camera display case. Just barely over five feet tall, Arceo is a shopping force to be reckoned with.

Within seconds Arceo in her black cap and track pants emerges from the crowd surrounding the case with the camera and takes off down the aisle.

By 5:04 a.m. the crowd of several hundred peopled outside the store has jammed the store's aisles, in a gridlock reminiscent of Los Angeles rush hour traffic. But somehow Arceo weaves through the crowd and arrives at the registers to meet the members of her group, who have all come back with the items they wanted.

Shoppers at a glance

Diana Green

Diana Green

Age: 29

Residence: Lodi

Store: Target

Place in line: First

Time she arrived at the store: 1:30 a.m. Friday

Items sought: Camcorder, other electronics.

Strategy: Use a cup of coffee to keep your hands warm while you wait.

Jeanne LaCelle

Jeanne LaCelle

Age: 36

Residence: Acampo

Store: Target

Place in line: First

Time she arrived at the store: 1:30 a.m.

Items sought: Gifts for her children.

Strategy: Have somebody wait behind with a cart so you can run as fast as you can to the items you want. If you try to run with a cart, you will be passed.

Rosie Frederick

Rosie Frederick

Age: 44

Residence: Ione

Store: Staples

Place in line: First

Time she arrived at the store: 6:30 p.m. Thursday

Items sought: Laptop, GPS system, LCD monitor, Toys "R" Us gift card and a glue stick.

Strategy: Bring a tent to stay in and DVDs for entertainment.

Brian Aoyama

Brian Aoyama

Age: 21

Store: Staples

Place in line: Second

Time he arrived at the store: 8 p.m. Thursday

Items sought: Laptop and GPS system.

Strategy: Get dropped off and then have friends bring you supplies.

— News-Sentinel staff

By 5:09 a.m. Arceo and company have checked out, exited the store and are headed toward Target.

"We did better than last year," she said. "See, it's worth it to come out here."

Bargain hunters find more than sales on Black Friday

It's safe to say that Acampo resident Jeanne LaCelle wouldn't have arrived at Lodi's Target shortly after midnight Friday if it weren't for the incredible deals. Her children even made her a booklet of things not to miss during the day-after-Thanksgiving sales.

However, LaCelle had another reason for facing the cold Friday morning.

"You save money, but I love hanging out with people," LaCelle said.

For many in line on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, the deals almost come second to the camaraderie shared with those in line and the thrill of the hunt — almost.

Lodi resident Julie Traxler said her experience has given her a leg up on her fellow shoppers.

"It's fun," Traxler said. "I've worked retail and I know the ins and outs."

An 11-year veteran, Traxler planned on spending $800 on the day after Thanksgiving, often called Black Friday because it's the day retailers go from being "in the red," or not making any money, to being "in the black," or making money.

Although her children didn't accompany Traxler, they did send their lists with her.

"They all want expensive crap," said Traxler, who refuses to pay full price for her gifts.

Traxler's mother even put in a request for a Nintendo Wii.

"She wants to play Wii," Traxler said. "She's 65."

However, Traxler doesn't seem to mind waiting by herself too much. The few hours she spends suffering in the cold afford her the opportunity to buy gifts for her extended family.

Plus, she gets the thrill of beating out those behind her.

Minutes before the doors opened at Target, Woodbridge resident Eve Spradling still wasn't sure what she was going to fill her basket with. But she wasn't too concerned.

"I always meet somebody nice every year. That's why I come," Spradling said.

After nearly six hours of waiting, Spradling's daughter Bree wasn't sure whether she felt the same way.

"It's fun sometimes," Bree said, groggy from having just woken up from a nap in the car.

In front of Staples, sisters Susan Bjork and Rosie Frederick, who had nabbed the first spot in line, hadn't lost sight of the items for which they came, but they had fun passing the time nonetheless.

The sisters and their families erected a tent on the sidewalk in front of the store and watched DVDs on their laptop through the night.

Contact reporter Amanda Dyer at amandad@lodinews.com.