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• Over and out

• Lodi industrial firms seek more qualified employees

• Patient numbers plummet: Delta family planning clinic in Lodi closes

• Eastside families waiting for heat as temperatures drop

• Methamphetamine bill co-sponsored by Jerry McNerney signed into law

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 (50)
• 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)

ADVERTISEMENT

The other Sinatra: Generous, giving, gracious

He couldn't serve in WWII, so Frank made 'V-Discs' that gave GIs hope

One of the greatest gifts ever given by entertainers to their appreciative audiences were V-Discs released at the beginning of World War II and featuring Frank Sinatra as well as other prominent Big Band Era musicians and singers.

The specially made V-discs, 12-inch, 78 rpm vinyl records for military personnel only were, according to one solider, " ... the next best thing to a letter from home."

Sinatra, along with other popular singers like Bing Crosby and Billie Holiday, were delighted to participate in the "V" (for victory) project that lasted from Oct. 1, 1943, until May 1949.

But no other artist came close to matching Sinatra's sheer output of V-disc recordings. Those records were the only ones that the musician's union allowed Sinatra to release from 1942-1944 during the session musician's strike.

Over its six-year run, the V-Disc program produced 900 unique discs containing 3000 separate recordings and shipped more than 8 million discs to soldiers stationed overseas.

For Sinatra, the V-discs had special meaning.

Sinatra had always wanted to be a Marine. But when 1941 rolled around and the time came for Sinatra to enlist, he was classified as "4-F" at the Newark Induction Center because of a punctured eardrum he suffered during a Hoboken street fight when his opponent hit him with a bicycle chain.

Since Sinatra couldn't serve, he took special pleasure in knowing that his records provided hope and comfort to the thousands of troops around the world who were fighting the Nazis.

The giving part of Sinatra's character is much less well known than the myths that followed him to the day he died that he was a rude, crude bore.

To be sure, if you were to ask any of Sinatra's three ex-wives or the dozens of A-list Hollywood stars he bedded, some might express reservations.

And Sinatra did have Mafia friends — although much more was made of that than it merited.

In the nearly 10 years that have passed since Sinatra died in May 1998 what has become ever more evident is his generosity and kindness.

Former editor of Metronome magazine and author of "The Big Bands," George Simon, wrote that after interviewing dozens of Sinatra's friends and associates he found that what was emphasized repeatedly was Frank's: " ... deep sense of loyalty, his intuitive consideration for the feelings of others ... and his generosity and numerous acts of kindness, for none of which he ever expects or even wants recognition."

Confirming Simon's findings, Pete Hamill, author of the essential "Why Sinatra Matters" wrote: "He was wonderful with children, including my two daughters. He was funny. He was vulnerable. I never saw the snarling bully of the legend ... (he was) an intelligent man, a reader of books, a lover of painting and classical music and sports, gallant with women, graceful with men."

If you don't believe either Simon or Hamill, then I hope you will trust me on the subject of Sinatra.

Years ago in the News-Sentinel, I wrote about a chance encounter my father and I had with Sinatra in a Beverly Hills' men's clothing store.

My father, gushing embarrassingly, told Sinatra how much his songs meant to him. Before too long, Sinatra offered Dad two tickets to his upcoming performance at the Palladium.

A Christmas song you will hear over and again this season is Mistletoe and Holly, one of the few tunes written by Sinatra and featured on his album A Jolly Christmas.

When you listen to it, think about the real Sinatra — the "Chairman of the Board" who, as told to Simon, had "intense integrity and rapturous respect and reverence for other talented performers."

Guzzardi wishes all the News-Sentinel readers a Merry Christmas and thanks them for their prayers and support during his lengthy illness earlier this year. Send him mail at guzzjoe@yahoo.com.