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• $650,000 upgrade will have to wait

• Raptor Force

• Galt council to review controversial pay plan

• Put yourself in her shoes

• Rural Lodi voters prefer Clinton, McCain

• Regional Roundup

• Highway 12 traffic light up and running

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

November 4th, 2009

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

• Regional Roundup

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

November 3rd, 2009

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• Clarification

November 2nd, 2009

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Regional Roundup

• Group investigates reports of haunting

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

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

• Bible is entwined with American civic life (137)
• I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (74)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (70)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (66)
• Universal health care solves big problems (56)
• Stuck in neutral? Hardly! (38)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (35)
• Words from our forefathers (27)
• Majority cannot deprive the minority (25)
• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks (24)

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Hatch describes departure from city

Two days after news of his pending departure from the city, Randy Hatch said he's not leaving his post as Lodi's development chief because of poor performance or for health reasons.

Instead, the veteran of 35 years in municipal planning said it's that intangible quality of a good "fit" that's driving him away.

"So much of being a department head is having that fit with your city manager," Hatch said in an interview Wednesday. "After a period of time, maybe that fit wasn't that good."

Hatch said he and City Manager Blair King mutually agreed last fall it would be best for Hatch to leave, following a six month separation period that will end June 1.

He joined the city in September 2005 and was given a two-year contract. That deal was not renewed.

Hatch, who heads the city's Community Development Department, has worked from home much of the past four months following major knee surgery.

While his management duties have been limited, he said he's logged about six hours per day working on the Wal-Mart Supercenter proposal, one that will be reviewed by city officials next month. The Stockton resident has also continued to attend numerous regional planning meetings for the city.

Hatch will continue to earn his $127,000 salary until he leaves.

His separation agreement does not include any one-time payments upon his departure.

King said earlier this week the city has already begun recruiting Hatch's replacement. Candidates from within and outside city staff will be considered, he said.

For more of this story, see Friday's News-Sentinel.

Contact reporter Chris Nichols at chrisn@lodinews.com.

First published: Thursday, March 27, 2008