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Last 7 Days

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• The horse tracker

• Special districts vary in staffing, salaries

• Local residents feel the effects of rice hike

• Lodi Street Faire set for Sunday

• Lodi wine protection bill clears hurdle

• Regional Roundup

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 (135)
• I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (73)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (70)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (60)
• Universal health care solves big problems (54)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (35)
• Stuck in neutral? Hardly! (35)
• Words from our forefathers (27)
• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks (24)
• Majority cannot deprive the minority (23)

ADVERTISEMENT

It is evolving, but in Lodi, BOBS group remains vital to youthful sports, recreation

Next year, the Boosters of Boys and Girls Sports program, or "BOBS," will celebrate its 50th year as Lodi's premiere youth sports association.

The relationship between the City of Lodi and the BOBS has been described as unique. Most cities long ago began distancing themselves from organized youth sports. In Lodi, the connection between the two can best be described as intimate. BOBS and its legions of volunteers work many, many long hours without compensation to ensure that the kids in Lodi have about as well-run a baseball, softball, soccer, basketball and flag football leagues as one could reasonably expect.

Up until last year, the BOBS also were heavily involved with youth tackle football. The reasons for that disassociation are subject to debate.

The city, in turn, provides a significant amount of support via administration and maintenance of various sports fields used by BOBS. The BOBS volunteers also work tirelessly helping out at many sites to maintain and improve facilities. The scoreboards at Salas Park and new bleachers and planned batting cages at Kofu Park are examples of BOBS-related improvements.

Much has been made as of late regarding the city manager's office proposing approximately $100,000 in cuts to the city's allocation to BOBS-related activities. The city is struggling to balance the 2008-09 budget due to the souring economy and is searching every nook and cranny of the city budget to find savings. The city manager has also said publicly that the city is vulnerable to liability issues due to its tight-knit relationship to the BOBS.

The connection between the two entities can pretty much be summed up by the fact that the treasurer of the BOBS is Steve Brown; Brown also happens to be an interim Parks and Rec Supervisor. Brown has been called a tremendous asset to both by Recreation Supervisor Mike Reese, and BOBS President Ted Coffee.

According to BOBS board member John Portscheller, BOBS has realized that the $1,000,000 in liability coverage it currently carries will need to be bumped up to at least $2 million and maybe as high as $4-5 million dollars over the next year. Even though there have been no claims against BOBS for as long as anyone remembers, the BOBS will obtain an amount of coverage more acceptable to the city.

Between 2,600 and 3,000 Lodi area kids and their families make use of BOBS each and every year. These families are charged about 33 percent less to participate than those in most other cities.

Mr. Coffee has stated that "no child is turned away from participating due to lack of money." That alone may be reason enough to continue the status quo. The city's $115,000 or so yearly contribution to administer BOBS-related activities amounts to .25 percent of the city's general fund, not counting parks maintenance and such. This seems to me to be a paltry sum in not only helping keep kids out of trouble and involved in constructive activities, but may be even more important in helping fight the epidemic of childhood obesity.

BOBS meets the second Wednesday of every month at the Parks and Rec office at 125 N. Stockton St. and meetings are open to the public.

On an unrelated note, please join me on May 3rd at Lodi Middle School where the Lodi Chess Tournament will take place at 9 a.m. For more information, call Parks and Rec at 333-6800.

J. Kurt Roberts can be reached at jkurtroberts@sbcglobal.net.