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• Area crews continue battling fires; advise clearing weeds when safe

• Blazes fueled by wind, heat forcing evacuations in Northern California

• Lodi Middle students visiting Fresno State for tech camp

• Lockeford Community Park — possibilities endless, but money needed to keep it up

• Agency supplying meals to local seniors to shut doors

• Boy suffers head injuries after being hit by car

• Regional Roundup

• Galt prepares for flat revenue in '09 and '10

• Did petition against groundwater charge qualify for ballot?

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 (166)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (71)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (49)
• Public health care is a Christian option (31)
• 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 (18)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

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Lodi Middle students visiting Fresno State for tech camp

Two Lodi Middle Schoolers will spend a week later this month solving murder mysteries, designing roller coasters and carrying out simulated missions to Mars as part of the American Association of University Women's Tech Trek camp.

Christi Muresan, 13, and Megan Butler, 12, will stay in California State University, Fresno's dorms while exploring the lighter side of math and science through a series of workshops and outings.

AAUW founded Tech Trek in 1998 in response to a study that showed that girls start to shy away from math and science beginning in the seventh-grade, said Pat Drouin, longtime AAUW member and Tech Trek coordinator for the organization's Lodi branch.

The camp also gives young girls a taste of independence. Girls stay in the college's residence halls, eat at the school's dining commons and can explore the campus.

"That's sort of the goal, too, is to give them an opportunity that they haven't had," Drouin said.

Tech Trek's coordinators pair campers with roommates they don't know to expose the girls to as many new experiences as possible.

After the camp, AAUW sets the girls up with a mentor who guides them through their journey in education, Drouin said.

AAUW members chose Muresan and Butler out of a group of teacher-nominated girls at Lodi Middle School. Each year AAUW's Lodi branch chooses a Lodi Unified School District middle school, alternating between Lodi and Stockton schools, from which it picks Tech Trek participants.

Tech Trek hopefuls must submit an application and interview for a chance to go on the trip.

This year, the interview committee took an hour to decide which girls would go on the trek, said Drouin, who served on the committee.

"Every single one of the (applicants) was outstanding," Drouin said. "They all are exceptional girls."

In her essay, Muresan said she zeroed in on how determined she was to succeed.

"I just want to be good, have good grades and I know that will pay off eventually," said Muresan, who enjoys tinkering around in science labs.

Butler, an aspiring crime-scene investigator, is especially looking forward to the murder-mystery class.

In her science class last year, while other girls squirmed at the idea of dissecting frogs, she jumped at the chance to learn by investigating the frog's insides.

She looks forward to living the college life for a week and meeting like-minded people.

Isabella Langone, 15 and a Tokay High School sophomore, attended Tech Trek in the summer of 2005. This summer she will visit the camp again as a counselor.

"It was just a really good experience," Langone said.

At Tech Trek, Langone got to pick from a sampling of classes that included designing roller coasters.

Though this time around Langone will be guiding the campers rather than participating in the activities, she said she's looking forward to having another opportunity to see what life will be like after high school.

Langone hopes to study history, literature or English at a four-year university.

"I think it's important to get as much experience beforehand, before you're put out there in the real world," Langone said.

Contact reporter Amanda Dyer at amandad@lodinews.com.