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• Chris Humbert reminisces about his time on the Olympic water polo team

• 'Clean family entertainment'

• Candidates rely on friends, local leaders for early support

• Donations being accepted for abused baby, mother

• Pirnejad leaving Lodi for Bay Area planning

• 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 (74)
• 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 (24)

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Timeless values

Scouts face challenges, adventure at LDS camp

Boy scouts from four troops in Lodi scuba dived, rappelled, panned for gold and watched a Polynesian fire dancer as a part of a high-adventure scout encampment held last weekend in Rancho Murieta.

Nearly 4,000 boys from Northern California took part in the three-day activity sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"This event is the ultimate in character building," said Joseph Anderson, a counselor in the Lodi Stake presidency. "The Boy Scouts of America provides young people with the skills and moral integrity to be successful in life. The values of scouting have never been more important and more needed than they are today."

Boys combined high adventure with personal challenges to improve skills and earn merit badges. Lodi Third Ward Bishop Eric Shields, who went with son Clay, said, "It was wonderful to see such a large group of young men who all had the same timeless values."

They worked and played together in pioneer activities, waterfront sports, high adventures (zip line, climbing wall and a Burmese elevator), shooting range and 25 merit badge classes.

Prominent sports stars and motivational speakers earned the respect of the scouts. Lodi Scout Trevor Woods was impressed with the Sacramento County Sheriff's helicopter that landed near the encampment. The scouts were allowed to explore it and ask questions of two deputies from the Sheriff's Department.

Hank Smith, a professional baseball player who gave up a million-dollar contract to go on a mission to Japan for the LDS church, addressed the scouts.

Johnny Miller's son, Andy, another speaker at the event, was a star golfer at Brigham Young University who took time from his promising career to serve a mission in Mexico.

Eric Shields, Lodi Third Ward bishop, listens intently with his son, Clay, to one of the motivational speakers at the Sons of Liberty Scout Encampment last weekend in Rancho Murieta. (Courtesy photo)

During his last few months, he was filmed by ESPN for a TV story. The video was shown to the scouts, along with video from the other sports stars who spoke.

Motivational speaker John Bytheway from Utah was a hit with the scouts. He is an author and academic who is well known as a comic and gives entertaining, yet inspirational talks. He has released more than 30 audio recordings and numerous books, including "What I Wish I'd Known in High School."

A special visitor and speaker at the event was Elder L. Tom Perry from Salt Lake City, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the LDS church.

He advised the boys to "have a duty to yourself." He said there were very few things he regretted in his life, but one of them was that he didn't become an Eagle Scout.

Dressed in a scout uniform, Elder Perry told the scouts that this time of year reminds him of three great events that relate to corresponding areas of life, which a scout should deem important: the Fourth of July (duty to our country); Pioneer Day, July 24 (duty to God); and his birthday, Aug. 5 (duty to yourself).