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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 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 (165)
• 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)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Public health care is a Christian option (30)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (17)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

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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).