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• Some Lodi-area students seek a new course for college because of rising costs

• Increased admission fees likely for some local colleges

• After 10 years, Vino Piazza files bankruptcy

• 45 years later, Lodian treasures card from Jacqueline Kennedy

• Lodi teens ditch school, crash car into tractor trailer on Guild Avenue

• 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 (70)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (48)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Public health care is a Christian option (29)
• 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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After the Turkey

10 things you can do after the big meal to avoid the food stupor in front of the TV

1. Take Fido out

Chances are, Fido snuck enough trimmings from the generous diners at the children's table and is feeling about as stuffed as the Thanksgiving turkey. Help his — and your — stomach settle with a walk through the neighborhood with friends and family. Grab his leash. And a few plastic bags to clean up any "business." Don't let anyone clean the dishes until you get back. Along the way, make a game out of scavenging for pieces of the season, such as pine cones and brightly colored leaves. Whoever scores the best find gets to chose the first piece of pumpkin pie.

2. Go see an early evening movie

Thanksgiving is one time of year Hollywood considers its fans. Instead of releasing new movies on Friday, most new movies open on Wednesday during Thanksgiving week. It's also a great time to catch a flick because 1.) You obviously have nothing else to do after the big meal except fall into a food coma in the barker lounger, and 2.) some Oscar-worthy flicks are released during the holidays.

Downtown, Lodi Stadium 12 Cinemas will start showing three new releases on Wednesday, including:

• "Australia," starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.

• "Four Christmases," starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon.

• "Transporter 3," starring Jason Statham.

The ever-popular "Twilight," "Bolt" (in 2-D and 3-D), "Quantum of Solace" and "Madagascar 4" are three big hits that will still be shown at the theater.

3. Get physical with touch football

Touch football is an informal game that anyone — girls, boys, even those with over-filled stomachs — can play.

Here's how to get a game going:

• Divide characters evenly into teams and have each team decide who will act as its quarterback, running back, receivers and line players.

• Set the playing area in a rectangle. Anything outside the area is considered out of bounds.

• Decide whether you'll play one-hand or two-hand touch and if you'll select a winner based on points or time limit.

Playing the game:

• Place the ball in middle of the field. Line up teams on each side of the ball.

• The offensive player in the center of the line (the "center") passes the ball to the quarterback between his legs.

• While line players block the defensive line, the quarterback hands off the ball to a running back or passes the ball to a receiver, who then runs with the ball toward the opposite end zone while defensive players try to tag him or her.

• While line players block the defensive line, the quarterback hands off the ball to a running back or passes the ball to a receiver, who then runs with the ball toward the opposite end zone while defensive players try to tag him or her.

• Stop the play once the runner is tagged, drops the ball or runs out of bounds. This counts as a down.

• Switch possession of the ball when the point is scored.

Make the losing team wash dishes or bring the egg nog or spiced cider the next year.

4. Drive to Sandhill Crane preserves

Six months out of the year, Sandhill Cranes migrate from areas in Oregon, Canada and even the Baring Sea to Lodi-area wetlands. After Thanksgiving dinner, gather the family and caravan through Lodi's vineyards and countryside to the wetlands where you can see Sandhill Cranes flying in for the evening. The Isenberg Preserve is located along Woodbridge Road, west of Lodi. The Cosumnes River Preserve, 13501 Franklin Boulevard in Galt, is known as the finest Valley Oak riparian forest and wetland in California. Don't forget warm clothing and your camera.

5. Strike! Bowl in Stockton

Nothing is worse than getting excited about bowling, making your way to Stockton alleys and realizing all of the lanes are reserved for leagues. But on Thanksgiving, the lanes are wide open to the public — all day long. Send the kids early in the day so you can focus on the feast. Or, take the entire family after dinner so you don't get stuck watching a football game you don't care about.

Pacific Avenue Bowl (5939 Pacific Ave., 477-0267) is open from 9 a.m. to midnight on Thursday. All lanes will be open all day. The price is $2.75 for adults (a few cents less for children) until 6 p.m., then its $3.50 for everyone after that.

West Lane Bowl (3900 West Lane, 466-3317) is also open all day, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. It's $2 to play until 5 p.m., and then $4 a person after that.

Don't forget, there's an addition charge for those lovely bowling shoes you'll have to rent.

6. Cruise Lodi

Work in the kitchen all morning. Feast with friends and relatives in the afternoon. Explore Lodi on two wheels in the early evening. Whether you pedal through Downtown Lodi or site see in the country, Lodi's quiet streets and neighborhoods provide a perfect backdrop for an early evening bike ride with the family. Explore the architecture of craftsman-style houses as you make your way through the center of town, on streets like Pine and Oak. Go Downtown, where some storefronts are already decorated for the holidays. For a little taste of nature, bike through the wilderness area at Lodi Lake, where the San Joaquin Audubon Society claims is the best place to see birds in the country. It's best to go to wilderness area early; it closes at dusk. Also, remember bike permits are required from the city of Lodi.

7. Break out a board game

Scrabble. Uno. Dominos. Checkers. Sorry! Clue. These are great board games that are fun, but won't require hours of uncomfortable sitting around the kitchen table. Playing a game is great for everyone: Children can join in and dad can watch football at the same time.

If you have company that will be staying for a while, you may want to get into a giant game of Monopoly or Risk.

A different kind of game that can be played from the food-coma comforting couch is charades, the game of acting and guessing.

Here's how to play:

• Divide into teams, move into separate rooms.

• Think of a bunch of titles to be acted out, and write each title on a slip of paper that will be given to the opposing team.

• Write a player's name on each slip of paper: Make sure that younger kids get easy titles to act out.

When pantomiming, for starters:

• First, indicate to your team whether you're going to mime the title of a movie, book or TV show.

• Next, indicate how many words are in the title. (Hold up the number of fingers.)

• Next, indicate which word you want to start acting: Hold up three fingers for ""hird Word," and so on.

Source: http://www.ehow.com.

8. Pass the karaoke mic to grandpa

What would be funnier than watching grandpa sing "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse? How about grandma singing Madonna's "Like A Virgin?" This Thanksgiving, get the entire family involved in a round of at-home karaoke. Karaoke machines range from $40 to $250 at Wal-Mart, but you can also do your own version without a karaoke machine that follows in the spirit of the TV show, "Don't Forget the Lyrics." Elect a DJ to play a song and stop it after the singer gets going. The challenge for the singer will be to remember the lyrics and sing to the rest of the group without background music. Either way, it's a fun way to laugh at your closest friends and relatives on Thanksgiving.

Here are some popular karaoke songs:

• "Tiny Dancer," by Elton John

• Anything by Kermit the Frog

• "All by Myself," by Eric Carmen

• "Livin' on a Prayer," by Bon Jovi

• "Since U Been Gone," by Kelly Clarkson

9. Whose pumpkin pie is the best?

There's nothing like family rivalry, whether it's between siblings, mother and son or the in-laws. To add an edge to the informal competition, select a panel of judges who will decide which pumpkin pie is the best. Evaluate everything from taste to texture. Is the crust crunchy or soft? Was there any creativity involved in the presentation? Which one is best overall.

Food competitions on Thanksgiving doesn't have to end with the pie. You can choose winners for the best Jell-O concoctions or best potato dish, too.

The prize can be a joke — a rubber Thanksgiving day turkey, or something people might actually enjoy, like a $10 gift card to a cafe or movie tickets.

Just be ready to have the winning baker or chef gloat all year long.

10. Get ready to decorate the tree

With the conclusion of Thanksgiving, many families eagerly jump into Christmas. The first step is usually buying the Christmas tree or getting all of the decorations out. This year, take a trip to the farm and cut your own tree. If you're going with a trusty fake tree, have the kids work on making new ornaments.

Compiled by Lauren Nelson/Lodi Living Editor