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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 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 8th, 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 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

45 years later, Lodian treasures card from Jacqueline Kennedy

Many Lodi-area residents remember where they were on Nov. 22, 1963, — 45 years ago today — when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

People all over the world were stunned and grief-stricken by the charismatic president's sudden death. In Lodi, an 8-year-old girl, Gena Katnich Brentt, decided to offer her sympathies to Kennedy's widow.

When Brentt got home that day from Leroy Nichols School, she asked her mother if it would be all right if she wrote a letter to Jacqueline Kennedy. Her mother said it would be very nice of her to do so.

The first lady not only received Brentt's letter, but she mailed back a "thank you" note that reads, "Mrs. Kennedy is deeply appreciative of your sympathy and grateful for your thoughtfulness."

The note, in italicized handwriting, now sits in a picture frame in her Lodi living room.

Brentt recalls what she was doing on that fateful day of Nov. 22, 1963.

"I was sitting on a step outside a classroom," she said. "It was recess. It was chilly, and they rang the bell early to come in from recess. The teacher turned on the television and we watched."

After school, she sat at the dining room table as her mother cooked dinner. She took a piece of binder paper and wrote "The Lord's Prayer" to Jacqueline Kennedy. She doesn't recall if she wrote anything else to her.

"I guess my need was to let her know how I felt," Brentt said.

She recalls watching the funeral procession on TV.

"Such sadness. It showed her with the black veil over her face and the riderless horse," Brentt said. "It was just so sad."

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.

What was your reaction to Kennedy's assassination in 1963?

Bob Sorensen

"I was a parts man at Eagle Ford in Stockton. It came over the radio and everything came to a stop. It was almost like no cars were driving. Everybody just had a stunned look on their face. 9/11 was the same feeling — 'My God, what is our country going to do?'"

Joanne Murphy

"I was working at AAA when it was on Lodi Avenue. My husband had called me on the phone at work. Everybody was really astounded. I think they had a moment of silence for him. We were all devastated."

Marge Weaver

"Like everybody else, I was shocked. If it happened today, I might have been as shocked. I think our lifestyle has changed."

Carroll Sorensen

"I was ironing, I remember, and watching TV. I just couldn't believe it. I was glued to the TV set the rest of the day. I thought it was something that shouldn't happen in our country, especially at that time. Now I believe it could happen. You don't know what's in people's minds."