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• Hansen elected as Lodi's mayor

• Lodi Unified taking a look at its needs

• Parade of Lights: Tonight at 6:17 in Downtown Lodi

• The assembly line

• New faces take over the San Joaquin Delta Citizens' Oversight Committee

• 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 (170)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (73)
• Public health care is a Christian option (62)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (50)
• 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 (24)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (18)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

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Tokay High girls basketball preview

Tigers hope to get back in playoffs

Last season was a fun ride for the Tokay High girls basketball team.

As a No. 13 seed, the Tigers upset No. 4 Turlock and No. 5 Sheldon to reach the Sac-Joaquin Section semifinals before the run was ended by eventual champion Kennedy.

Now, the Tigers are back and looking for another playoff-worthy season and for another chance to shake things up in sections.

Tokay will be without last year's star Sylvonia Moore, but fifth-year head coach Cip Sanchez is excited at the potential his returning Tigers bring to the court.

It starts with Lynice Schallberger, Tokay's senior forward who averaged 8.8 points and 6.5 rebounds each game last year.

"Last year it was all Sylvonia Moore and this year Lynice has to step up and fill those shoes," he said.

Schallberger will be joined by fellow senior forwards Olympia Lopez, Alyssa Whitsen and Alicia Zick. In the backcourt, the Tigers will be led by sophomore Rachael Hernandez and junior Kelsey McCarty. Hernandez will look to boost the offense while McCarty will be aiming to carry over her libero-mentality from volleyball onto the basketball court and will be looked to as the team's defensive specialist.

Tokay's strong class of juniors is highlighted by Ashley Poutre and Breann Johnson. Sanchez is hoping both can contribute a lot off the bench and increase their playing time throughout the season.

"They are great athletes," he said of the centers. "They want to play and they love the game."

Guard Tori Schallberger, Lynice's younger sister, is also expected to see her fair share of playing time despite her freshman status. Like her fellow underclassmen Hernandez, Tori might not have the most varsity experience, but that doesn't change their coach's expectation of her.

"Tori Schallberger and Rachel Hernandez will have to step up," Sanchez said. "Those two girls are young, but they are very athletic and have fundamentals."

Knowing he's got the talent to compete in the Tri-City Athletic League, Sanchez is doing everything he can to make sure the team puts together a solid regular season that he hopes can lead to a higher seed than last year.

He also wants to help his team mature as young women and teach them life lessons.

He writes a quote on a board outside Tokay's gym every day and makes his players memorize it. If they remember it at the end of practice, they don't have to run as many ladders. Same goes for a printout he gave the squad that has the ABC's of Tokay basketball with a different concept for each letter.

When it comes to playing, he makes his girls play hard in practice by scrimmaging the Tokay frosh-soph and freshmen boys teams.

"That's the only way they get better," he said. "The boys are faster, more physical."

When it's finally time for the TCAL portion of the schedule in January, Sanchez is hoping his team can put all the pieces together. He's set a goal of winning 15 games and getting back to sections.

"If this team makes the playoffs, it would be a great achievement because we don't want to compete and make it to the playoffs for three years and then not make it," he said. "A successful program is consistent, so that is one of the things I am looking for."