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• Larry Hansen prepares to take helm as next Lodi mayor during continuing budget woes

• It's not quite a 'White Christmas,' but a wet one is in the forecast

• Regional Roundup

• Public Meetings

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 (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

Hallmark store owner gives last-minute gift advice

With only three days until Christmas, chances are you still have a few people left on your shopping list. We turned to Janet Schick, one of the owners of Genet's Hallmark on Kettleman Lane, for some tips on last-minute gift buying.

What types of small gifts do you offer?

Of course, the Hallmark ornaments which everyone loves. Also the Department 57 houses. They're not inexpensive, but they make a beautiful gift. Calendars that make a nice last-minute Christmas gift.

I just got invited to a Christmas Eve party where they will be a lot of young children. Is there an inexpensive item I can pick up for all of them?

Plain stuffed animals for tinier children like newborns on up to four years old.

What would you recommend buying for a great aunt you haven't seen, let alone talked to in more than 20 years?

A Hallmark ornament that says "For my aunt," Lenox crystal ornaments; also, stationery.

What's the most popular tree ornament you sell?

Hallmark does series ornaments that have been done for a long time, like "Snow A: Buddies" that have been made for, like, 15 years.

They also have lighthouses that have been going for years. Those are really popular with the collectors.

The ornaments debut in July and people come in at that time and pick theirs up ... We start decorating at the end of June.

What is the least expensive ornament?

I'm not sure I have any left, but I had some for $1.25. They were birds, but this year birds have been popular for ornaments. And we love them.

When I was a child, my mother always had to have a bird in the tree.

In your opinion, who is the easiest person to buy for? Why?

My daughter. She likes everything.

Who is the hardest person to buy for?

Probably my father-in-law because he's ill. I think we've probably already bought for everyone on our list, except him because we don't know what to get him. It's probably the hardest when you have someone who is ill or in a rest home.

Or a person who has everything, or maybe an older person who doesn't need anything.

What do you buy for a relative you have to mail gifts to?

I buy things that I know they can use or need. My son and daughter-in-law who go to the University of Wyoming love to cook, so I bought them cookbooks — and they cost me a fortune to mail, but I know that they'll get so much enjoyment out of them.

Are you done with your Christmas shopping?

Yes, pretty much for our immediate family. I just shipped the gift to my son's family ... I did a lot of that early.

In the past, how close have you cut it in finishing your shopping, and how did you handle it?

Probably Christmas Eve when my husband and I were first married. He was a procrastinator and waited until the last minute. That was 30 years ago.

What's the strangest gift you've ever received?

I don't think I've ever had anything really strange. I've always gotten things that were really useful, or that I needed.

When I was growing up my father worked at General Mills and my mother was a homemaker. My sister and I would get a pair of pajamas, and we could pick one thing out that we wanted from the Sear's catalog.

One year it didn't come, so my dad cut it out and put the picture in an envelope. Then I had to wait until the present came.

Contact reporter Jennifer Bonnett at jenniferb@lodinews.com.