Recently 47 juniors and seniors along with 13 adult chaperones from Lodi Academy went on a United States History Tour led by our history teacher Tom Larsen. This is a biannual event that students from Lodi Academy look forward to.

(NAPSI)—Take a moment to reflect on how easily you access water every day: From just grabbing a bottle of water to throwing their clothes in the wash, most Americans take it for granted that water’s there for all their needs.

When planning a vacation, you have two primary choices: exploring places you are familiar with or exploring somewhere new. While there’s comfort in the former, the latter choice holds the promise of new discoveries, unique experiences and the most enduring memories. For those who want to explore off the beaten track, there’s perhaps no more dynamic and magical destination in the world than India. Its immense size, centuries of history and broad spectrum of cultures make it an unparalleled choice for travelers seeking a one-of-a-kind journey. With the help of an India tour, you can focus on enjoying all it has to offer.

Disclaimer: I have had some experience with guns. I was held at gunpoint at my law school campus once and survived.

Just in case our readers were worried about the Lodians in New York whom I wrote about yesterday:

I wonder how many of the News-Sentinel's readers have been to Novokuznetsk, Siberia, in the Russian Federation. It is 9,000 air-miles from Lodi. I just returned from there, where I spent time working with Teen Challenge leaders from throughout Siberia and Russia.

Who: Laurie Tinkey, Gwen Tilton, Walt, Steven and Laura Kaweski.

Perched eight feet off the ground in the driver’s seat of a hunter-green carriage, Greenlaw “Fritz” Grupe makes quite an impression. Here, Grupe is in control and can meet the world on his own terms and at a speed of his choosing.

On June 16, Dr. Rick and Liz Castelannelli joined Dr. Vincent, Denise and Michael Pennisi for a week in New York City to attend the graduation of the Pennisi’s twin boys, Vincent and Dominic, from medical school.

In its July 28 editorial titled “Bling versus Black Ink: the Governor’s Misguided Legacy,” the Lodi News-Sentinel properly took Jerry Brown to the woodshed for his ill-conceived fiscal policies that kick our already down state.

In the 1930s, San Bernardino was a prime winter vacation destination for Hollywood movie stars seeking to get away from what they considered to be chilly Los Angeles weather. Just as winter ended, two major league baseball franchises, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Browns, held their spring training camps in Berdo, as its many admirers lovingly called the Inland Empire city.

For many Lodians, graduating from high school is the one rite of passage we all have in common. We all can remember the polyester gowns, high heels sinking into the grass at the Grape Bowl and sitting through what felt like endless speeches. The moment after turning our tassels and tossing our caps, the words of those speeches were largely forgotten. But a few nuggets of truth found their way into our memories. Speakers have inspired us. They’ve made us think.  

When you think of prominent art museums, you might imagine the Getty in Los Angeles, the array of Smithsonians in D.C. or the de Young in San Francisco. But the 2010-remodeled Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento — with its combination of Victorian and contemporary architecture — is Sacramento’s gem. It is home to the largest display of California art in the world, according to chief curator Scott Shields.

Who went: Peggy Worland, Kacey Sutton and Melinda Harbin.

For 23 years, John Ziemer was the News-Sentinel's mailroom foreman.

It was the day before Christmas and all through the land, Lodians were eating and laughing and watching old movies, excited for everything that is planned.

Who: Lap and Yee Wong, of Lodi.

As the smell of the Thanksgiving Day bird cooking wafts through the air in many Lodi homes, four local girls will be anxiously waiting their turn to perform along the route of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

As you load the turkey into the oven this morning and pause to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, look closely for Melanie Cockrum and Amanda Mercado.

It seems that I am prone to minor setbacks. These past few days, for example, I’ve been knocked flat on my butt by a flu that’s been going around, rendering me unfit to go out in public — much less sit in a movie theater for two hours, half-blind from NyQuil abuse, as all manner of improbably colored fluids are expelled from my every orifice. (Although I’ve been seeing most of my movies in Stockton these days, and such a spectacle is kinda par for the course down there.)

In 1839, Swiss immigrant John Sutter received a land grant in the Sacramento Valley from the Mexican government. He then built Sutter's Fort to help create a flourishing agricultural empire. When gold was discovered in 1848, the fort was abandoned by Sutter's workers. It has since been restored to its original state and is open for daily tours. The Director of the Friends of Sutter's Fort Lisa Mealoy recently shared what the fort is all about.

President Barack Obama cannot get out of his own way. The Democrats are looking straight down the gun barrel of being swept out of office come November. The daily Rasmussen Report indicates that Obama's popularity has sunk like a rock to a minus seventeen approval rating. Nevertheless Obama chose, willingly and eagerly, to support a proposed 13-story, $100 million mosque near Ground Zero. Sources indicate that radical Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is the driving force behind the mosque.

The courts are overflowing with players — 54 athletes at Lodi High and 41 at Tokay High.

You might have seen this story from this weekend on the Rite of Spring statue. Here's a little bit more from a sculptor on the importance and permanence of artwork and how the stainless steel will age over time.

Who went: Lap and Yee Wong, of Lodi.