(NAPSI)—Great outdoor living is more than just a trend these days; modern cocooning demands an open-air living space. The deck, the patio, the outdoor kitchen—this is where people are turning for rest and relaxation when time or money limits vacation as an option. So the deck should offer the same elements that a pleasant in-the-house room delivers: comfort, space and aesthetic touches that make it welcoming.

Two major events will held late Monday morning — a memorial service for Galt Police Officer Kevin Tonn and Lodi's Martin Luther King observance.

While running the Lodi Legion Baseball Program, Mark Armstrong has watched the fence at Zupo Field gradually become more decrepit.

A former local chef who led an effort to reduce gang violence in the mid-2000s was arrested Wednesday for inappropriate sexual conduct with a 16-year-old minor, Lodi Police stated in a news release.

When Abby Racco saw white Xs painted on seven date palms and one small fan palm along Hutchins Street, she immediately felt compelled to find homes for the doomed trees.

A small group of us from the Sentinel traveled to the Googleplex in Mountain View a few years back to hammer out an agreement for the Googleites to digitize our newspaper archives.

So … Turns out I was wrong about “The Cabin in the Woods.” How wrong? Put it this way: If I see a more entertaining and creative movie in the entirety of 2012, I will be very pleasantly surprised.

“American Reunion” this week. “The Cabin in the Woods” next week. Some manner of nonsense for a couple weeks after that. Summer can’t come soon enough.

We’re finally out of the post-winter doldrums and in the midst of the buildup to the summer movie season, and I must admit I’m pretty psyched. With any luck we have a handful of high-quality event movies to look forward to (on that note, check back next time for a look at “The Hunger Games”), and perhaps some of the “lesser” titles will provide some pleasant surprises. Take this week’s pick, which I was initially not even going to see until early reviews swayed my opinion just enough to give it a shot. Turns out it’s the best time I’ve had at the movies so far this year, and easily the most flat-out funny flick I’ve seen since last year’s “Horrible Bosses.” Go figure, huh?

As we begin the countdown to the start of the summer movie season (which, as per tradition, actually begins well before summer), I offer a brief preview of the remaining spring titles.

With awards season now well behind us, it is time to start looking ahead to the pre-summer releases (admittedly there aren’t many, since according to the Hollywood calendar summer starts in about six weeks).

So … how ‘bout them Oscars? I was originally planning to do my usual Academy Awards response column this week, but really, what’s the point? I told you that the show would be awful and insulting, and lo and behold I was right — kinda.

I always try to get as excited as possible about the Academy Awards, that time-honored annual tradition in which Hollywood enrages the nation’s cinephiles by consistently displaying the most remarkable lack of good taste and common decency imaginable.

As evidenced by this week‘s review, the quality of new wide releases appears to be dipping again — a definite disappointment, considering how strong the year started off.

I am a big science fiction fan. I find that science moves far too slowly and I am ready to travel light years into the abyss of space. Having said that, it is easy to understand why I found the X-47B so interesting.

The state will finance a majority of San Joaquin County’s $115 million county jail expansion planned in French Camp, but county officials are wondering how they can afford to staff and maintain the jail once it’s built.

Quite unexpectedly, the first couple months of 2012 continue to offer some quality choices for discriminating movie-goers.

What we read

A petition filed by two groups against the state of California for unconstitutionally influencing the elimination of redevelopment agencies could possibly be a major player in whether Galt is able to move forward with its Old Town building projects.

Lita Wallach says she views the Woodbridge Municipal Advisory Council as a team working together to make it a better community.

Dear Santa,

Back with a proper review this week, although we’ll also delve into all that fun auteurism stuff again. Next week, I’ll take a look at “Paranormal Activity 2” just in time for Halloween. (It strikes me as a completely unnecessary cash-in sequel to a film that was perfect as a stand-alone, but there’s always a slim chance the filmmakers learned from last decade’s “Blair Witch 2” fiasco, and ensured that their movie augments an established mythos instead of, you know, taking a giant dump on it.

Q: If the city budget worsens, where would you cut? Please be specific.