Democrat Richard Pan and Republican Tony Amador of Lodi won the state’s 9th Assembly District race.

Incumbent Democratic candidate Richard Pan defeated Republican Tony Amador in their race to represent the 9th Assembly District on Tuesday.

Though we don't usually publish an opinion page on Fridays, we are making an exception this week due to the high volume of letters to the editor we have received in recent days.

Though letters pertaining generally to abortion run on the religion page, those that speak to a specific and timely public policy decision are published on the editorial page. Subsequently, letters that clearly address Proposition 73 on the Nov. 8 ballot will be published on the editorial page.

We've recently discovered a number of letters, some several weeks old, that were overlooked in our computer system. Some of these are outdated. We suspect other letters may have been automatically deleted from the system because of their age.

Editor's note: The number of letters to the editor regarding the firing of Dave Taylor, Lodi High's basketball coach, has been unprecedented. Some letters have been edited, especially to avoid redundancies. We appreciate those who have taken the time to write us, but must respectfully ask that further letters focus on new information or points not already raised.

I would like to take the time to thank my publisher, Marty Weybret, my editor-in-chief, Richard Hanner, and Sports Editor Scott Howell as well as my co-workers at the LNS for their support and kind words during the illness and recent passing of my father, Richard Banas.

Do you use algebra and don't know it?

©2013 Lodi News-Sentinel. All rights reserved. The information contained in this book is provided in good faith and the Lodi News-Sentinel assumes no liability for error, omissions or for services rendered. Additional copies of the Lodi News-Sentinel's Sentinel Silver can be obtained at several locations in San Joaquin County. Call 209-369-2761 for a complete list of pick-up locations.

I would like to thank all of the people who sent me congratulatory emails as well as Joelle Milholm, Scott Howell, Richard Hanner and Marty Weybret along with the entire staff of the Lodi News-Sentinel for everyone’s support and encouragement after a story of mine took second place at the California Newspaper Publishers Association awards and was featured in an LNS story by Milholm last week.

I find it inappropriate that the police calls are treated frivolously in the print form of this paper with silly (funny?) captions evidently to entertain its readers. Burglaries and violence are not funny — especially to the victims. Score a MISS (as opposed to a HIT for the uninitiated) for the LNS.

Douglas Null has joined the News-Sentinel as an advertising sales representative serving Stockton.

I am sending this note to thank the Lodi News-Sentinel for recognizing the two young students by presenting each with an award for their honorable actions.

If you live, work or own property in Lodi, the city's attempt to win money from insurance companies to pay for cleaning up contamination affects you.

A perennial Division V powerhouse, the unbeaten Ripon Christian High boys basketball team swaggered into the championship game of the Warrior Classic on Saturday expecting to dominate Lodi High in the paint with its huge front-court height advantage.