You see, longtime Times staff writer Mike Penner announced that he would be taking a few weeks of vacation and then returning "in yet another incarnation" as Christine Daniels.
Mike announced that he is a transsexual.
OK then!
And now for the rest of the news.
Well, here I was going to talk to you today about a few of our upcoming changes and realize that, well, they somewhat pale in comparison.
But here goes.
Coming this Sunday you will notice changes in your Daily Pilot.
Now, don't panic, we're still seven days a week, we're still committed to covering your community, we're just trying to offer to you a new and improved package.
To put it in Newport Beach terms, we felt that maybe a little botox, a face-lift and even an augmentation here and there might be in order.
Over the recent months many of us at the Pilot have been working hard on updating what we felt was a somewhat tired looking newspaper.
So what can you expect?
We will still be attempting to do what we believe is our mission. 1. To be the community watchdog and holding those who serve us accountable; 2. To be the primary forum where people can discuss the issues of importance in our community, through e-mails, phone calls, letters to the editor and community commentaries; 3. To offer a reservoir of information about what's going on in and around you; and finally, 4. To be the community cheerleader.
Goal No. 1 in the redesign was certainly to keep giving our readers what they've grown to expect. But in addition, we want to offer it to you in a better package.
Our pages will be spruced up with new fonts and styles. Our columns and columnists will have a new look.
Page one will feature a weather box that, thanks to our local schools, will feature a new artist every day. For example, this Sunday second-grader Monique Molina of Woodland Elementary school will offer you her look at a sunny spring day in Newport-Mesa.
