INSIDE SCOOP

Fowl play in the newsroom

Every year, Times Community News Editor Bill Lobdell counts his blessings

-- most of which come in the form of the community he lives in, the

people he encounters and his family.

Usually he likes to put the names of his employees in his annual column.

However, this year he couldn’t squeeze all of them in because the news

division -- some 350 employees -- is growing by the day.

You would be surprised what people will do to get their names in the

column. One part-time employee called a newsroom insider and wondered if

she could be included. She made the distinguished list, but the staffer

she called got the short end of the stick.

Even the two Pilot city editors, who claim they work very hard, managed

to make the cut. They convinced Lobdell to use both of their first names

and create “Jenifer Stevens.”

The tip-off? City editor Jenifer Ragland has one “n” in her first name.

Employees left off the list will be looking for a fat Christmas bonus for

compensation.

A taxing request

At the last Newport Beach City Council study session, Councilwoman Norma

Glover asked the OASIS Senior Center to apologize to County Treasurer

John Moorlach for a letter that reprimanded him for his use of property

tax lists to solicit donations for the Costa Mesa Senior Center.

Moorlach sent out 50,000 solicitation letters to residents in Costa Mesa

and Newport Beach during the same time when the Newport Beach center was

starting its own annual fund-raising campaign.

Glover finally received a response later in the meeting when H. Ross

Miller, representing OASIS, went to the lectern to comment on the

proposed Arts and Education Center -- the real focus of the study

session.

Miller said he flatly refused to apologize for what OASIS saw as the

misuse of Moorlach’s county position.