Editor’s Notebook -- Danette Goulet

Danette Goulet

We work as a team every day, but this week brought a whole new meaning

to the word at the Independent offices.

Within the span of the last few days we’ve formed two special teams --

a surfing team and a trivia team.

On Friday four of us will don wetsuits, grab their surfboards and

paddle out on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier in the media

heat of the O.P. Tag Team Tournament.

Never before appearing on the waves together, our editor Tony Dodero,

senior city editor S.J. Cahn, photographer Sean Hiller and surf columnist

Rick Fignetti will form the Independent surf team. It is a showing not to

be missed -- I can assure you I wouldn’t miss it for anything.

The 2nd annual O.P.T-3 is presented by Globe and Gallaz. It will be

held today and Friday and will consist of 15 teams competing for $20,000

in prize money on the South Side of Huntington Pier. While our boys may

not be in the running for the $20,000 they will be the real show at 12:20

p.m. Friday.

If you enjoy that show, or if athletics isn’t your cup of tea there is

another Indy team on the horizon.

On Feb. 15 a three member team will compete against 15 others in the Trivia Challenge 2002 at the Huntington Beach Central Library theater.

And this one is for charity folks.

It is the 11th annual trivia challenge benefiting the Oak View Family

Literacy Center.

The program is part of Literacy Volunteers of America -- Huntington

Valley’s adult literacy program and helps adults improve their reading,

writing and spoken English. The program consists of one-on-one adult

literacy tutoring at the Central Library and small group tutoring with

the Family Literacy Program at the Oak View Elementary School library.

The trivia challenge is the organizations major annual fund-raiser and

usually brings in about $10,000 to support the program and pay its

operating costa for the year.

I, our news assistant Bryce Alderton and Independent cartoonist Steve

Bolton will go head-to-head with 14 others teams in a battle of wits.

Each team pays a $400 entry fee, which provides a light super and an

evening of fun.

But there’s more to both the fun and the fund-raising.

For a fee of $10 community members can watch us hem and haw and join

us for a that light supper. The dinner is at 5:45 p.m. in rooms B and C

and the challenge begins at 6:45 p.m.

Bill Workman, assistant city Administrator for the city will emcee the

event and pose the questions to us.

If we can’t answer a question an audience member can pay $5 more to

pipe up and help us out.

There will also be a plethora of raffle prizes. Some of the local

restaurants supporting us by offering dinner certificates are Coaches

Mediterranean Grill, Matsu, Marie Calendar’s, Coco’s, Mimi’s Cafe and the

Claim Jumper.

In its 18th year the program has helped more than 2,000 students.

* DANETTE GOULET is the assistant city editor. She can be reached at

(714) 965-7170 or by e-mail at o7 danette.goulet@latimes.comf7 .