A goodbye to newsroom friends

Editors before me have written goodbyes.

Reporters have, too.

I’ve read them and I’ve gotten teary and I’ve wondered what I

would say if it ever became my turn.

It’s my turn now, and I’m at a loss.

I threw around a few things -- whether I should do a bunch of

“thank yous,” a trail of “I remembers,” a top 10 list of “things I’ll

miss about Newport-Mesa.” But then I wondered if the first two

options wouldn’t be too much about me, and then whether the third

idea wouldn’t be a cliche.

So, before leaving for Seattle, I’ve decided to write about the

reason I’ve been happy at the Pilot for the last two years.

I’m going to tell you about the people behind the bylines you

read. I’ll go in alphabetical order.

I’ve known Deepa Bharath, the public safety and courts reporter,

for three years. We worked at the same Times Community News office in

Anaheim before arriving at the Daily Pilot. I thought she was really

nice and I wondered, after awhile, whether I’d ever discover a

not-nice part of this consistently lovely person. After three years,

I can report that I haven’t.

I’ve known Christine Carrillo, the news assistant, for less than a

year. But in the months since she’s arrived, she’s given me that same

Deepa feeling -- the sort given by genuinely and rarely nice people

who make cynics wonder whether it’s for real.

June Casagrande, who covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport,

sits next to me. She possesses the superpower of turning, in one

hilarious and compassionate fell swoop, any given bad day of mine

into a good one. Sitting next to her was one of the best things about

my job.

Paul Clinton, who covers the environment and politics, is one of

my favorite conversation buddies here. Addressing everything from

movies to mutual friends to my love of handbags, we’ve talked our

stress away at the little patio table downstairs. Thank you Paul for

being someone I love to hear, but also someone I love telling things

to.

Lolita Harper, the Costa Mesa reporter, is as hilarious as June

and as warm as Deepa. She’s the sort of co-worker whose presence you

really notice, whose personality makes any room more fun and whose

absence sort of quiets everything all around.

Deirdre Newman, the education reporter, sits furthest away from me

but has a phone giggle that’s so totally cheerful and operatic that

it makes me laugh every time. Deirdre also reads her co-workers’

stories and makes it a point to share if she liked them. Thank you,

Deirdre, for being so encouraging.

So to my friends, I thank you for being so much more than just

co-workers.

And to my readers, I offer this quick newsflash: the people whose

writing you read are even better than their work.

* YOUNG CHANG has been the Pilot’s features and arts and

entertainment writer. She will be working for the Seattle Times

starting Thursday. Today she may be reached at (949) 574-4268 or by

e-mail at young.chang@latimes.com.