Satellite office a new hub for community and ‘gratitude’

TONY DODERO

I’m happy to report the Daily Pilot has completed its move out of the

old Bay Street location in Costa Mesa.

As most of you must know by now, the Pilot administration,

newsroom and most of advertising moved into The Times’ Orange County

offices in north Costa Mesa in October. But while we were all getting

snug in our new digs, there was still a legal and classified

advertising crew working out of the old Daily Pilot offices.

Not any more.

The team of Lorraine O’Donnell at (714) 966-4686, Ann Gendrolis at

(714) 966-4685, Susan Channels at (714) 966-4689 and Mike Sletten at

(714) 966-4688 has officially moved into our new satellite offices at

299-B East 17th Street in Costa Mesa. More specifically, it’s at the

corner of 17th Street and Tustin Avenue, across the street from Mi

Casa Mexican Restaurant.

It’s a great location, because it’s about as close as you can get

to being in the middle of our coverage area, giving our readers easy

access.

In addition to the legal notices and classified advertising

offerings, readers can do a number of things at this office, such as

drop off engagement, wedding, anniversary or vacation photos and fill

out the forms for all of those features. Also, feel free to drop off

letters to the editor, which will be delivered to the newsroom each

day. Those readers, who pick up the paper in news racks, can also do

the same at this new office. It also has lots of windows, a real

treat for those of us who worked at the relatively closed-in Bay

Street location.

The office is open between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through

Friday.

So come on down and pay a visit to our staff. They’ll be happy to

see you.

*

The next bit of news is just a reminder to take part in the

Christmas Toy Drive for the children of Camp Pendleton Marines

fighting in Iraq.

The Pilot is sponsoring the toy drive in conjunction with

Operation Gratitude, a larger, citywide effort to help the Marines.

Newport Beach residents Joy Wynkoop and Laura Dietz, who are heading

up the efforts, will be collecting items from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today

at the corner of Goldenrod and Coast Highway in Corona del Mar.

Operation Gratitude has already gotten much support, according to

Wynkoop and Dietz, who said: Danny Marcheano, owner of the Arches

Restaurant, has donated the tent for the Christmas Walk donation site

at Coast Highway in Corona del Mar (taking place today); Quiksilver

has offered to donate children’s clothing; at least one major church

wants to adopt families for Christmas dinner; Newport Beach Sunrise

Rotary has already donated $300 in toys and gifts certificates from

David Lustik; Harbor View Elementary teachers and students

contributed food and money, while the Corona del Mar High Associated

Students donated Thanksgiving food and grocery cards, with the help

of reservist/teacher Gary Matheison, who has already flown wounded

troops in Iraq on two missions.

Other needs include hotel accommodations for families visiting

injured loved ones in nearby hospitals and gasoline money to pay for

transportation from Oceanside to hospitals all over Southern

California, they said.

For more information on “Operation Gratitude” or for major cash

donations, call Wynkoop at (949) 760-8727 or Dietz at (949) 721-8035.

Those who want to help the Daily Pilot’s efforts to donate items

to the families can drop off new, unwrapped toys, baby formula,

non-perishable food items or diapers at our aforementioned new

offices on 17th Street through Dec. 16. Those who drop off items can

get a certificate for a free classified advertisement in the Daily

Pilot. Only one per household please.

For more information about the toy drive, call our main number at

714-966-4600.