EDITORIAL:Support our local troops

While it saddens us that some of our local troops will soon be on their third tours in Iraq, it is heartening to see the community hasn’t forgotten our brave soldiers. Our friends at the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines had to cancel their annual Mess Night dinner to benefit the unit as they will soon be on their third deployment to Iraq, but Newport Beach officials plan to honor them with a picnic April 21 at Camp Pendleton’s Lake O’Neill Park. The picnic will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call Staff Sgt. Dyas at (760) 763-1415. Let’s make a good showing and rally our men and women in uniform before they leave.

Meanwhile, over in Costa Mesa, gifts and letters are being collected to send to D Company, 2-25th Aviation Regiment, the Army company the city adopted last year. Drop off your donations at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive. Or you can volunteer to pack up the goodies on June 14 at the Neighborhood Community Center, 184 Park Ave. For details, call (714) 754-5327.