Earthquake

* We made a lot of new friends because of the earthquake. There’s Tracy and Nick, who have lived two doors down from us for 18 months whose names we finally learned. And Nick, who came to film the damage to our apartment and admired our Christo umbrella prints, which led to a nice conversation. And Tom, who has been delivering our pizzas for years, worked side by side with us and many others moving out of a damaged building. And countless others whose names we never learned, but whose faces we will always remember. Before the earthquake we were too busy for passing conversations; now we don’t let an opportunity pass.

JENNIFER and MATT CONSTANTINE

Northridge

* Among all the well-deserved thank-yous to our various city agencies for their unflinching activity after our devastating earthquake, I would like to add my personal thanks to The Times for your outstanding service to our community in your daily news coverage. We have come to depend on you for all the updates on traffic, schools, shops, etc., as well as information on whom to call for whatever.

RUBY LEVOR

Sherman Oaks