New Times Features Debut

This week, The Times Orange County Edition adds a number of features designed to make our Metro section more valuable to our readers:

* SUNDAY: Beginning today, we will present a Reading page each week devoted to helping parents help their children develop this crucial skill. Part of The Times’ “Reading By 9” literacy commitment, this page will help make reading a fun and integral part of every family’s life, with advice from reading experts and tips from librarians on great children’s books.

* MONDAY: The Safety Zone makes its debut. This weekly page is devoted to public safety in Orange County and will include crime-prevention tips, phone numbers, how-to graphics and profiles of police officers, firefighters and others who make a difference. An abbreviated Safety Zone report--including emergency and crime logs from every Orange County community--will run each weekday inside the Metro section.

* ALSO MONDAY: We will unveil a new, comprehensive page of news from all 31 Orange County cities. The page will run every weekday.

* WEDNESDAY: Our award-winning weekly Education Page moves to this day.

* THURSDAY: We will continue to offer The Science File on page B2 this day each week.

* SATURDAY: We are pleased to introduce a colorful weekly Religion Page, with increased Orange County news on pages B2 and B3. The report will spotlight local religious news, issues and trends and include the voices of local spiritual leaders.

We believe these changes will give our readers more news about some of the topics that matter most here in Orange County: communities, education, values and beliefs. Please let us know what you think.

Lennie La Guire

Editor, Times Orange County Edition

(714) 966-5724

E-mail address: ocdesk@latimes.com