A Letter From the Editor

Our readers lead busy lives. Much like this region, Valley residents are always on the go, always exploring new possibilities.

So now we’d like to make navigating your world--and managing your time--a little easier.

Along with other changes you’ve been seeing in The Times, such as the introduction of Southern California Living, we have reorganized the Valley B Section. You’ll continue to see breaking news and features about your community, but you’ll also see local business coverage on Tuesdays and news on culture and entertainment on Fridays. And it will all be packaged in the section you’re holding now.

A new column by Karen Robinson-Jacobs, Valley @ Work, will appear Tuesdays on this page. On Fridays, Patricia Ward Biederman will offer Spotlight, a sometimes serious, sometimes offbeat guide to what makes this region unique. And both columns will jump inside to extra coverage about business or the cultural scene.

Beginning today in the B Section, you also can find news and features from throughout Southern California--Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Not everything is changing, of course. In Calendar Weekend, for example, you will still find complete arts and entertainment listings of just about every event that might interest you. We’ll also be keeping our Best Bets for the weekend in Calendar Weekend. In addition, local prep and college sports coverage will remain in the Sports Section.

Columnist Scott Harris is taking on a new role as well. Harris will reprise his role as feature writer, and you can expect to see his work showcased in various venues in the paper.

Our commitment to top-notch writing, photography and graphics remains absolute. It is that kind of work that won this paper a Pulitzer Prize this year for its coverage of one of the Valley’s defining moments--the North Hollywood bank robbery. And, of course, the paper won a Pulitzer just a few years ago for that other defining Valley event--the Northridge earthquake.

You’ll also continue to see two pages of editorials, letters and commentary in the Sunday B Section--local ideas and opinions about topics close to home. Close to home. For the journalists dedicated to serving you, our readers, that’s what our mission is all about.

Ardith Hilliard

Valley Edition Editor