Adios, Alicia

I received some sad news earlier this week. Daily Pilot ace reporter and columnist, Alicia Robinson, is moving on. Her last day a the Pilot will be next Friday, October 19th.

Alicia, who has been a stalwart on the Daily Pilot for the past few years, has handled general reporting assignments and has covered the politics of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa like a blanket. I've always found her articles to be accurate and balanced, providing the news as it should be presented. She managed to give us in-depth coverage of issues without injecting her own views or emotional attachment to the story. She has been a real pro.

Her "Political Landscape" column each week is widely quoted, particularly on local blogs.

In addition to her print work, I, personally, enjoyed the recent video debate between combatants on both sides of the Newport Beach City Hall issue. I'm sure that was a lot of fun and it gave her a chance to spread her wings a little more.

According to Alicia, she's moving to the Riverside Press-Enterprise, and will apparently be focusing on news of Corona and environs. You know Corona, right? It's the gateway to the Inland Empire. It's the place you never visit because it's on the way to somewhere else. About the only time most of us even think of Corona is when we're stuck in that traffic on the 91 Freeway. Usually it's mentioned in that cell call which goes something like this: "Sorry, Mom, the traffic is terrible and I'm stuck in Corona."

Nonetheless, this is a terrific opportunity for a very bright and talented reporter. In the Press-Enterprise she'll be read by nearly four times the number of readers as the Daily Pilot. Granted, she may have to learn "909 Speak", but she can handle it.

Alicia is the most recent excellent Daily Pilot reporter to move on to bigger things. You'll notice I didn't say "better", just bigger. I know we'll see her byline on big stories in the future. I wish her all the best as she takes her talent to the next level.

Good Luck, Alicia. You have many fans and we'll miss you. Keep up the good work.