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Editors may change, but commitment will remain

By SHARON TUBBS
Published March 2, 2007

I know what you're saying to the paper right now as if it could talk back. I know ...

What happened to that other lady with the bouncy red hair? She looked like such a nice person.

That's the third editor for City Times in four months; how many editors can a section have?

She BETTER not get rid of that Navigator column. Or the society diary!

Told you I knew.

Relax. Yes, I'm the new editor of City Times, but the section will continue to be the section that readers in South, Central and West Tampa should look to every Friday for community news and entertainment.

Since its inception about five years ago, City Times has evolved. Enhancing coverage of new business and development in recent years is an example of how we strive to deliver the latest practical and noteworthy news in a Tampa that is constantly changing.

In the weeks just before my arrival, the staff added the "In the Classroom" feature with stories, columns and student art for the many readers who have school-age children.

Our reporters have increasingly brought you news and feature stories that enlighten you in some way. That'll never change.

Yes, we're keeping our signature sarcastic opinion columns. And we'll be at the charity balls and big parties, snapping photos and observing as you ably keep up with the Joneses, or the DeBartolos, the Patels and the Lykeses, as the case may be.

We also still want to hear from you.

I'm interested in finding out what issues matter most to readers. Congested traffic? The high-rise being built next to your bungalow? The quirky neighbor who breaks every city code imaginable?

I want to know if there are areas in City Times that you think need improvement. Give me a call at 813 226-3394 or shoot me an e-mail at citytimes@sptimes.com.

My hair is neither red, nor bouncy, but I've been told I can be pretty nice, too.

I came to the St. Petersburg Times 11 years ago for a job in the Clearwater bureau. Before that, I worked in New Jersey as a correspondent for the Philadelphia Inquirer, having moved from my native Indiana. (Go Colts!) I have held several positions at the Times, including religion reporter for the Floridian section and suburban editor in St. Petersburg. I have lived in Tampa about seven years.

So what happened to my predecessor, Lisa Greene?

She befell the same fate as her predecessor, Susan Thurston.

Lisa's new baby - a boy, we're told - is due in April. And she plans to return to her first love, covering medicine for the Times.

Again, relax. I plan to be the editor for a good while; you mustn't endure another change any time soon.

The pregnant editor thing is one City Times trend that I don't plan to continue - at least not for now.

[Last modified March 1, 2007, 07:37:39]