Samantha Gonzaga -- cheeky in more ways than you know

My buddy Sam, a reporter at the Long Beach Press-Telegram, has had enough and is leaving the PT. Sam and I did some major time at the CSUF Daily Titan together (she was managing editor to my eic) and its a shame because she is exactly the type of person Southern California journalism needs — an immigrant who speaks a second language who spent her teen years in Southern California, who won’t get lost on the freeways, who worked her way up into city government coverage, who shunned the fluff of features. She won’t be going back to newspapers or news, unfortunately, and its a shame. From the Stress-Telegram:

Karen Robes and Steve Carr offered the following:

Samantha Gonzaga is one of the most versatile reporters in the newsroom. She started at the paper 4 years ago, working her way up from general assignment weekend reporter, to a beat covering five cities – Downey, Cerritos, Bellflower, Lakewood and Paramount. Sam could have chosen a smaller beat, but she didn’t, because of her dedication and determination to make sure all our communities are represented equally. Sam has covered everything from the always-riveting Leadership Long Beach, Long Beach Library foundation and kiddies on the beach. Also covered numerous gang shootings in the street, court sentencings, and was witness to the largest wildfire on Catalina Island. We will all miss Sam’s energy and twisted sense of humor in the newsroom.

Let’s all wish he[r] luck in her new venture in urban planning.

Out of the people who made up my staff at the CSUF Daily Titan, I think Trin and I may be the only ones left in daily journalism. Who’s left?