Rumors Increase Over Future of Times OC; Janitors Skip County

The Chicago Tribune’s impending purchase of the LA Times has intensified speculation that the days of the Times OC as a big, stand-alone operation could be numbered. Rumors have Trib execs already scrutinizing the OC operation with a sharp eye toward the bottom line; one source gives the local edition a year, tops. And the Insider hears that Trib types are making it clear they favor profits over market share; where Mark Willes was obsessed with keeping the Times above 1 million in circulation, word is that the Trib sees the Times as more of an 850,000-paper operation Media biz, cont’d: Longtime Register editorial biz staffer Jerry Hirsch is moving to the Times in downtown LA, joining four other ex-Reggies on the biz staff there The “Justice for Janitors” campaign has swept Los Angeles and San Diego but hasn’t raised a speck of dust in Orange County. OC Labor Council head Linda Sanchez tells Sherri Cruz there’s a simple explanation: The janitors don’t have any contracts here Anaheim PI Tom Martin is doing a Mother’s and Father’s Day promotion: He’ll find your lost parent, free of charge In case you missed it, the April 17 Sports Illustrated devoted its cover and 12 pages to the LA Clippers and Don Sterling: “The worst franchise in sports history and the man responsible.” Recounted SI’s Frank Lidz, “In the mid-’90s Sterling turned down a $95 million offer to move 35 miles southeast to Anaheim, partly because he hates traffic” Catching up on its back reading, the Insider caught this accolade by journalism legend Jim Michaels for finance legend Bill Gross of Pimco in the Feb. 28 Forbes Best of the Web magazine: “Gross is to the bond market what Peter Lynch is to stocks” OCBJ photog Mary DeChirico is used to working on tight deadlines, but this was ridiculous. Her last day of work before maternity leave was March 31. On April 1 her water broke. Maximiliano Alexander Hernandez debuted two days later, five weeks ahead of schedule. The proud papa is OC deputy DA Michael Hernandez.