Purging of top names at the San Francisco Chronicle continues. With a bunch of painful newsroom cuts still to come, Deputy Editor Narda Zacchino has decided the time is right. She checks out on July 7. She had joined the Chronicle in May 2001 after thirty years at the Los Angeles Times, starting as a copy messenger then reporter, and rising to associate editor and reader's representative. She also created the annual Festival of Books held at UCLA. Zacchino is co-authoring a book for Hyperion with Mary Tillman, mother of Pat Tillman, the former NFL player killed by other American soldiers in Afghanistan. Her note to the Chronicle staff follows:

As my last day in the office rapidly approaches happy hour at the Tempest, I want to thank all of you for six terrific years during which I was thrilled at seeing your great stories, columns, photos, graphics, layouts and headlines in this newspaper and on our Web site, day after day. How you all pull that off so well is nothing short of amazing; it's what makes the life of an editor worthwhile.

Thanks also for continuing to produce quality journalism under the duress of budget cuts and downsizing, and for embracing the Internet as a place for enhancing your work through podcasting, videocasting and photo essays.

Phil Bronstein recruited me from the LA Times with a promise that I would have a lot more fun here, and there have been many wonderful moments. I have loved the spirit of this place, the energy of the staff, the friendships I have made and the good work that has made me proud to be an editor here.

I am heading off to finish the book I am co-writing with Mary Tillman about her son, Pat; our deadline is Oct. 1. After that, I come up for air. My e-mail address is xxxxx@xxxxxx. Please stay in touch.

Ciao,

Narda

Since someone writes to point this out whenever Zacchino is mentioned here — yes, she is married to Robert Scheer.

Poignant: The Chronicle online compiles a "colleagues remembered" series of capsules on departing staffers.