Talented Washington City Paper reporter Angela Valdez has been let go by the paper, as part of its ongoing struggles of late. In a note to friends, she writes: "I found out this morning that today would be my last day at the City Paper. As many of you already know, from previous emails predicting gloom and doom, our parent company, Creative Loafing, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy a few weeks ago. We'd already been warned about layoffs, so the news kind of confirmed my dire predictions. But then the bosses said the court proceedings would actually put a hold on any immediate cuts. I still revised my resume. Glad I did, as it turns out edit costs are still too high. And the paper is hustling to move to a web-first model, which right now means putting resources toward food coverage.

I'm really sad to leave the City Paper. I'll miss the great editing, the smart people who actually care, the arguments. I'm also worried about what will happen to the kind of local journalism you find in alt weeklies. I hope someone figures out a way to make it work. While I might be an idiot to stay in this business, I still can't imagine doing anything else. I'd gladly accept any and all job tips, story ideas, freelance opportunities and drinks.