By Paul Nyberg

Town Crier Publisher

Dave MacKenzie says that when he started the Los Altos Town Crier 54 years ago this week, he did not know he was starting a “news” paper. He and his partner, Warren Goodrich, had an ad agency in Los Altos and he says the Town Crier was intended to be a weekly “advertiser” for some of their local clients.

It worked. Even though MacKenzie and Goodrich were starting up in the face of a well established competitor, The Los Altos News, the Town Crier survived. The News was folded a few years later.

Gradually, the content of the upstart Town Crier shifted to include news notes, pictures of kids and Mackenzie’s irascible “Under the Oaktree” editorials. “Editorials” may be a generous title for these gems; many were self-effacing, tongue in cheek spoofs. A favorite of MacKenzie’s own choosing was the annual “best dressed man” contest that most people took seriously, but had Dave and staff laughing all the way to Mac’s Tea Room and back. (According to Dave, the paper made so little money he didn’t need to go to the bank.)

MacKenzie owned the paper for 15 years; in 1962 he sold it to Mort Levine who built a mini-newspaper empire in the next few years acquiring about 15 weeklies throughout the county.

After a series of out-of-town landlords, the Town Crier was purchased by the Tribune Company of Chicago in 1988. In 1993, they offered it for sale and we bought it.

We believe the current paper continues to serve the community well for two main reasons: 1) our focus is always local and 2) we have a professional experienced staff to do all the work. What is most significant is that key department heads have been with us since 1993: in fact 10 of our 20 full time workers have been aboard all eight years.

Four department heads have ruled the roost since 1993:

Howard Bischoff, associate publisher and circulation chief, works as general manager for all aspects of the paper. He is assisted by our newest employee, Avinell Johnson, receptionist. He also works with Liz Nyberg in handling human relations details such as medical insurance coverages and payroll.

Susan Glaze heads the advertising sales department overseeing display sales persons: Dawn Pankonen, Noemi Marozick, Janice Fabella, and classified sales employees: Helen DeCoursey, Gail Vanderberg and part-timer, Margaret Caesar. Both Decoursey and Caesar came with the paper in 1993.

Bruce Barton, editor, heads the news department which includes Linda Taaffe, associate editor; Pete Borello, sports editor; Monique Schoenfeld, photographer; Liz Cloutman, business and Los Altos Hills reporter; Sara Ballenger, schools reporter, and Clyde Noel, volunteer man about town and roving correspondent. Noel has been part of the team since 1993 as well. Barton also oversees the work of about 25 freelance contributors, correspondents and interns, such as ace reporter Lora Oehlberg and star volunteer editorial assistant Richard Billings.

Chris Post, ad services and production department supervisor, just celebrated 25 years with the Town Crier. Her department is responsible for creation, proofing and placement of ads, and includes Marilyn Carranza who started with us in 1993, Harry White, ad production, as well as other part-time assistants.

While the local focus of the paper has not changed in the 54 years since MacKenzie printed Volume I, Number 1, production methods and technologies have been revolutionary. The first little 4-page issue, a copy of which is on display at the Town Crier office, was not typeset but hand lettered. Today, it is estimated that a 64-page issue of paper requires about 1 million key strokes on computers to create the ads, write and edit stories and designs each week.

For 54 years, the paper has been pasted up by hand into “flats” which are delivered to the printer. Currently we are switching to the 21st century technology which enables us to “deliver” the pages digitally by phone lines to the printer. This is a lengthy transition process but once in place will save time and improve reproduction quality.

As we continue into the 21st century, we expect to do a better and better job in being the information “partner with the community.” Bill Moyers between the time he left the White House as Lyndon Johnson’s press secretary in 1964, and the launch of his long running PBS investigative series, did a three year stint as publisher of Newsday, a Long Island daily. At that time he stated that the most important role of a local newspaper is to “create a sense of community” for the readers.

We expect to live up to that continued task.