January 25, 2008

Bill Bellou, CEO, Sandy Bellou, CFO, and members of Times Media Inc.staff gathered to celebrate the silver anniversary of the Evergreen Times. Times Media publishes seven community newspapers and staff supports all of them. Read the profiles of those associated with the Evergreen Times on page 35. Photo by Celeste Olivas

The Evergreen Times team

Times Media is a team effort. Some persons are assigned primary responsibilities, but all pitch in to publish the seven newspapers for our readers. Meet the staff members closely associated with the Evergreen Times.

Bill Highlander,
Evergreen Times editor
Bill became the editor of the Evergreen Times in Oc-tober 2007. “Community journalism,’ Bill says “has a primary goal of connecting the community by reporting on the people and events in the Evergreen.” He wants an interactive relationship with readers to cover the events of importance to them.

His career spanned 21 years as an Army officer and another 24 years as a public relations executive for two major companies in Silicon Valley. He was graduated from Rutgers University with B.A. and earned a master’s in journalism from the University of Georgia.

Bill and Ida have lived at the Silver Creek Valley Country Club for almost ten years. Their daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren live nearby. highlander@timesmediainc.com.

Jeff Baham,
art director
After graduating from Valley Christian High School in 1986, Jeff joined Times Media. He also entered San Jose State University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Design. “When I started working for the Evergreen Times, we were pasting up the ads and text by cutting and waxing strips of film that came out of a phototypesetter. I used to meet with the typesetter in his garage and we’d put the paper together piece by piece,” says Jeff.

Pasting together pages in the mid ‘90s

Then he worked with the photographers to create screened halftones of their photos in the Times’ darkroom. “We used to make Photostats and halftones to create camera ready art to send off to the printer,” said Jeff.

Jeff has been the art director at the Times for 19 years. “Today, Jeff says, “ the entire paper is created on computers. The writers send me the stories as digital files, and the photographers take digital photos, and I put them all together in a software program called QuarkXPress to create digital pages. I send them to our printer in Redwood City over the Internet, and they make plates and print the paper without even making negative film. Things have certainly changed in the 20-plus years that I’ve been with ET!”

In his spare time, Jeff creates web sites as a freelancer and plays piano for his church, and as well as playing keyboards for a band that travels into prisons.

“While times have changes and the techniques I’ve used in the field of graphics have evolved, the Evergreen Times has always stayed close to the same goal of providing detailed community news that residents can’t get anywhere else.”

Mike Zehder,
account executive
Mike has been with the Evergreen Times for close to 5 years. He thoroughly likes working with his customers to help them succeed in making their business goals. Mike works with advertisers for contracts, lay-out and message. A skilled sales person, Mike has also had an extensive background in the printing industry. He attended Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. He says he has enjoyed his 30 plus years living in the Evergreen area! mike@timesmediainc.com.

Candy Richter,
Events/calendar editor
For the past seven years Candy has called Times Media her “home away from home.” Currently she is the Events/Calendar editor, but over the years has also served as staff writer, editor of the Blossom Valley and Santa Teresa Times and manager of operations. Candy believes working for a community newspaper offers a unique opportunity to interact and develop relationships with the readership - something that has become more of a rarity in this technology-driven age.

On the occasion of the Evergreen Times’ 25th Anniversary, Candy says “thank you” to the community of staff, readers and clients that have made this newspaper a success. candy@timesmediainc.com.

Manager Sonia Pineda,
billing manager
Sonia has worked for Times Media since June 2005, almost three years. She started out as a receptionist and worked her way up to billing manager. She tends to all invoicing, aging reports, advertiser payments and of course, collections. Sonia also handle any Spanish speaking classified. Married for 11 yrs, she has two daughters, Celest 11, and Natalie 7

Jenn Paigly,
receptionist
Jenn has been at Times Media, Inc. for close to two years.  As the receptionist, answers incoming calls, routes messages to the staff and and handles all contracts as well as our subscription department.  She currently attends community college for Digital Media.