Hard to accept that I have owned and written for (off and on) the Santa Clara Weekly for fifty years.
I didn’t really set out to own a newspaper. I was in the insurance business for 40 years. During that time, and at the urging of Betty Hangs, President of the Chamber, I moved my business to Santa Clara and joined the Chamber of Commerce.
Wade Brummell, who was the publisher of The Weekly, wanted to sell and twisted my arm until I bought his 50 percent. The other two owners insisted I buy their shares and turn The Weekly into a real newspaper.
The Weekly has gone through numerous iterations over the years and was the major source of local and political news until the explosion of the internet. While the internet has provided quick access to news, the result has been a compilation of half-truths, some truth and no truth
One of our former employees set up a Santa Clara blog that is infamous for publishing any distorted story that can make good people look bad. He has been encouraged to write his opinions and stories by Mayor Lisa Gillmor. This person even suggested to at least one person that Gillmor’s father might support his online scandal sheet. We have no evidence that Gillmor senior had — or would even consider — anything to do with this enterprise.
While The Weekly is a subscription newspaper, it must be doing something right since our renewal rate is terrific. The Weekly has averaged a 98% annual renewal rate for the past seven years. If you live in Santa Clara or Sunnyvale, you can subscribe at 408-243-2000 and have the actual paper delivered to your door every week.
Of course, we have an online version of The Weekly and you can find it at www.SvVoice.com. There you can find additional past and current stories you can read at your leisure. And currently, all of our content is free.
Usually, the only opinion you will read is mine, which is in this column. That’s my job as a publisher and I am fortunate to have three excellent proofreaders who do their best to verify my facts.
On occasion, I let my bias show. For example, how can some Santa Clara residents still be anti-stadium? Look folks, it’s been nearly 14 years since voters approved Measure J to build the stadium. The stadium brings Santa Clara millions of dollars and those numbers will continue to grow as the stadium debt is paid off. Thanks to the stadium revenue, there’s more money for senior and youth services, and profit from the growing number of non-NFL events will help close the City’s ongoing deficit. World-class celebrities, and a world-renowned football team in the 49ers, put Santa Clara on the universal map of entertainment.
It would be a godsend if we had a mayor who would meet with the rest of the council to discuss with our major partner, the 49ers, ways to maximize revenue and activities for Santa Clara residents.
Santa Clara is fortunate to have its own newspaper to cover the good, the bad and the untold so you can remain informed. Thank you, Santa Clara, for your support and subscriptions for these many years.