As the holiday season gets underway and 2014 draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on what has turned out to be a wild year here at the Press-Banner.
For better or worse, 2014 has seen many changes in our tiny newsroom — old friends leaving to take on new challenges, fresh, new faces ready to learn, and familiar ones taking on new positions in the face of crisis.
Each and every member of the Press-Banner’s staff has stepped up to the plate this year, assuming new roles, taking on additional duties, and overcoming all manner of challenges — anticipated and otherwise — to make sure the news of Scotts Valley and the San Lorenzo Valley continues to come to you, our readers, as it has for half a century.
As is tradition, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each member of the Press-Banner’s staff for their outstanding work this year.
– Lucjan Szewczyk, our longtime photographer, has been capturing images of our valleys for a quarter of a century. After all these many years with the Press-Banner, his dedication, sense of humor, and outstanding artistic eye has not wavered.
– Elizabeth Trugman, our advertising executive, has served admirably as the public face of the Press-Banner. Without her tireless outreach efforts, and her dedication to meeting our clients’ needs, we would not have a publication at all. She has also emerged as a key member of our editorial board, providing valuable insight and level-headed suggestions that have dramatically improved how our staff functions.
– Barbara Burke, our office manager, is without exaggeration the glue that holds our office together. She is the first person in the office in the morning, and the smiling face that greets those who come through our door. Barbara has stepped up and hit home runs in so many ways this year — among them taking on the task of designing our classified section, serving as a member of our editorial board, and being a calm voice of reason in tumultuous situations — that her value to the Press-Banner cannot be overstated.
– Patricia Sousa, our newest reporter, joined the Press-Banner staff at the end of the summer. In the short time she’s been with us, she’s proven herself time and again to be a dedicated reporter, sharp interviewer, and overall excellent journalist. She has quickly become familiar with the unique people, places, and cultures of our communities and an indispensable member of the Press-Banner’s team. As I said when she was first brought on board, we are lucky to have her.
– Kira Ruvo, our graphic designer, has seen her role increase dramatically this year as — in addition to designing our advertisements — she has taken on the role of designing the newspaper itself each week. Her keen artistic sense and eye for design has led to many changes to the Press-Banner’s design that have given it a brighter, more colorful, and visually appealing look.
– Ren Tawil, our circulation person, performs yeoman work, ensuring that the Press-Banner is delivered on time to the various locations throughout the Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley communities.
– Mikaela Slade, our intern, was a major lifesaver during the summer months. A senior at San Lorenzo Valley High School, she approached us about a newswriting internship at the beginning of the summer — and almost immediately found herself as one of only two writers. With only a semester or two on the staff of her high school newspaper for news experience, Mikaela handled herself like a journalist twice her age, covering complex stories with ease.
– Carol Carson and Adam Johnson, two freelance reporters, each stepped in during the spring and summer months to contribute a number of well-written articles that enabled the Press-Banner to maintain a consistent level of coverage in tight places where our regular reporting staff was down.
With that being said, the Press-Banner’s entire staff would like to thank you, our readers, for your readership, your support, your phone calls, and your emails. It is a privilege to serve these communities, and we wish you all a wonderful holiday season, and a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2015.
— Joe Shreve, Senior news reporter and acting editor
