Times Publishing Group, Inc. — A Community Resource
By Noel Smith
TPG, publisher of Aptos Times, Capitola Soquel Times, and Scotts Valley Times, has been documenting local news and events in our county for 25 years, since 1991. Instead of an “If it bleeds, it leads” approach to journalism, the emphasis has always been on the positive, the uplifting and the “Making a Difference” side of the news.
Publisher Patrice Edwards moved to Aptos from Los Gatos in 1988 working as an interior designer. Asked by a friend about what she really wanted to do, Patrice expressed her dream of publishing a truly hometown newspaper for Aptos. First she went to work at a newspaper in San Jose for two years to learn the business. After another 9 months of selling her dream to future advertisers, the first Aptos Times went to press.
“I wanted to bring people together by using the power of a hometown newspaper,” said Patrice. “Santa Cruz County has a big heart and it has been our honor to support non-profit organizations like Second Harvest, CASA, Big Brother and Big Sisters, The Monte Foundation, Friends of Hospice, Jacob’s Heart, Santa Cruz Cancer Benefit Group, and so many more over the years. The events, fundraisers and accomplishments of these organizations help so many children and adults in our community.”
Each holiday season the Aptos Times sponsors its own Adopt-A-Family program and the community always steps up to provide not just toys and presents, but to pay gas and electric bills, provide transportation and even the rent — whatever is needed.
Twenty years ago in 1996 Lance Thorbrugh was a 14-month-old child with a brain tumor. His situation was desperate, He was traveling each week to Palo Alto for chemotherapy but the family car was old and unreliable. Lance needed blood transfusions, which cost at that time $50 even though the blood was donated. Patrice Edwards, publisher of the Aptos Times, and the Aptos Chamber of Commerce through Adopt-A-Family and the community came to help even though Lance’s situation was anything but promising. He was #3 of the Jacob’s Heart kids. In August of 2016 TPG received a letter that tells the rest of Lance’s story. (See Box) This is just one instance of how a hometown newspaper with a heart can bring people together.
The Times newspapers also regularly publishes articles and columns on current events, local politics, education, school sports, the arts, senior issues, health and safety, agriculture, local history, finance, adopting pets and their care, environmental actions and issues, living green, as well as book, theater, art and music reviews. All these subjects are chosen to help bring our community together by keeping its readers informed and entertained while encouraging them to become involved.
During our twenty-five years (A quarter century!) we have seen the disappearance of paste-ups, Pagemaker, camera-ready, waxing, layout, and no more driving your paste-ups to the printer after an all-nighter. Today it’s all digital from the photos to the text, which is sent to the printer as a PDF over the Internet. And now there is social media (Facebook & Twitter), to which you will see links on our Website (www.tpgonlinedaily.com).
Also during the past 25 years we have seen the birth of two more TPG “Hometown” newspapers, the Capitola Soquel Times in 1995 and the Scotts Valley Times in 1997. In 1998 and in 2000 two more publications were established, Coastal Wedding and Coastal Home & Garden. In addition each year TPG publishes the Santa Cruz County Fair Guide, the Aptos 4th of July Parade program, The Capitola Begonia Festival Guide, and the Santa Cruz County Holiday Gift Guide.
But the content of our newspapers and magazines hasn’t changed, we still want to see your name and photos in our publications, chronicle our community’s events, news, and its successes; we want to tell stories of our history, of those who made a difference, and those who have tried.
Here are some examples of past stories from the Aptos Times:
- 1991 Trout Gulch Vineyard (October 1 Inaugural Edition!)
- 1997 Aptos Secession: Charting a New Course
- 1998 Hwy Gridlock: What is your way to get around?
- 2003 Reviving a Local Landmark (The Cement Ship)
- 2003 Aptos High Football CCS Champs!
- 2003 Aptos Chamber Man and Woman of the Year, Laura Brown & Tom Hart
- 2004 Lori Butterworth Founder of Jacob’s Heart
- 2004 Lisa Leuschner on American Idol
- 2005 Manuel’s Restaurant celebrates 40th year
- 2005 100th anniversary of flight over Aptos by John Montgomery’s Glider
- 2006 Aptos HS alum Trent Dilfer awarded NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year
- 2006 Super Sight over Seacliff – 12th Monte Foundation Fireworks Extravaganza
- 2007 County Planning Department conditions could close Salesian School
- 2007 Kiss Me, Kate Captivates Cabrillo Stage Audience
- 2008 Memorial for Cabrillo College Founder Dr Robert Swenson
- 2008 County’s Planning Dept. Center of Controversy over Appeals Process
- 2009 The World’s Shortest Parade Has Come a Long Way
- 2009 Cabrillo College opens new Visual & Performing Arts Center.
- 2010 County Approves Aptos Village Plan
- 2010 Rio Del Mar Improvement Association Plants New Palm Trees on Esplanade
- 2012 The Trip of a Lifetime: Aptos Jr. High Students Take a Tour of Our Nation’s Capital
As you can see, a community newspaper can cover a lot of interests for its readers – and these represent only a small part of what you will find in each issue. That’s our job, keeping it interesting and informative with something for everybody that fits the slogan from another time, and another Times – The New York Times – “All the News That’s Fit to Print” (first used October 25, 1896).
The news that TPG prints “Fits” the community and our readers. We’ve been doing this for 25 years and today there is a core group here at TPG that make it all possible: Patrice Edwards, Publisher (25 years); Cathe Race, Office Manager (20 Years); Noel Smith, Editor (12 Years); Michael Oppenheimer, Graphic Artist (8 Years), and Don Beaumont, Sales (8 Years).
But if it wasn’t for you, our readers and advertisers, we wouldn’t be able to do the Aptos Time’s job of bringing you your community’s news, the news that brings us all together and makes us as one.
Thank you.