Times Making Changes to Community Papers By JACQUELINE FOX Staff Reporter Several staff changes have been made at the Glendale News-Press and its sister paper, the Burbank Leader, primarily due to the establishment earlier this month of two new weeklies in the Inland Empire by the papers’ parent company, Times Community News, a subsidiary of the Los Angeles Times. The changes cap a string of restructuring for TCN’s Valley products over the course of the last few years, most recently, the departure in March of their long-time columnist, Will Rogers. David Silva, who served as city editor of the News-Press since 1999 has been named editor of the Claremont-Upland Voice and Rancho Cucamonga Voice, both launched May 9 to serve the Inland Empire, one of the fastest growing areas in the region. Amber Willard, previously the Leader’s city editor is now News-Press city editor. Brian Martin, a long-time News-Press graphics designer has been named to a new position of managing editor, below Editor Jeff Keating. Tim Willert, a former News-Press reporter is now the editor of the Leader. In 2002, TCN shut down its third Valley paper, the Foothill Leader, which covered the communities of Montrose, La Cananda-Flintridge and La Crescenta. The News-Press, according TCN General Manager, Tom Johnson, is now offering expanded coverage in those areas. Johnson indicated TCN is considering launching other regional products, but did not say where. He also downplayed criticism of TCN’s earlier failed efforts to tap smaller markets. TCN shuttered 14 Our Times community news sections in 2000, which included inserts targeting Sherman Oaks and Santa Clarita. Roughly 125 positions were cut as a result. The Times’ includes a “Valley” page in its new California section, but has been criticized here for not having enough Valley news. Meanwhile, Rogers, who wrote for both the Leader and News-Press for 13 years, said he’d had a long-running dispute with Keating due to repeated errors made to his columns after they were submitted. A heated e-mail exchange between the two, Rogers said, culminated in a mutual agreement that “his services were no longer needed.” TCN Editorial Director Tony Dodero reiterated that Rogers’ departure was “a mutual agreement and business decision,” and that it was unrelated to any restructuring plans or staff changes.
