Silicon Valley Community Newspapers Executive Editor Recognized

Dale Bryant, executive editor of Silicon Valley Community Newspapers, was honored Tuesday evening with a special commendation from the Los Gatos Town Council for her work producing two newspaper sections recognizing the opening of the and the

"A Town is Born," a special 44-page supplement, was published by the Los Gatos Weekly-Times on Aug. 7 to honor the town's 125th Jubilee anniversary Aug. 10, 2012; and "Magic Place," a 24-page section about the new Los Gatos Library, was published Feb. 7. Both efforts were under the direction of the accomplished veteran journalist, who has served as mentor and friend to many South Bay reporters for many years.

Los Gatos Mayor Steve Rice presented Bryant with the recognition saying she was "no stranger to these chambers." The award-winning journalist served for eight years as editor of the local weekly newspaper and has been leading the Silicon Valley Community Newspaper group for more than a decade.

"You helped us do some extraordinary things this year and we very much appreciate it," Rice told Bryant, who was accompanied by husband Ken Bryant, a respected local attorney.

"Dale devoted hundreds of hours toward planning, writing, organizing, managing and editing two special sections of the Weekly-Times, one celebrating the opening of the new Los Gatos Library and the other for the town's Jubilee year," Rice said.

The two supplements will become a valued keepsake for thousands of Los Gatos residents and "represent an extraordinary contribution to the community," Rice said.

Bryant is a graduate of and has maintained strong ties to the community throughout her long and distinguished journalism career, which included working as a reporter for the San Jose Mercury News.

Bryant joked that many people attending Tuesday's meeting had asked her if she was retiring and said rumors about the end of her journalism career are exaggerated.

"I recently talked to my boss and told him the best job I had in my life was when I was the editor of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times and I'm still connected ... but when I had an opportunity to do, not one, but two really important special sections for the town I jumped on the opportunity not realizing ... it would take that many hours," she said.

"The bottom line is that just doing those sections was its own reward," Bryant said.