The City of Morgan Hill recognized two longtime staff members of
the Morgan Hill Times for their many years of service to the city
and community.
The City of Morgan Hill recognized two longtime staff members of the Morgan Hill Times for their many years of service to the city and community.
Walt Glines, former Executive Editor of the Times, and Carol Holzgrafe, former city hall reporter, were presented certificates of recognition by the City Council Wednesday night.
Glines, who spent 12 years as the editor of the Times, was recently promoted to Director of Circulation, Sales and Operations for the Times, Gilroy Dispatch and Hollister Free Lance. Holzgrafe covered city hall for four years before resigning this summer. She will continue to work with the Times part-time.
Presenting the certificate to Glines, Mayor Dennis Kennedy described him as a highly respected editor and thanked him for his many years of service to the city and community.
“With Walt at the helm, the Times earned five first or second place General Excellence awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association. During this time, the Times was one of the most honored and respected newspapers in the state of California, achieving these awards with limited resources and a small staff,” Kennedy read off the certificate.
The Mayor noted Glines started his career with the Times as a sports writer in high school, and moved up the ranks to sports editor, city editor and then executive editor, due to his outstanding reporting and editing skills.
Glines, a South County native with decades of journalism experience, also worked with the American Association of University Women (AAUW), co-sponsoring local and state candidate forums which were televised on public access television.
“The city of Morgan Hill extends best wishes to Walt as he embarks on his new position with Mainstreet Media group,” said Kennedy.
Recognizing Holzgrafe, Kennedy said, “The City of Morgan Hill appreciates Carol’s past devotion to fair and honest reporting, and looks forward to seeing her upcoming guest articles in the Morgan Hill Times.”
Holzgrafe earned numerous accolades during her tenure with the newspaper, including first place in the annual Better Newspapers Contest of the California Newspaper Publishers Association for her year-long series of stories on the impact of perchlorate on South County’s water supply. She also shared another first place award for her stories on a recent tragedy at Britton Middle School and for an outstanding editorial on the plight of the day worker.
Holzgrafe is also active in the community. She is a member of the Historical Society and involved with the American Association of University Women.
Holzgrafe thanked the city for the recognition, “for answering phone calls, the occasional tip,” and especially praised the city staff for being so helpful and accommodating.
“It’s the hardest job I’ve ever done, but you taught me more about government than the University of California ever did,” she told city council members.
Glines too thanked city staff and past councils for being accommodating to the Times and noted, because of them, “there were few slow days of news in Morgan Hill, and that’s our goal.”
He also thanked Carol O’Hare.
“She has been a mainstay with the AAUW, for co-sponsoring the forums with us. It’s been fun. I’m not really going away, but if you don’t subscribe to the paper, give me a phone call!”
Times Editor Marcus Hibdon said he was happy to see his predecessor receive so much-deserved recognition and proud to work with Holzgrafe.
“Both Walt and Carol have been the driving force behind the Times for many years,” Hibdon said. “Their commitment to the newspaper and the Morgan Hill community was apparent in every issue. So to see them recognized for all their hard work is great and it inspires our staff to continue the tradition of excellence.”
Rose Meily covers City Hall for the Morgan Hill Times. Reach her at 779-4106 or by e-mail at rm****@mo*************.com
