Jonathan Partridge may be the newest addition to the Dispatch’s
newsroom, but he’s no stranger to Gilroy.
Jonathan Partridge may be the newest addition to the Dispatch’s newsroom, but he’s no stranger to Gilroy.
A Gilroy native, Partridge, 32, was born in the former Wheeler Hospital and remembers with fondness the scent of garlic wafting through the air.
“As soon as I saw the ad, I knew I wanted this job,” Partridge said. “I’ve always loved this town.”
Partridge will cover community news with a focus on City Hall and public safety and replace Chris Bone, who covered the same beat for the past two years. Bone, 24, is moving to Atlanta, his hometown, to pursue an opportunity with a budding music management company specializing in hip hop. With a front row seat in the entertainment field, he hopes to write and report about goings-on in the growing capital of the South. Of course, he’ll always miss Gilroy.
“I’ve enjoyed learning about small city politics and making many friends here,” Bone said. “No other job can take you from a courtroom in the morning to a winding creek in the afternoon to inspect endangered fish and then to a family’s living room for a personal conversation over coffee that evening. I’ll certainly miss that.”
Like Bone, Partridge gravitated to the job for the variety of topics he’ll cover.
“I love reporting because you get to learn something different every day and then communicate it in a creative manner the community can hopefully relate to,” Partridge said.
A graduate of Wheaton College with a concentration in print media, Partridge spent nearly 10 years as a reporter and editor in the newsroom – including a yearlong stint as a communications assistant for the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem in the Holy City – before heading back to the classroom. A fellow at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California, Partridge received his master’s degree in journalism with a concentration in religion in June.
“These are complex times, and we’re happy to have a seasoned reporter and editor with Jonathan’s work ethic join our staff to cover our community,” said Executive Editor Mark Derry. “It’s great that he already has a strong connection to Gilroy having been brought into the world at Wheeler Hospital. The fact that his father worked at Gilroy Foods also gives him a sense of Gilroy’s roots. We look forward to Jon building on those connections.”
Partridge’s Gilroy roots combined with the Dispatch’s reputation as a solid local newspaper drew him back to the town he called home for the first four years of his life. He looks forward to meeting its residents and learning more about the changes that have taken place since he moved away. Currently searching for a place to live, Partridge said he plans to move to Gilroy immediately.
“It’s always been my philosophy to live in the community you cover as a reporter,” he said.
When he’s not bicycling or hiking and taking in Gilroy’s natural beauty, Partridge might be found at the bar of the local coffee shop or watering hole, paging through a book about Middle East current events.
“I’ve enjoyed meeting the folks here so far,” he said. “I’m eager to learn more about the community’s challenges, and what people are doing to address them.”
