A Christmas Message from Papa Doug: A Day to Count Blessings and Share Happiness

Dear fellow San Diegans,

Christmas is ever spiritual because it celebrates the birth of a child more than 2,000 years ago whose arrival on Earth defines all the dates of history. No other individual, before or since, has so influenced mankind as Jesus Christ. As the dawn breaks on this Christmas morning, we rise to celebrate the day marking the birth of the Christ child, a day dedicated to “good tidings of great joy.”

We pray for families of all kinds to be able to gather together; happiness means most when it is shared. The holidays can be a time where people of all faiths celebrate shared happiness; the thoughtfulness of loved ones is a jewel of unmatched splendor. We pray for children all over the world to have the chance for joy and expectation to ring in their hearts.

When I was in my early years of grade school in Coronado, I sold the San Diego Union each morning at the Coronado Ferry building. This was one of my first jobs, and it helped forge my work ethic and sense of responsibility. Never did I imagine, during those early mornings in Coronado, that I would develop the hotels and convention center across the bay or end up as the 10th publisher of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Ever since then, I have come to love our San Diego as the finest city in the greatest country in the world. I give thanks to God for the gift of being able to live in this wonderful city. I would particularly like to thank all of the military and their families who live in San Diego. These many Navy and Marines are the best and brightest. Their sacrifices and efforts to protect our freedom are so very much appreciated, and we are proud and happy they are fellow San Diegans.

I pray that ownership of the U-T will provide me the opportunity to support our community, promote the economic strength of the region and improve the lives of all San Diegans.

I take the stewardship of San Diego’s primary and most significant media very seriously. We will adhere to the highest standard of journalistic integrity and objectivity. We will do our part to be a positive force in our diverse community as we create a superior newspaper and a complement of digital information sources.

It is our prayer that this holiday season will provide each of you and your families with blessings and happiness. Everyone at the U-T, along with me personally, would like to extend to all of San Diego a very merry Christmas, happy holidays and a prosperous new year.

Douglas F. Manchester

Chairman and Publisher

P.S. Congratulations Douglas and Lauren

Publisher’s Note: A Day to Count Blessings and Share Happiness

Evolution of county’s newspapers began 150 years ago

NORTH COUNTY — The late October day I was born, my dad was covering the waterfront.

As my mother labored at the Coronado Hospital, the old man was banging out a front-page story for the San Diego Daily Journal’s afternoon edition.

My arrival in 1947 wasn’t big news, but Navy Day was. Even so, his new paternity must have been on his mind.

In a wild flight of fancy, he led his story with a genetic link between Glenn Curtiss’ pioneering hydroplane, which flew into history on San Diego Bay in 1911, and its Navy offspring — planes such as the Hellcat, the Corsair and the Skystreak, which had recently clocked the world speed record.

Read full article

[Source: U-T San Diego]

Papa Doug Manchester Day

On his 70th birthday this past May, Papa Doug was honored to receive his own celebratory day from Ron Roberts and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. In an official proclamation, Supervisor Roberts and the Board declared May 31, 2012 “Papa Doug Manchester Day” across the county.

Papa Doug is commended for his leadership and dedication to San Diego and its people. Outlining notable ventures including Manchester Financial Group, the San Diego Convention Center, and the innovations at U-T San Diego; the proclamation lauds Papa Doug as a “true industrialist” with “urban vision” and gives a peek at his plans for further downtown San Diego development. The proclamation also credits Papa Doug for his numerous charitable contributions to SDSU, Scripps Memorial Hospital, the Monarch School, and many other local organizations.

Papa Doug’s U-T San Diego Rebrands a Classic Publication for Modern Times

With a vibrant and respected history, U- T San Diego is a well-established publishing institution in San Diego. In 1868, Col. William Jeff Gatewood, publisher of the San Andreas newspaper The Register, was urged to explore San Diego publishing territory by his brother-in-law Philip Crosthwaite. Crosthwaite, a pioneer, was eager to advance his new hometown’s status and acclaim post-war and felt a newspaper would give San Diego a needed boost. After visiting the city, Gatewood quickly suspended The Register and partnered with foreman Edward W. Bushyhead and select Register employees to publish The San Diego Union. The first issue was released on October 10, 1868. On December 2, 1895, a second local paper called The Evening Tribune made its debut.

In January 1928, Ira C. Copley, a prominent newspaper publisher in Illinois, purchased both The Union and The Evening Tribune. Over the years, both publications received numerous accolades, including Pulitzer Prizes for The Tribune in 1979 and 1987. In 1992, the two papers merged to become The San Diego Union-Tribune. The Union-Tribune received a branding revamp in 2010, which entailed a name change to The San Diego U-T and “U-T” logo lettering paying tribute to the traditional logo’s Old English flag. On November 17, 2011, Papa Doug purchased the paper and has since implemented modern branding changes and developments to set the publication up for a successful future. Papa Doug renamed the paper U-T San Diego, moved to create an increasingly digital-friendly business, and instituted a brand new logo. A clean, bold Old English U-T San Diego logo maintains the paper’s classic roots while creating a decidedly modern statement perfect for U-T San Diego’s forward-thinking outlook (www.utsandiego.com, 2011), (Thorpe, www.sandiegohistory.org, 1982).

Papa Doug Plans Office, Real Estate Developments Near U-T San Diego Office

Papa Doug is thrilled to announce plans to develop the property surrounding the U-T San Diego offices in the city’s Mission Valley area. Although an official green light from the Mission Valley Planning Group, the San Diego Planning Commission, and the San Diego City Council has not yet been given; residential and commercial building plans are well underway to breathe new life into the neighborhood. A favored office location for many major San Diego companies, the Mission Valley commercial market took a hit during the peak of the recession in 2008 but is showing consistent, strong growth.

Papa Doug’s plans include a 22-story residential condominium complex with close to 200 units and parking, a 10-story office building with nearly 240,000 square feet of space, and close to 6,500 square feet of retail space. The compound is also slated to feature a parking garage, a fitness center with a tennis court and pool, a running and cycling trail next to the San Diego River, and a footbridge connecting to nearby Fashion Valley Mall. Once approval is granted, the development should take about four years to complete (Wolff, www.nctimes.com, 2012).