Taaffe has spent the past eight years with the Los Altos Town Crier where she covered a number of beats, including schools and local government. She also was managing editor of the twice-yearly real estate magazine.

Most recently, she served as associate editor of the Town Crier.

She attended San José State University where she majored in journalism and history.

"Linda is steeped in community journalism. She knows what local editors need to know, from how local government works to how schools are funded," Bryant said. "More than that, she knows how to work with young reporters--how to motivate them and challenge them. We're very happy to have her join our editorial staff."

Taaffe, a longtime resident of Los Altos Hills, recently moved to the Rose Garden area with her husband.

"I'm excited to make the move to San Jose, and I can't think of a better way to learn about a community than editing the local community newspaper," Taaffe said.

Her volunteer activities have included serving as a docent at History San Jose, where she also participated in the committee that researched and developed the museum's schoolhouse exhibit.