In order to buy the San Jose Mercury News and Contra Costa Times, Dean Singleton’s MediaNews Group obtained a financing package from a syndicate of lenders that includes the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, General Electric Capital Corp., Blue Shield of California, the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Union Bank of California, the Bank of New York, Bank of America and several other organizations, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The financing package enabled MediaNews to borrow up to $597 million to help pay for the papers.