Getting to Know You

My first week and a half in Millburn has been a bit of a blur.

As the new kid in town, I've been busy with issues like courtesy busing and proposed charter schools,  with upcoming elections and the demolition of the beautiful and historic Chanticler and with discussions led by survivors of the Holocaust and Rwandan genocide.

And that’s not even counting breaking news like car accidents and vehicle break-ins. There’s always something going on here – Street Fairs, book signings, school events, high school sports games, fundraisers, art shows, you name it. I’m also trying to squeeze in some time to meet you in person.

Meanwhile, let me introduce myself here.  As a mother of two and a homeowner nearby, I understand well the issues that concern residents in our area the most:  Schools, taxes, property values, public safety and sense of a community.

as a journalist, I’ve covered just about everything you can think of from earthquakes, hurricanes and other disasters to big city crime and really bad small-town government. We used to have a motto for one tiny, corrupt Florida town I covered more than 20 years ago: “Which would you rather have, good government or good news?” Back then, I definitely wanted what we thought made good news – terribly run local government. But I had no children and paid no property taxes, so I could afford to think that when it comes to local government, the worse the better.

I’ve matured since then. I want our local governing bodies (townships, school boards, police departments, courts, health departments, etc…) run well and efficiently. I want schools to be beyond expectations and our politicians above corruption. The role of a journalist is to hold those in power accountable, to be a watchdog of sorts, but not to play gotcha.

It's local news that affects our lives most -- what we do and how we live. Knowing what’s going on in the world is important; knowing what’s going on in your town is essential.

I will strive to make Patch the place you go for local news and to get the information you need; I welcome your ideas, comments and submissions.

As a community forum, this site gives you the chance to discuss the issues that matter to you.   Some issues strike a passionate chord with people and tempers flare. That's to be expected. Passion is great when it comes to your town and issues that affect you. However, the discourse should remain civil with no personal or libelous attacks.

I encourage you to become a regular user and join the discussion. I’d also like to try to persuade you to use your real name instead of a moniker. That adds credibility to what you have to say, raises the level of the community discussion and helps keep personal attacks to a minimum. Of course, it’s just a suggestion.

I hope to see more of you engaged on this site. And whether I see you here or not, I hope to see you around town.  If you see me, introduce yourself. The more I get to know you, the better this site will be.