Urbandale|News|
Sue Mears Is Urbandale Volunteer for November
Urbandale Community Action Network spotlights an outstanding volunteer in the city each month.

<b>Local Editor, Urbandale Patch<br>Email: </b>anne.kay@patch.com<b><br>Phone: </b>515.306.5504<b><br>Facebook.com/Urbandale.Patch<br>Twitter.com/@UrbandalePatch<br>Bio: </b>Becoming the editor for Urbandale.Patch.com is going back to the future for me. I started my career in community journalism and now get to see it into an online, digital world. I grew up in Nebraska, graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. A year later, I got married and moved to Iowa. I worked for the Des Moines Register as a writer and editor for 28 years. In the past five years, I left the Register, tried my hand at magazine journalism by editing a health magazine at Meredith Company, became a widow, watched my last child graduate from high school, and started my own company. Along the way, I also rode my bicycle across Iowa, hiked in and out of the Grand Canyon and to the top of a Caribbean volcano. <b><br>My Beliefs: </b>At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because we humans have beliefs. Patch editors are encouraged to reveal their beliefs in hopes that having it on the record will cause us to be even more mindful about being fair and balanced. If you see evidence to the contrary, please let me know.<b><br>My Politics: </b>My political beliefs are liberal to moderate. I'm a registered Democrat, but I'm not politically active. That said, I support civil liberties, the separation of church and state, and the right of free expression. I believe government should help its citizens and I believe in personal responsibility.<b><br>My Religion: </b>In my faith journey I have been atheist, agnostic, a seeker, and now a Christian. I attend Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines and my faith is important to me.
<strong>Urbandale Connections: </strong>I'm a member of the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce.
Urbandale Community Action Network spotlights an outstanding volunteer in the city each month.

Here are some of the more interesting Urbandale news from last week.
Gratitude is a valuable emotion 365 days a year, not just on Thanksgiving
After the feast, fill your weekend with shopping, football, and more shopping.
Irina's welcomes customers back today at 6 p.m. with a grand opening and an open house.
Mitt Romney stopped in Des Moines Wednesday for the first time since before the state's Straw Poll in August. He made a hour-long appearance before employees of one of the city's largest insurance companies.
If you're absolutely, positively determined to go to any length to get the best deals, this Patch guide can help.
The food drive also was a way to spread Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul's message that government assistance is unnecessary, said organizers.
Two Urbandale churches are having special Thanksgiving services.
A Des Moines baker told a same-sex couple that she would not make their wedding cake because of her Christian convictions about gay marriage. Does she have that right?
Needing a wheelchair hasn't slowed Monte Halferty's mission to keep Urbandale recreational trails and sidewalks clean.
The margin of three votes holds as representatives for Creighton Cox and his opponent Tony Montgomery witnessed a recount this morning at the Polk County headquarters.
Protesters could not get close enough to the Des Moines church where a Republican presidential forum was being held for their message to be heard.
You don't have to be an expert to pick a good wine with Thanksgiving dinner, says a mother-daughter team at Urban Liquor in Urbandale.
Are you indiscriminately happy with three months of HallowChristGiving? Or are you appalled at rampant violations of the No-Christmas-Before-Thanksgiving rule? Take our Patch Poll.
The campaign will solicit food in four suburbs for the Food Bank of Iowa in order to call attention to Paul's philosophy that Americans don't need government intervention.
A $5,000 grant from the Dallas County Foundation, prompted Urbandale parks officials to tap other revenue to purchase a $17,251 play structure.
An unusual cornucopia of activities this weekend: beginning with cowboy songs at the Cottontail Lounge, and ending with selections from the Nutcracker Ballet on Sunday.
The week's top news was focused on politics, snow removal, and - finally - the new trail bridge at Walker Johnston Park.
Directing Urbandale readers to relevant or entertaining news on metro sites this morning.