I grew up in the rural green belt of London, England where I fell in love with literature and literary history. During my undergraduate degree at the University of Kent in Canterbury, and namely an exchange year abroad at UCLA, that love for literature transitioned into a passion for journalism and California sunshine. I moved to Los Angeles in 2007 to pursue an MA degree in journalism at USC and continue a freelance career in multimedia storytelling. And I have never looked back.
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My experience includes local, national and international reporting for news outlets such as the LA Weekly, Southern California Public Radio and the New Zealand Herald Tribune. My fascination with hyper-local journalism spawned a thesis about the future of the industry (titled, Can Grassroots Journalism Help Underserved Communities?) and, in 2008, led me to help found a hyper-local website covering South Los Angeles. I was managing editor until early 2011, when Patch became my next adventure.
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Now I live in Concord with my husband, reading, writing, exploring the Bay Area and continuing to drink my tea with milk.
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Beliefs:
1. Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. - Plato.
2. Never discuss religion or politics at the dinner table.
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Politics: I am a registered Democrat with an open mind to all opinions and factual arguments. I believe that the mind should be a thoroughfare for all thoughts and not a select party.
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Religion: Non-denominational Christian, with an almost pantheistic love for the outdoors and a strong appreciation for being still (Psalm 46:10.)
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Local Hot-Button Issues: Social justice issues that affect quality of life or access to opportunities, including education, immigration, health care and social welfare.
Mountains bathed in oranges and reds, clouds luminous with a deep pink glow — sunsets in Concord can be spectacular. Share your sunset pictures here and enjoy the best views in town.
Residents submitting ideas through the city's interactive website suggest better bike paths, trash removal and a wall or hedge on the Willow Pass side of Todos Santos Plaza. What's your idea for a better Concord?
Proceeds from "Everything Under the Rainbow" on Pacheco Street go to the Rainbow Community Center. Manager Jimmy Gale also does drag shows at Club 1220 in Walnut Creek.
All proceeds from "Everything Under the Rainbow" on Pacheco Street go to the Rainbow Community Center of Contra Costa County. The thrift store also offers job training for youth.
Police are searching for a black male adult wearing a black jacket and blue jeans who pulled a gun on a Subway clerk at around 8:12 p.m. Sunday.
BART has been serving the Bay Area for four decades. How long have you been riding?
BART has been serving the Bay Area for four decades. How long have you been riding?
BART has been serving the Bay Area for four decades. How long have you been riding?
BART has been serving the Bay Area for four decades. How long have you been riding?
Off the Grid rolls into the South Shore Center Saturday, offering a variety of meals on wheels. What's on the menu this week? Curry, cream puffs and more.
The facility remains closed while the hunt for Field Act documentation moves to Sacramento.
Living by the beach has its perks, but also its potential pitfalls in the form of earthquakes and tsunamis.
After a lively discussion about Proposition 19, which would legalize marijuana in California, the Culver City Democratic Club voted unanimously to endorse the campaign.
Members discuss pot legalization, air pollution rules and congressional redistricting, issues that California voters will decide in November.
Beverly Hills residents rank third in the county with a life expectancy average of 85.6 years.
The area is home to the most affluent cities in L.A. County but that doesn't translate into much longer average life expectancies, a Department of Public Health report says.
The South Bay is home to the most affluent cities in L.A. County but that doesn't translate into much longer average life expectancies, a Department of Public Health report says.
The South Bay may be home to the most affluent cities in L.A. County, but residents have only a slight advantage over the average life expectancy.
The Beverly Hills panel urges a halt to the 'barbaric and abhorrent' execution of a woman who allegedly committed adultery.
We speak with him about each allegation made by the Culver City Police Officers' Association.
