Email: jeff.rumage@patch.com
Phone: 414.248.3117
Hometown: Beloit, WI
Bio: Jeff Rumage has always had a passion for writing, learning about others and understanding the community around him.
Those three things drove Jeff to walk into The Daily Cardinal, one of UW-Madison's student newspapers, where he covered city, state and campus news stories.
After graduating from UW-Madison, Jeff took a job with a weekly newspaper in Oconomowoc, where he immersed himself in the community over the course of three years- writing about everything from farmers markets to murder trials.
When he learned about Patch's vision for community journalism, he felt compelled to be a part of it.
Your Beliefs
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 human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for you to inject your beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that your beliefs are on the record will cause you to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.
Politics
Some might say that a UW-Madison graduate with degrees in Political Science and Communications is inherently liberal, but I have always thought partisanship takes the intellect out of politics. I genuinely believe there are multiple sides to most issues, and I became a journalist to give a voice to all sides of the discussion. I do, of course, vote in every election, but my choice is shaped more by each candidate's background, openness and capacity for logic than their ability to rile a crowd and make their opponent look bad.
Religion
Religion is a personal matter, and I believe everyone should have the right to exercise and express their beliefs in an open environment.
Local Hot-Button Issue
Education is a major topic of interest in the North Shore - and rightfully so. I recognize that many families moved to the North Shore to ensure a strong education for their child, so I aim to highlight school happenings and share student success stories.
Also, many beautiful North Shore homes have incurred substantial property damage due to repeat flood events. I will provide updates on what is being done to remedy village sewer issues.
I do believe residents have a right to know where their tax dollars are spent. I pledge to provide accurate, comprehensive information about public affairs, and I will find answers to any issues brought to my attention.
The year's third-most popular story is about Whitefish Bay High School students raising $6,500 to help a 12-year-old girl with a heart defect meet Taylor Swift
The Village Board's decision to enforce its ordinances and prohibit miniature book boxes in residential front lawns – drew a bit of controversy in Whitefish Bay.
The fourth-most popular story from 2012 was about residents protesting the use of pesticides at Cahill Park, which later prompted the Village Board to create a special pesticide subcommittee.
The sixth-most popular story of 2012 was the three-building, 100-unit luxury apartment development to be located in the parking lots north of Silver Spring Drive, between Santa Monica and Consaul Place.
From Scott Walker emerging as the only governor to survive a recall and Paul Ryan being selected as Mitt Romney's running mate for president, a national spotlight shined bright on Wisconsin this year.
United Methodist Church has collected 85 teddy bears for Sandy Hook Elementary families, but due to the recent surge in donations, Connecticut officials are asking that the bears be donated locally in the Milwaukee area instead.
This Whitefish Bay mom spends her free time circulating fundraising sheets and coordinating volunteers for projects that make Whitefish Bay a better place to live.
Former Green Bay Packers fullback William Henderson opened Sweet Frog in August. Another fro-yo business, CherryBerry, opened in November.
Paul Wollersheim, the former boys basketball coach and athletic director at Dominican High School, was accused of – but not charged with – sexual assault last school year.
The 2012 graduates scored an average ACT score of 25.9, the highest among public schools in the metro-Milwaukee area and the second-highest in the state.
On this chilly holiday weekend, Patch takes you on a tour of a few local houses with fireplaces.
A recap of the top 10 stories of 2012 includes The Bay, a full-service restaurant and bar coming to Whitefish Bay in the spring.
About 1,500 local We Energies customers, including Whitefish Bay Middle School, temporarily lost electricity Thursday morning.
Thanks to the effort of 180 Whitefish Bay students, the Boxes of Love project will fund nearly 600 desks for an impoverished school near Nairobi, Kenya.
A local guide to Christmas services or those who are not regular church-goers or forgot to read this week's church bulletin.
Paolo Carozza currently serves as the director of the Helen Kellogg Institute for International Studies and the Center for Civil and Human Rights at the University of Notre Dame.
The Whitefish Bay Middle School choirs performed a Christmas concert at Bayshore Town Center Monday night.
Tree workers rotate throughout the village every year so that each tree is pruned once every year.
Orange Shoe Personal Fitness plans to open next to the former Honquest Furniture store in February 2013.
Our area is under a Winter Weather Advisory until 9pm Tuesday, but it's what's on the way Wednesday and Thursday that could put a serious wrinkle in travel plans.
