Email: Sunde.Farquhar@Patch.com
Phone: 727-249-4457
Hometown: Seattle
Birthday: Yes, I have one!
Bio: Sunde Farquhar is Local Editor for Palm Harbor Patch. Prior to joining Patch, she spent 16 years working as a journalist at TV stations in Tampa, Seattle, and Knoxville, TN. Some of the positions she's held include Managing Editor at Bay News 9 in Tampa, Assignment Manager at Northwest Cable News in Seattle, Assignment Editor at Northwest Cable News in Seattle, Newscast Producer at ABC Action News (WFTS-TV) in Tampa and WATE-TV in Knoxville, TN, and Independent Newspaper Publisher in Knoxville, TN.
Sunde graduated from Seattle University with a bachelor's degree in Communications -Journalism.
Sunde is very knowledgable about the issues impacting people who live in Tampa Bay, especially in Pinellas County, which is where Sunde and her journalist husband live with their Chow Chow named Daisy.
In their spare time, Sunde and her husband enjoy camping, hiking, traveling and hanging out with family, friends and their dog.
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 and human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal certain key beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for our editors to inject these beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that our beliefs are on the record will force us to be ever mindful to write, report, and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you, the user, ever think you see evidence that we failed in this mission, we wholeheartedly invite you to let us know.
Politics
How would you describe your political beliefs?
I was raised by a single mother who was a liberal Democrat and very strong in her political beliefs. Having been raised in a Democratic family, I always considered myself a Democrat, but, as I became older my political beliefs changed and I am now a registered Republican. I consider myself to have moderate political beliefs leaning toward the conservative side. However, I do not always vote along party lines.
Religion
How religious would you say you are? Casual, observant, devout, non-religious?
Casual. I have a deep respect and pride for our country which allows people to have the freedom of the religion of their choice.
Local Hot Button Issues
What do you think are the two or three most important issues facing the community?
Schools
Local Economy
Property Values
Where do you stand on each of these issues?
Schools- I believe that a good education is the foundation to a good life, and making sure kids get a solid education should be a top priority. I think it is everyone's responsibility to make that happen, from parents, to students, to teachers, and community leaders. Maybe it's time to think outside the box, when it comes to solving issues involving funding, quality of education and teacher salaries.
Local Economy- I see a lot of empty storefronts which is disturbing because local businesses are a vital part of every community. More should be done to support small businesses, which in turn will make for a stronger economy in local communities.
Property Values- Yowsa! What a mess!
The caretaker of a 88-year-old Elsie Hall called 911 Tuesday morning after Hall's Palm Harbor home shook and the floor buckled and creaked, making the caretaker think a sinkhole may have opened up underneath it.
Eew! Ick! These pesky turkey vultures decided to help themselves to trash outside of one estate near Brooker Creek Preserve.
Construction workers are extending the East Lake section of the Pinellas Trail so it will continue north onto Keystone Road and then to U.S. 19 in Tarpon Springs.
The caretaker of a 88-year-old Elsie Hall called 911 Tuesday morning after Hall's Palm Harbor home shook and the floor buckled and creaked, making the caretaker think a sinkhole may have opened up underneath it.
PHUH senior Milan Patel, 17, had to write a poem about his most embarrassing moment as part of his application to the University of Florida. It's probably even more embarrassing now that the Washington Post has published it.
State Rep. Carl Zimmermann, D-Palm Harbor, wants to make websites remove mug shots of people who've been found innocent of crimes. Zimmermann got the idea after he was contacted by a woman who was once arrested.
State Rep. Carl Zimmermann, D-Palm Harbor, wants to make websites remove mug shots of people who've been found innocent of crimes. The Countryside High teacher got the idea after he was contacted by a woman who was once arrested.
The East Lake Library is hosting a free panel discussion called "Telling Our Stories of Recovery". The discussion will center around a self-help philosophy developed by neuropsychiatrist Dr. Abraham Low.
The pageant winner will be awarded a scholarship and will be crowned Miss Palm Harbor Citrus Festival Queen during the Citrus Festival on April, 6 2013.
East Lake High School will take on crosstown rival Palm Harbor High in the team's first game of the 2013 season.
EverBank Financial Corp announced Friday that it signed a one-year agreement to sponsor the PGA event at Palm Harbor's Innisbrook, which was known as the Transitions Championship over the past four years.
Earlier this week, members of Palm Harbor University High's Robotics team gathered to make some last-minute adjustments to their robots before Saturday's competition in Daytona.
Palm Harbor resident Charley Jones, 88, remembers what Palm Harbor was like when the area was citrus groves and there was no such thing as a shopping mall, the internet, or cell phones.
Florida Division of Elections campaign finance records show that after Peter Nehr lost the Nov. 6, 2012 election to democrat Carl Zimmermann, he made three payments totaling $21,856.03 to his female companion, Kim Marie, for "consulting" servi
Staff at the resort declined to answer questions about the reason for the upcoming closure and what will happen to the property. "We're closing March 30, that's all I can tell you," said a woman who answered the phone.
Australia native Todd Williams owns the resale boutique with his spouse Jennifer. "What goes around comes back around, like a boomerang. That's how we came to become Boomerang Boutique," he said.
Florida Division of Elections campaign finance records show that after Peter Nehr lost the Nov. 6, 2012 election to democrat Carl Zimmermann, he made three payments totaling $21,856.03 to his female companion, Kim Marie, for "consulting" servi
In October, the Pinellas County Sheriff's office released a composite sketch of the suspect thought to have attacked a 49-year-old woman, who is a long-distance runner and had just finished running 10 miles.
This empty commercial space is in the Ridgemoor Shopping Center. What business would you like to see move in?
Florida Division of Elections campaign finance records show that after Peter Nehr lost the Nov. 6, 2012 election to democrat Carl Zimmermann, he made three payments totaling $21,856.03 to his female companion, Kim Marie, for "consulting" servi