Where are you from?

I have lived on the North Side for five years since moving from Chicago in 2016.

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What are the primary responsibilities of your role? 

Managing the production of The Homepage

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Why is this job important to you and how does your educational, professional, or personal background help you to do your job well? 

As I've watched national politics grow increasingly chaotic, I've become more and more convinced that the most important things happen at the local and neighborhood level. Sometimes that can look like someone who "adopts" all the kids on her block and feeds them sandwiches and juice boxes all summer. It might be a group of parents who decide to petition the city to improve their neighborhood playground or boost funding for their neighborhood school. Or maybe it's church members who pair up for walks after sunset to keep their streets safer. Neighborhood efforts can make a tremendous difference in people's quality of life. As managing editor of The Homepage, I am excited to tell the stories and amplify the efforts of neighbors who are making good things happen here. I want the paper to be an effective way for every reader to find out what they need to know to get involved, help others, get help and really connect.  

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What do you love about this neighborhood? 

I first started coming to Hazelwood when my teenager became a student at Three Rivers Village School [TRVS] in the fall of 2019. My child is disabled and has had a lot of bad experiences in school over the years, so finding TRVS was a true turning point in their life. Gradually I became familiar with the neighborhood parks and businesses, and got to know some of the people associated with the school who live in the neighborhood. I like how even though Hazelwood is part of a city, it feels like a small town with a friendly and walkable business district where people can meet for coffee or grab a BLT - my teenager's favorite - from Italian Village Pizza; use the library for job hunting or research a school project, and catch up with a friend or neighbor at the beauty salon. I look forward to learning a lot more about Hazelwood from everyone who is kind enough to contact The Homepage with birth, graduation and wedding announcements, with story ideas and perspectives to share.