Bio I'm the local editor for La Cañada Flintridge Patch.  You may reach me at donna.evans@patch.com. I earned a bachelor's of science in journalism from West Virginia University, a master's in professional writing from University of Southern California and a CA preliminary multiple subject credential from National University. I've been a print journalist for more than a decade.  Hiking, biking and traveling are my favorite pastimes. And although I've loved writing since I was a kid, I've never used the right fingers on the keys. Goes back to typing class - yup, typing class - in high school. The teacher scared the breath out of me so I memorized large blocks of copy and banged them out onto the page, staring the whole time, at my fingers.

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 
How would you describe your political beliefs?

I'd describe myself as socially liberal and fiscally conservative.

Are you registered with a certain party?

I'm a registered Democrat, but vote for whomever I believe to be the best person for the job. 

Religion
How religious would you consider yourself? 

Raised Roman Catholic and a product of 12 years of Catholic education, I'd consider myself a bit more spiritual than religious these days.

Local Hot-Button Issues
What do you think are the most important issues facing the community?

School budget cuts are always a worry, as is the potential for mud slides with the approaching winter rains. In addition, the peafowl population has rankled a lot of residents for decades. While the birds are majestic in color, home owners complain that they defecate on driveways and eat folks' flowers. While the city has voted to reduce the population, officials and residents say more needs to be done. 

Where do you stand on each of these issues?

I'll report on these issues, along with anything that affects La Cañada, as any impartial journalist should.