Patch User Profile for Michelle Sartor

Email: michelle.sartor@patch.com Phone: 201-240-5744 Hometown: Park Ridge Birthday: Dec. 12, 1982 Bio:

Michelle has always been very interested in news, ever since she was a kid. While her peers were watching children's shows in the early evening, Michelle turned on the local news to see what was going on in the world. That curiosity grew as she got older and has led her to a successful journalism career.

Michelle got her first taste of reporting at the Park Ridge High School newspaper, becoming co-editor in her senior year. She continued her passion for reporting at Muhlenberg College where she wrote articles for all four years and was News Editor (winning editor of the year) her senior year at The Muhlenberg Weekly.

During her college years, Michelle spent a semester in our nation's capital interning for "CNN Presents," a program that airs documentaries for the cable news network. Then back in Pennsylvania, she interned at 69 News, a local television news station that competed with Philadelphia stations for viewers.

After graduating from college in 2005 with a degree in Communication and Spanish, Michelle got a job at a trade magazine based in Ramsey. In late 2007 she found a position with North Jersey Media Group that really honed her reporting, writing and editing skills in the area of community journalism. She covered council and school board meetings, breaking news, resident features and community events, all while editing others' work.

Michelle believes being a journalist is exciting and interesting. A day on the job is never the same as the last and journalists are constantly meeting new people and learning new things. So if you see her around, definitely stop her and say hello. She'll be happy to speak with you.

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? Are you registered with a certain party?

I'm a registered independent voter.

Religion: How religious would you consider yourself? (casual, observant, devout, non religious)

I'm not religious but I enjoy learning about others' beliefs. Local Hot-Button Issues: What do you think are the most important issues facing the community? Where do you stand on each of these issues?

Both Westwood and Washington Township are still dealing with the effects of the economic downturn and will continue to do so in the next couple budget years. I think officials need to take a close look at finances and make the best decisions for residents, which may not always be the most popular. In Westwood (and several surrounding towns), many are also fighting to restore a fully functioning hospital since Pascack Valley Hospital shut down. I'm slightly torn on this issue because I can understand the arguments on both sides.