<strong>Email </strong>darren.fishell@patch.com<strong><br>Phone </strong>909.274.8345<strong><br>Hometown </strong>Diamond Bar<strong><br>Birthday </strong>May 12, 1987<strong><br>Facebook </strong>facebook.com/DiamondBarPatch<strong><br>Twitter </strong>twitter.com/DiamondBarPatch<strong><br>Welcome Video</strong>
<strong>Bio</strong>
Darren Fishell has a passion for journalism that began early, as a sophomore reporter and later editor in chief for the Diamond Ranch High School paper. After those early years growing up in Diamond Bar, Darren shipped off to Maine to attend Bowdoin College, where he spent summers and spare time reporting in Brunswick for The Times Record on everything from church bazaars to snow plow contract disputes and gubernatorial debates. After graduation, he worked as a correspondent for The Times Record, reporting in towns dappling Mid Coast Maine. His reporting on four men battling prostate cancer earned him an award from the Maine Coalition to Fight Prostate Cancer and was collected and republished for distribution throughout the state.
At Bowdoin, Darren co-founded and served as editor in chief of a student and community news website called Curia that provided students a platform to read about and discuss the issues of the day. That site introduced Darren to a new take on community journalism as an extended and community-wide conversation – the resource that Diamond Bar Patch will provide.
Darren has also contributed reporting for the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, an investigative journalism non-profit headquartered in Augusta, Maine.
Growing up in Diamond Bar, Darren attended Armstrong Elementary, Lorbeer Middle School, and Diamond Ranch High School. In his senior year at Diamond Ranch, he received a school service award for his work as editor in chief of the school paper.
See Darren's welcome video to Diamond Bar Patch for a video guide to the site.<br><br><strong>Our Beliefs</strong><br>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.<br><br><strong>Politics</strong><br>I was a registered Democrat until the 2010 mid-term elections, when I became unaligned to follow a compelling Independent candidate for governor in Maine. I strongly feel that party affiliation is only the tip of the iceberg with any candidate and I follow politicians of any stripe who are thoughtful, nuanced, and caring. My only hard-nosed political belief is that a better-informed public is more capable of governing itself. <br><br><strong>Religion</strong><br>I am not religious, but I value strongly the idea of Buddhist teacher and thinker Thich Naht Hanh that we have much to learn and to take from every world religion. I would suggest his book Living Buddha, Living Christ to people of any creed. I believe our creation is magnificent and rife with mystery and I would point anyone to Carl Sagan's Cosmos as a brilliant illustration of that.<br><br><strong>Local Hot-Button Issues</strong><br>Development is an ongoing tension, both at the proposed site of the Los Angeles football stadium and at Site "D," owned by Walnut Valley School District. The future of Diamond Bar could be shaped by the fate of the Los Angeles football stadium project.
School budgets will also be a point of interest throughout this year as districts will likely see significant cutbacks from the state.
The Diamond Bar City Council approved funding for construction at a new city hall building and an agreement that will move the Diamond Bar Library into the first floor of the city hall building at 21810 Copley Drive, but one council member is still asking
The city's annual Concerts in the Park and Movies Under the Stars series starts Wednesday with rock music by The Ravelers and the first movie — "How to Train Your Dragon".
A trio of PTA mothers are suspected by Los Angeles County Sheriff's investigators of masterminding a 3-year Ponzi scheme that collapsed after the schemers could not pay a debt of $4 million to over 40 investors.
The Diamond Bar city council will vote to approve about $6.1 million in spending for construction at a new city hall building that the city purchased in September of 2010. Here's a rundown of the Tuesday, July 5 agenda.
Those celebrating the Fourth of July in Diamond Bar had mixed reviews, from residents who spotted illegal fireworks to those who sat back and watched over the San Gabriel Valley from near the Diamond Bar Center.
The city and county are both expected to sign a lease agreement during meetings Tuesday that would bring Diamond Bar a new library, nearly doubling the size of the current facility.
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors has approved a summer program that will aim to create 2,200 jobs for economically disadvantaged youth.
Here is a review of the top stories from June 27 to July 2 at Diamond Bar Patch. Happy Fourth!
This adult rabbit was rescued as a stray and is looking for a new home. Willie is currently at the Inland Valley Humane Society in Pomona.
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors has approved a summer program that will aim to create 2,200 jobs for economically disadvantaged youth.
After a combined 59 years with the Pomona Unified School District, Lorbeer Middle School teacher Sharon Ishida and Diamond Ranch office manager Julie Huezo retired this year and were awarded for having worked over 15 years at PUSD.
A ban effective today, July 1, will eliminate the use of plastic bags and charge shoppers 10 cents for all paper bags used to carry out items at stores in unincorporated Los Angeles County.
Christian and Jeanette Fuentes expanded their Diamond Bar RE/MAX real estate franchise to an independently owned brokerage this year. Christian, the agency's president, and Jeanette, the agency's broker, are banking on a real estate boom to come in 2013-2
The L.A. County Department of Public Health's Network for a Healthy California is leading a campaign to combat children falling into a summer slump. Here are some tips on how to stay active.
The city of Diamond Bar and County of Los Angeles have put their support behind a petition to save a program that funds some public works improvements and senior and children's programs in the city.
Harry Soo, pitmaster for the Slap Yo' Daddy BBQ team, provided three recipes that are sure to transform you into a grilling master this Independence Day weekend.
The L.A. County Department of Public Health's Network for a Healthy California is leading a campaign to combat children falling into a summer slump. Here are some tips on how to stay active.
Fireworks are illegal in Diamond Bar and setting them off could result in steep fines or even jail time. Meanwhile, there are plenty of great local fireworks shows to see this weekend.
Looking to find fireworks shows going on locally this Fourth of July? Check out this list of fireworks displays in and around Diamond Bar.
Pomona Valley Hospital and Medical Center was recently awarded by the American Heart Association for effective preventive treatment of heart failure under the Get With the Guidelines program.