Concord|News|
Monument First 5 Center To Host Open House Thursday
The center offers free classes and resources for parents with young children.

I grew up in the rural green belt of London, England where I fell in love with literature and literary history. During my undergraduate degree at the University of Kent in Canterbury, and namely an exchange year abroad at UCLA, that love for literature transitioned into a passion for journalism and California sunshine. I moved to Los Angeles in 2007 to pursue an MA degree in journalism at USC and continue a freelance career in multimedia storytelling. And I have never looked back.
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My experience includes local, national and international reporting for news outlets such as the LA Weekly, Southern California Public Radio and the New Zealand Herald Tribune. My fascination with hyper-local journalism spawned a thesis about the future of the industry (titled, Can Grassroots Journalism Help Underserved Communities?) and, in 2008, led me to help found a hyper-local website covering South Los Angeles. I was managing editor until early 2011, when Patch became my next adventure.
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Now I live in Concord with my husband, reading, writing, exploring the Bay Area and continuing to drink my tea with milk.
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Beliefs:
1. Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. - Plato.
2. Never discuss religion or politics at the dinner table.
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Politics: I am a registered Democrat with an open mind to all opinions and factual arguments. I believe that the mind should be a thoroughfare for all thoughts and not a select party.
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Religion: Non-denominational Christian, with an almost pantheistic love for the outdoors and a strong appreciation for being still (Psalm 46:10.)
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Local Hot-Button Issues: Social justice issues that affect quality of life or access to opportunities, including education, immigration, health care and social welfare.
The center offers free classes and resources for parents with young children.

The Perseid meteor shower is expected to bring a cascade of "shooting stars" to Concord skies.
The Perseid meteor shower is expected to bring a cascade of "shooting stars" to Pleasant Hill skies.
This meatless, dairy free Mexican favorite was prepared by a Concord restaurant. Do you know which one?
The Tom Petty tribute band performs from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. Aug. 15 as part of the Music and Market Series. There are two shows coming up before then.
The decline in 2013 is being attributed the arrest two suspected serial burglars.
Almost 200 girls from across the East Bay have pre-registered for this year’s soccer clinic on the Tesoro Soccer Fields Aug. 3.
The organization was unable to save Pleasant Hill's "dome" but hopes to support the preservation of the Winchester "dome" theaters in San Jose.
Minamoto has its grand opening event on Aug. 17 at Clayton Road and Treat Boulevard.
These "all-in-one" days for returning students and their parents provide information on new policies, teachers and PTA opportunities.
Did you snap a scene or memorialize a moment in Pleasant Hill this week? Publish your photos on Pleasant Hill Patch and share them with the community.
Did you snap a scene or memorialize a moment in Concord this week? Publish your photos on Concord Patch and share them with the community.
The commissioner would represent Valley View or Pleasant Hill Middle School. Applications are due Aug. 31.
Make hay while the sun shines and take a tour of a working farm near Concord. Here's a list of local opportunities for all the family.
Make hay while the sun shines and take a tour of a working farm near Pleasant Hill. Here's a list of local opportunities for all the family.
The application deadline for Robin Lane Apartments on Robin and Meadow Lanes is Wednesday, July 31.
The 14-year-old police dog served six years in the Concord Police Department.
An undercover operation ended with the arrest of 14 unlicensed contractors, including two in Pleasant Hill, who offered bids to state investigators posing as customers.
The sale takes place July 27 and 28 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Los Flores Avenue in Concord.