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Did You Miss These Must-Read September Stories?
A new Aptos restaurant was top news in Mid-County last month.

Jennifer Squires has lived in Santa Cruz County for more than seven years. An Oregon native, she studied journalism, Spanish and ethics at Southern Oregon University. She's worked for several small, community newspapers and also was editor of the SOU weekly newspaper for two years. Most recently, she was the crime reporter at the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Along the way, she's won awards for reporting on schools, wildfires and a grisly tale about the beheading of an Abraham Lincoln statue in a city park.
My 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
I am my father's daughter and, therefore, a registered Democrat. But I respect a wide range of views and hope that our elected leaders can find a balance between what's best for personal liberty, living-wage jobs and environmental sustainability.
Religion
I was baptized in an Episcopal church before I could walk but don't consider myself religious.
A new Aptos restaurant was top news in Mid-County last month.

A sex crime arrest, a gunpoint heist and a Sierra LaMar-inspired son all made the list of most-read stories in Gilroy last month.
The teachers-school district contract negotiations stalemate was top news last month in Watsonville.
New laws impacting undocumented workers, a DUI crash that closed Lockwood Lane overnight and a new dance studio in town were among the best-read stories in Scotts Valley last month.
There were more than 1,000 federal employees in Santa Cruz County last year.
There were more than 1,000 federal employees in Santa Cruz County last year.
There were more than 1,000 federal employees in Santa Cruz County last year.
There were 9,772 federal employees in Santa Clara County last year.
The two-month-old shepherd mix was returned unharmed to the Santa Cruz SPCA.
The two-month-old shepherd mix was returned unharmed to the Santa Cruz SPCA.
Performances will be at Park Hall in Ben Lomond for this show.
Another vehicle involved in the wreck crashed into a taxidermy office.
He also took cash and a cell phone; deputies later arrested him.
The two-month-old shepherd mix was returned unharmed to the Santa Cruz SPCA.
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage's Gilroy office put on the event; you can still contribute by purchasing a raffle ticket.
Here's the winning recipe from this year's County Fair.
Here's the winning recipe from this year's County Fair.