Miriam Finder, Patch Staff

<b>Bio </b>While growing up in Pittsburgh, PA, I always had a fondness for writing and sharing news and ideas with other people.  I became interested in journalism thanks to early exposure to National Public Radio and graduated with a journalism degree from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California. Over the past few years, I&#39;ve written for a variety of local news publications throughout the Los Angeles area. 

 I think hyper-local journalism is valuable and exciting work because it gives journalists and other community members the opportunity to come together to address important issues and tell the stories of people in their own towns.   

When I&#39;m not busy writing and reporting, I love to read and appreciate any book suggestions!  I also like being outdoors and enjoy hiking through all of the natural beauty in the Bay Area. I also love dance-both watching performances and taking classes at local studios. More than anything, I like spending time with my family and friends.

<b>Your Beliefs</b><br>&#34;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.&#34;<br><br><b>Politics </b><br>How would you describe your political beliefs?<br>I think it&#39;s important to carefully examine any political issue from all sides to determine what makes the most sense for the most people-- not just yourself.<br><br><b>Religion</b><br>How religious would you consider yourself? I was raised an observant Jew and still feel a strong connection to the Jewish faith.

<b><br>Local Hot-Button Issues</b><br>What do you think are the most important issues facing the community?

<b>High Speed Rai</b><b>l</b>: Whether an aerial structure will cut through downtown Burlingame on its way from San Francisco to San Jose is a major issue. In addition to hurting business during construction, residents do not want the equivalent of an elevated freeway dividing their town. Although there have been many letters and protests written, Burlingame residents feel as though the California High Speed Rail Authority is more or less ignoring their concerns.

I believe that the issues brought up by Burlingame residents should be more deeply considered by the CAHSRA. It does seem as though they are not fully examining alternative routes or underground or trenched tracks in their interest to procure funding as quickly as possible.

<b>New vs. Old on Burlingame Ave.</b>: Many residents are upset by the appearance in recent years of more and more brand name stores along Burlingame Avenue. They dislike these national stores forcing out Mom and Pop shops that can no longer afford the steep rent. Some say this trend is taking away from the small-town feel Burlingame is known for.

I think that there is still a small-town feel to Burlingame. Residents, city officials and merchants should work together to come a compromise that will make the most people happy.