Zach Oliva, Patch Staff

 I most recently worked as a freelance reporter chasing stories all over southern New York. I graduated in 2009 with a degree in broadcasting from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and moved back to the area soon after.

I was born in San Diego, California but grew up in Orange County, N.Y. and recently moved to Sleepy Hollow. When not covering the news two things I enjoy are watching sports and reading.

<b>Beliefs </b><br><i>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 and human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal certain key beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. <br><br>This disclosure is not a license for our editors to inject these beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that our beliefs are on the record will force us to be ever mindful to write, report, and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you, the user, ever think you see evidence that we failed in this mission, we wholeheartedly invite you to let us know.</i><br><br><b>Politics</b>

<i>How would you describe your political beliefs?</i>

I grew up in a liberal leaning home but have recently started to lean toward to conservative end of the spectrum.  I am not a registered Republican or Democrat, so I guess you could say that I lie somewhere between the two sides.

<br><b>Religion</b>

<i>How religious would you say you are? Casual, observant, devout, non-religious?</i>

I am Catholic, but certainly not in the strictest sense. I do believe in a higher being, but do not attend mass on a regular basis.

<b>Local Hot Button Issues</b>

<i>What do you think are the most important issues facing the community?</i>

I have heard a lot of opinions on the budget and ways for the town to save some money in order to avoid property tax increases, so the budget is an important issue all year.

There is also great interest in local politics.

<i>Where do you stand on each of these issues?</i>

I am still relatively new to the community so I would hate to pass judgement without knowing the facts.