Email: jacob@patch.com
Phone: 847-204-1636 Hometown: North Miami Beach, FL Birthday: 1/15/88 Prior to becoming the Highland Park Patch editor, Jacob was a professional intern. He updated the movie times section of the Chicago Reader, took pictures and blogged for Time Out Chicago and, most recently, shot video and wrote for The Onion's A.V. Club Chicago. Originally from North Miami (about a twenty-minute drive from the Will Smith part of town), Jacob came to Chicago for the music scene, seasons, and public transportation that people actually use. He just graduated from Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern, and is excited that, for the first time in his life, the busy work he's doing is his own. 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'm open-minded to all points of view. Religion I'm Jewish by my own standards. I only go to synagogue for high holidays, but I eat at Once Upon A Bagel almost every week. Local Hot-Button Issues What do you think are the most important issues facing the community? Where to start. The first meeting I went to in Highland Park was the first Park District meeting held after the pension scandal broke. The meeting was packed, and though that initial crowd has dwindled the frustration is still there, almost two months later. Pensions aren't the only thing. At a time of economic hardship nationwide, the fate of the Highland Park movie theater, the high property taxes, and the high school's plans for renovations are all important issues for the community. Where do you stand on each of these issues? I'm joining the majority opinion in voicing my support for pension reform. However, I'm unsure where I stand on everything else. I've got a feeling it's going to take a few more months of going to meetings and talking to people before I make up my mind.