• Mike RussoPatch Staff Verified Patch Staff Badge

  • Malverne-Lynbrook, NY

<b>Email:</b> Michaelr&#64;patch.com<br><b>Phone:</b> (516) 491-0114<br><b>Hometown:</b> Valley Stream<br><b>Birthday:</b> Dec. 30<br><b>Welcome Video:</b> http://patch.com/A-3bJ<br><b>Twitter:</b> LynbrookPatch

Having lived in the area for most of my life, I was very excited to come on board as the editor of Lynbrook Patch.

One of the perks of being a community news editor is meeting and conversing with so many different people, all with their own unique opinions, interests and talents.

Before joining Patch, I worked for two and a half years as the editor of the Baldwin Herald with Richner Communications. During that time, I reported on schools, local government, elections, residents, and more — learning a lot about what people have come to expect from community news publications.

I studied journalism at Nassau Community College and SUNY Old Westbury, where I received a degree in Media and Communications.

When I&#39;m not compiling stories, I enjoy writing on my own, watching/playing hockey, reading, and kicking back with some Playstation 3.   <br><br><b>Your 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 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.<br><br></i><b>Politics </b><i><br>How would you describe your political beliefs?</i> One group will never be right about everything all the time, so I choose not to identify with one political party. I like to think of myself as a rational thinker, therefore I always keep an open mind. But I will say that politics, especially these days, always makes for a good story. <br><br><b>Religion</b><br><i>How religious would you consider yourself?</i> I am not religious, though I do celebrate Christmas and Easter with my family. <br><b><br>Local Hot-Button Issues</b><br><i>What do you think are the most important issues facing the community? Where do you stand on each of these issues?</i> Property taxes. Homeowners pay more and more each year, it seems. On the one hand, the money helps support education, music programs and sports teams in the schools, which is wonderful. But, especially during the economic recession, we have to be careful not to tax out our residents. I think residents and local politicians need to continue to fight for additional state aid for schools, which would likely lessen the burden on taxpayers.

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