• Kate SpirgenPatch Staff Verified Patch Staff Badge

  • Westlake, OH

<b>Email:</b> kate.spirgen&#64;patch.com

<b>Phone:</b> 440-497-7305

<b>Hometown:</b> Lakewood, Ohio

<b>Birthday:</b> May 21

<b>Bio: </b>Kate Spirgen comes from the world of print journalism to join the online community of Patch.com. She is excited to bring all the news that&#39;s fit to print to Westlake&#39;s own interactive grassroots website.

Kate discovered a passion for writing at an early age when she began writing short stories. She moved around a lot as a kid from Los Angeles to New York to Connecticut back to California, and finally to Ohio where she came to love the friendly and down-to-earth nature of the Midwest.

Growing up, Kate wanted to be a veterinarian, but soon realized that profession was out of the question since the mere sight of blood makes her queasy.

She went to college in Montreal, Canada where she earned a bachelor&#39;s degree in art history and anthropology. As a sophomore, she joined her campus paper where she quickly came to love the fast-paced and constantly changing environment of the newsroom. Motivated by the mission to educate the student body about issues of education, civil rights and school funding, she quickly developed a nose for news and an understanding of the importance of differing viewpoints.

After a year as a reporter, she became a news editor and later a managing editor, helping to steer the paper to independence from the students&#39; society.

She worked for a few years at the Sun News once she graduated, covering the western suburbs and writing a column. She gained an appreciation for community journalism and is excited about the opportunity to engage Westlake&#39;s citizens in local issues from school levies to food drives.

Kate now lives in Lakewood where she spends her free time at the local coffee shops (the darker the brew the better!), reading novels and cooking up a storm. She also enjoys exploring the Cleveland Museum of Art as well as nearby art galleries and the local music scene.<br> <br> <b>Your Beliefs</b><br> 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> <b>Politics </b><br> Although I don&#39;t align myself with any particular political party, I would say that I have liberal leanings. I believe strongly in the importance of personal freedoms, social equality and fiscal responsibility. Voting is a responsibility that I take very seriously and I strive to educate myself on the issues rather than follow party lines.

<b>Religion</b><br> I was raised in a Lutheran household, but respect any and all religious traditions. That being said, I do not subscribe to any spiritual or religious beliefs.

<b>Local Hot-Button Issues</b>

The Westlake City Schools are in desperate need of updated and expanded facilities to improve the learning environment for students. The recent passage of a bond issue to improve school buildings should help alleviate overcrowding and provide a warm, safe and dry environment for Westlake&#39;s students.

Development is often an issue of contention in Cleveland&#39;s suburbs, but Westlake is a lucky city that still has room to grow and attract stable businesses.

The new form county government is a point of concern for all western suburbs and we will be following the issues closely as events unfold.

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