Email chrish@patch.com
Phone 617-680-5155
Hometown Wingate, North Carolina
Birthday Dec. 16, 1969
Bio: I joined Patch in July 2010 as founding editor of Jamaica Plain Patch in Boston. I have 17 years of experience as an editor and reporter. Before joining Patch, I edited the Watertown TAB & Press and the Cambridge Chronicle.

In November 2012 I moved to Salem to become manager of a group of Patch sites on the North Shore.

I speak Spanish, learned mostly from Mexican telenovelas and a college semester in Seville, Spain. I freelanced for the Spanish-language newspaper Siglo 21 when I first moved to Boston 11 years ago.

I'm a proud expatriate North Carolinian who grew up in a small college town east of Charlotte. I live on Buffum Street in Salem with my wife, Jane; our dog, Molly; and our cat, Carlos. Appropriately for Salem, he is a black cat.

If I don't already know you, I look forward to meeting you around Salem and the rest of the North Shore!

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.

Politics

As far as ideals, I'm a democratic socialist. In practice, I'm an unenrolled voter who mostly votes for Democrats. However, I did once vote for a Republican, so I like to think I keep an open mind.

Religion

I'm an atheist. I prefer the term "naturalist," since I see my lack of belief in the supernatural as a positive. I respect people who believe otherwise, however, and think religious institutions do a great deal of good.

Local Hot-Button Issues

In Salem, redevelopment of the power plant is perhaps the single biggest issue facing the city. On the North Shore as a whole, balancing the need for growth and good jobs while protecting our natural beauty is a top priority.