Lia Eustachewich, Patch Staff

Lia graduated from CUNY Baruch College with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in communications. Before becoming co-editor of Newark Patch, Lia had been the editor of Bloomfield Patch, which launched in November 2010.

She also worked at the New York Daily News for three years, covering high school sports, harness racing and serving as an overnight online news editor, with a stint as online sports editor during the New York Yankees' 2009 postseason.

Lia specializes in harness racing writing and, when not manning her Patch, can be found floating around the back paddock at the Meadowlands Racetrack or Yonkers Raceway.

Lia's work has appeared in the New York Daily News, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Harness Eye.

<b>My 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>

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

I&#39;m a registered Democrat but don&#39;t believe political affiliation is a hard and fast rule.

<b>Religion</b><br><i>How religious would you consider yourself?<br></i>

I&#39;m not religious but I believe a wide array of faiths make for a strong community.<b><br><br>Local Hot-Button Issues</b><i><br>What do you think are the most important issues facing Newark?</i>

I&#39;m interested to see what the city and residents are doing to help revive the business and real estate industries in the South Ward. Crime is another hot issue in that area, and I&#39;m looking forward to hearing from members of the community about their concerns. Education reform will play a significant role in the public schools located in the South Ward.