Toniann Antonelli, Patch Staff

Toniann is an award-winning journalist who studied English/Journalism and Media Arts at New Jersey City University. For more than 13 years, she worked as a reporter, editor and regional editor for Union County LocalSource, a publication of Worrall Community Newspapers. In 2000, Toni took a one-year hiatus from journalism to travel the country with her husband in a tractor-trailer. She's planning to write a book about her experiences on the road.

Upon returning to the newsroom, she interviewed several celebrities, prominent polticians and professional athletes. She has won more than a dozen New Jersey Press Association awards for categories ranging from breaking news, design and opinion writing to features and First Amendment.

When she's not covering news in Cranford, Toni, a die-hard NY Yankees fan, spends time at the gym taking zumba and weight-lifting classes, cooking and collecting signed sports memorabilia.

<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 <br></b>How would you describe your political beliefs?<br>It depends on the issue.

Are you registered with a certain party?<br>I am.

<br><b>Religion</b><br>Catholic, although I have attended Christian services in various churches and sang in a gospel choir.

<b><br>Local Hot-Button Issues</b><br>What do you think are the most important issues facing the community?<br>Property taxes, redevelopment of the Birchwood Avenue property and flooding have been long-standing issues in town, but residents are also passionate about their schools.