E-mail: lorraine.swanson@patch.com
Hometown: I grew up in Des Plaines, Ill., and have lived and worked in the Chicago region my entire life.
Phone: 708-990-4905

Lorraine Swanson is the first member of her family to live south of Roosevelt Road since her grandmother stopped the rag man from whipping his horse in Gage Park in 1910.

She is a veteran community journalist, writing and/or editing weeklies for Lerner Newspapers, Pioneer Press and Chicago Journal. Most recently, Lorraine had her own community news site covering Chicago's Far North Side neighborhoods called Lake Effect News.

While working in journalism wasn't on her radar at the University of Iowa, where she was a member of the Undergraduate Writer's Workshop writing short stories about suburban angst, her  first job out of college was covering high school girls sports for the Des Plaines Suburban Times. There, she witnessed the beginning of the Mighty Macs' volleyball dynasty in her first and only stint as a sportswriter.

Lorraine loves community journalism and is delighted to be bringing Patch to Oak Lawn. No story is too small or inconsequential if it's important to local readers and something they should know about. She's looking forward to exploring Southland as Oak Lawn's newest resident and is grateful to the many warm and gracious neighbors she has already met for their kindness, particularly those who have explained to her that it's not "One-Oh-Four-Two-Seven S. Cicero Ave.," but "One-hundred-four-twenty-seven."

My Beliefs
At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. We also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. In the spirit of simple honesty, we encourage editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license to inject our beliefs into stories or dictate coverage according to them. Rather, we hope the knowledge our beliefs are on the record will cause us to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair and balanced manner. If you ever see evidence we failed in this mission, please let us know.

Politics
Like many Illinois residents, I'm troubled by the corruption in statewide and regional government. I believe in open and transparent government on all levels. There are too many barriers keeping honest and good people from running for elected office, campaign financing being one of them. I'm for reform of all kinds to bring better government back to the people, and not for the enrichment of political hacks and family dynasties. It's our government, not theirs.

Religion
I admire anyone, regardless of his or her religion, who has the gift of faith.

Local hot button issues
I've asked a few of the village's elected officials this question. The annual operating budget is an ongoing concern, the negotiation of water contracts, as well as labor contracts with the police and fire departments.

But you tell me. I love lingering after community meetings talking to residents. I know that a lot of you work during the day and can't always be chatting with a reporter on company time. I'm very approachable – and nice. You can e-mail or call me anytime, evenings and weekends too. And if you've grown a 200-pound pumpkin in your backyard, let me know so I can come over and take a picture of it to put on Patch, or better yet, upload a picture of it or any other large vegetable from your garden on Oak Lawn Patch. Pets wearing funny hats will work, too.