Email: debbie.sklar@patch.com

Phone: 949/201-0330

Bio: If my name sounds familiar in these parts, it is.

I've been in the area covering our fair city of Laguna Niguel for almost 20 years and enjoying every moment. From fun features and a weekly column about our "Neighbors," maybe I've written about you, too. If I haven't, please let me know! I'd love to give you your 15 minutes of fame.

In addition, I have been a journalist for close to three decades covering a diverse range of topics ranging from telecommunications trends to travel destinations and international celebrities.

A Michigan native, I graduated from the Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. I went on to work on my Master's at our rival, the University of Michigan. After graduating, I landed a number of internships for some of Detroit's largest and most prestigious magazines including Detroit Monthly, where I reported on local celebrities and many of the Detroit Pistons.  After several years of reporting and writing for the Detroit News, the Detroit Jewish News, the Detroit Free Press and other publications including wire services such as the Associated Press and Reuters, I became a lifestyles editor and columnist for a chain of weekly newspapers with a combined circulation of 600,000.

In the late 1990s, I was headhunted by one of Arizona's daily newspapers, the Daily News-Sun, and accepted the position of staff writer.  My career progressed dramatically and after 1 year, I became the Editor-in-Chief of Arizona Homes & Lifestyles magazine, writing about such luminaries as best-selling author, Clive Cussler, cartoonist Bill Keane of the Family Circus fame and the late columnist, Erma Bombeck. After a few years of the heat, I decided I needed to move onto bigger and cooler things.

I arrived in Southern California in 1997 and began working as a magazine editor for a global publishing company. I covered high-tech issues, reported on Dot-com companies, telephone carriers and the wireless industry for 4 years earning some writing  awards along the way, all while building a freelance success.

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to write articles from Coast-to-Coast for such publications as Bob Vila.com, the Los Angeles Times, Time, USA Today, People, OC Register, Celebrity Life Magazine, National Enquirer, Star, DIY.com, Doctor of Dentistry-LA, and various real estate trade publications. 

When I'm not working, I'm busy writing a novel about a former Warner Bros. starlet who grew up right here in Laguna Niguel, by the name of Beverly Roberts. Sadly, we lost her recently, but the hours I spent with her are forming the pages of a wonderful bio that I hope to have finished in 2011.

I also love to play golf and spend time chasing my Shih Tzu, Gabrielle, around who is appropriately nicknamed "Gabby."

I am looking forward to covering Laguna Niguel from all sides of the spectrum.

Our Mission at Patch:

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.

Politics

How would you describe your political beliefs?

It depends on if I listened to Rush Limbaugh that day.

Religion

How religious would you consider yourself?

I consider myself spiritual but not very religious.

Local Hot-Button Issues

What do you think are the most important issues facing the community? 

Declining business in Laguna Niguel due to the slumping economy, the endless array of foreclosures and whether our city really needs a multi-billion dollar city hall minus a courthouse.