Grace Clark, Patch Staff

I am a native Californian and have lived out of state several times but always seem to make my way back 'home'. I grew up here in Southern California, as well as my children and now my grandchildren.

I moved back to Southwest Riverside  a little more than 2 years ago from Orange County and what a welcome relief to return to our nice friendly rural area. I don't miss the traffic jams or all the hustle and bustle. I think I've always been a country girl at heart.

I lived in the Temecula area back when my two boys were teens in high school and now I have three beautiful granddaughters in their teens and one who will be leaving to serve her country in the Air Force in January!

I began my journalism career with the Moreno Valley News as a rookie reporter and worked my way up the ranks to News Editor, Business Editor/Education Editor, as well as a continuing as a reporter covering city government, crime, schools and local features at various papers.

I also worked for local papers as a reporter and editor; Business Editor, reporter and columist for the Fallbrook Enterprise (now the North County Times)  and as Education Reporter for Temecula based Community News Network

For several years I branched off on my own as a business owner, with  an office in Tustin, fullfilling a dream of mine to have my own business.  I combined my graphic design and editorial skills together creating brochures, press releases and other custom designed pieces.  While I enjoy graphics and still do some on the side, writing has always been my first passion.

Recently I was able to return to that first love while working as a freelance reporter for SWRNN.com in Temecula and feel proud to be a part of this new launch of the Murrieta Patch, where education will be my main beat, as well as focusing on business, features and other local issues.

I think the days of the traditional print papers (I grew up with and wrote for) are numbered and online papers like the Patch are the newspaper medium of the future.

I feel the Murrieta Patch is a new and innovative approach to covering the local news and I am proud to be a part of it.