Basics:
Liz is a Beach Cities native, having grown up in South Redondo and now living in Manhattan Beach. Her first foray into Hermosa Beach was as a toddler when she and her mom attended a pre-school in either the Rotary or Kiwanis building above Valley Park. She remembers using the park as the play yard for the school and enjoyed doing so tremendously. She also remembers, when a young girl, sitting in the first few rows of the seemingly cavernous auditorium/theater on Pier Avenue with a neighbor boy to watch Jim Gamble and his puppets perform and running back a few rows to her mom crying when the puppets frightened her. Other Hermosa Beach memories include girl scout outings in Valley Park cooking s-mores, when her older brother, who surfed, did Jr. Lifeguards and played sports, moved to a grungy bachelor's unit on The Strand in South Hermosa. His patio fronted the sand and sea and she was fortunate to spend many days plopped there basking in the sun and Strand action. It was during this time that she discovered Mickey's Deli, still there and still going strong. She graduated from Cal State University Long Beach with a bachelors degree in journalism, after receiving an associates degree in journalism from San Diego City College. She has worked for the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, the Daily Breeze, Mattel, Inc., RAND Corporation and Music Rhapsody. Her freelance stories have appeared in the Daily Breeze, The Beach Reporter, Palm Springs Life magazine, Life After 50 magazine and Patch. E-mail: Liz.Spear@patch.com Phone: 310-435-6010 Welcome to Manhattan Beach Patch. Follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Hometown: Manhattan Beach, CA Birthday: April 1 Bio: I grew up on Avenue D in South Redondo Beach and have been a a Manhattan Beach homeowner for the past 15 years. I received my bachelor's degree in journalism from Cal State University Long Beach after attending San Diego City College, where I earned an associate degree in journalism. I also attended El Camino College. I was the MVP of the Redondo Union High School girls basketball team all four years I played and league MVP my senior year. Redondo Union did not have a basketball team when I was to beginmy freshman year , however, because my mom said they should field a team or I would go to Mira Costa High School, Redondo began its basketball legacy. Throughout my childhood, my grandma lived two blocks up the street and my aunt and cousins across the street. My grandma was my favorite person in the world. I spent lots of time at her house, playing piano, spending the night, playing card games, watching great TV shows, talking, sharing our experiences and being loved. My mom, who had been a physical education teacher before staying home to have and raise kids, encouraged me to play sports and was a strong supporter of my efforts. I played baseball/softball, soccer and basketball and took tennis and piano lessons. Beliefs: 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. 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. Politics ▪    How would you describe your political beliefs? I believe in people and in helping people. I lean a bit to the left but am open to hearing everything. I watch Fox News. Religion ▪   How religious would you say you are? Casual, observant, devout, non-religious? I'm not religious, I'm spiritual. Local Hot Button Issues ▪   What do you think are the most important issues facing the community? I think money for public schools is huge. Manhattan Beach takes great pride in its school system. I also think that dealing well with new homes and commercial projects is important to help MB retain its small-town flavor. Balancing growth that is inevitable with the needs of long-time residents is key.