Christopher Carroll, Patch Staff

<b>Email: christopher.carroll&#64;patch.com<br> Phone: (203) 916-2579<br> Hometown; Milford, CT<br> Birthday: June 17</b>

My journalism career started in high school in Milford, continued at the University of Connecticut and my first full-time reporting job was at the <i>Willimantic Chronicle</i> while still an undergraduate. I am a longtime reporter and editor in southern Connecticut, starting with the Milford Citizen and Stratford Bard, where I was a beat and assignment reporter starting in 1979 through 1985. In January 1986, I joined Hometown Publications where I wrote for the Stratford Star soon after its launch and was editor of the Trumbull Times before being named executive editor at Hometown in August 1986. As such, I oversaw the entire editorial department and production of seven weekly newspapers. In 1997, I was a sections editor for the Bristol Press and was the executive editor at Housatonic Publications in 2000, a subsidiary of the Journal Register Co., before joining Patch in August 2010. <br> <br>

I was born and raised in Milford and attended the University of Connecticut in Storrs, graduating with a B.A. degree in History in 1980.

I am married to Debby Schneller Carroll, my Maple Street neighborhood sweetie, and we have five children -- Kelly, Kerrie, Katie, Kylene and William -- and three grandchildren -- David, Kylee and Brandon. My daughter, Kylene, 16 at the time, died in 2002 from complications of flu and we all miss her dearly.

For most of my journalistic career, I was a registered Independent who usually voted Democratic. Today, I am a registered Democrat who splits his ticket -- I would say 70-30% Democratic over Republican, although like many, I find myself becoming more conservative with age, which doesn&#39;t preclude being a Democrat as some on the far right might charge. However, I do believe that working within the system is the best way to stay involved and to bring about change when needed.  That said, the partisanship of party politics is not something I enjoy nor partake in. In that sense, I remain an Independent.

I was brought up Roman Catholic and today consider myself independently religious.

As a reporter and editor, I believe that one of my functions is to proactively report and monitor the activities of politicians and officials.  I like to write about politics, people, schools, the environment and town government.

In Stratford, hot button issues include the airport, Long Beach west, the high cost of housing, the high cost of providing a good public educational system, taxation issues, the high cost of health care and our aging population.