Email: larry.smith@patch.com
Phone:  860-422-5959 Hometown: Chicago, Ill. Birthday: February 2 Larry Smith graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in journalism. While in college he was a reporter, editorial page editor, managing editor and editor in chief of the college paper, Daily Eastern News. He did internships at the Rockford Register Star in Rockford, Illinois, and the Indianapolis Star in Indiana. He worked as a reporter for the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights, Illinois for nine years and the Hartford Courant for 11 years. He has freelanced for the Courant and the Associated Press, and has written and taken photographs for Prospect magazine in Hartford. During his tenure at the Hartford Courant, Larry covered East Windsor, Windsor Locks, Suffield, Enfield and criminal courts. Larry is an avid photographer, who has traveled around the country and overseas to take pictures, and has a part-time portrait business as well. He's a foodie who loves to cook. He played flute in high school and college bands and still can't imagine a day without listening to music. Larry has a pet cat he rescued when it showed up as a two-month-old kitten at his former employer's office in Enfield. He grew up on the South Side of Chicago and commits heresy by being mostly a Cubs fan.  He is a devoted fan of the Chicago Bears and shares a birth date with Bears' founder George Halas. Politics I am an unaffiliated voter. I find faults in both major parties and have voted for candidates in each.  During my career I have known and covered good and bad people in both major parties. I try to always vote in elections because I believe too many people have died in the U.S. and overseas for us to have that right. I base my votes on the candidate's stands on issues and experience. Religion I was baptized a Baptist when I was young and attended Catholic school for seven years. I don't attend church but do consider myself mostly a Christian. Local Hot-Button Issues The big issues in both towns continue to be local governments having to do businesses under challenging financial conditions. From schools to police and fire, and other municipal services, East Windsor and Windsor Locks folks have to decide what services residents want and how to fund them with decreasing revenue.