I am the editor of Mission Viejo Patch. I'm going on seven years' experience reporting community news, and this will be my fifth year covering news in South Orange County. I started reporting on San Juan Capistrano, then Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo and Laguna Beach.  

Email

peter.schelden@patch.com

Phone

949-280-4719

Hometown

Boulder City, Nevada

Birthday

Dec. 8

Bio

I've lived in several cities in Southern California. At some time or another I've lived in Costa Mesa, San Clemente, Long Beach, Yucaipa, Escondido and Banning, and now I live in Mission Viejo. I spent 10 years in Nevada, too, and split my time pretty equally between the southern part of the state near Las Vegas and the more northerly quarters near Reno.

Reno is where I got my bachelor's degree, from the University of Nevada's Reynolds School of Journalism. Later I got a master's degree in English literature, with a focus on 18th-century British writing.

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.

Politics

How would you describe your political beliefs?

My politics are pretty complicated, and they've changed from time to time. When I was 18 I wasn't happy with either Democrats or Republicans, and I first registered to vote as a Libertarian. Some of the values of my youth are what directed me into journalism in the first place. I want to make sure people who hold power are responsible and ethical, and that they consider the needs of the people they serve before considering their own interests.

Now I'm an independent voter, and I've voted for candidates from both major parties at different times. The most important thing to me is that a political idea makes sense, does more good than harm, and helps improve society.

Religion

How religious would you consider yourself? 

I was raised in the Calvary Baptist tradition, which as a church is one of the many Orange County contributions to Protestantism. I'm tolerant of all religions, and have read bits and pieces of many of the major religious texts, including the Book of Mormon, the Bhagavad Gita, the Koran, the writings attributed to Confuscious and others. I'm most familiar with the Bible, though, and I'm especially interested in the history and culture within which its many books were written.

Local Hot-Button Issues

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

I know Mission Viejo's reputation as a safe city and a great place to raise a family has another side--and that's the political rancor sometimes stirred up here. To be perfectly honest, I'm not interested in joining sides on a debate about which tax dollars go where, or who gets what amenity in their park. I've spent half my life practicing objectivity as a political outlook.

I'll borrow from a thought attributed to Pyrrho, the ancient Greek philosopher: "One ought not to suppose that that which persuades us is true. For the same thing does not persuade everyone nor does it persuade the same people constantly."

Whatever the issue, I intend to represent it fairly and honestly.

Finally, a few words about my interests. I like to read and love following the news, so I guess I'm in the right profession. I also like to listen to music, enjoy good food and the company of friends, but who doesn't? Mostly I enjoy finding out what makes people tick. So that's my story. And if you have one to tell, I hope you'll share it with me.