I attended my first press conferences with the City of La Verne two weeks ago during the Weymouth Water Treatment Plant lithium-ion battery fire.

I was the reporter, photographer, videographer, editor, publisher, and social media manager for La Verne Daily News.

There was one problem: I couldn’t find my tripod before I left home.

So, I had to think like MacGyver.

I found myself kneeling on the ground next to a broadcaster with one of those enormous cameras on an equally enormous tripod, wondering whether I could prop my cell phone against my backpack and somehow make it work.

Luckily, a City employee came over. When I mentioned my missing tripod, she suggested using a trash can—and then dragged one over for me.

I placed my backpack on top of it and propped up my phone, with its audio connector attached, against the bag.

It worked beautifully.

Then I remembered that I needed to place my tiny microphone on the podium.

Next to the microphones from the television stations, mine looked almost comically small. Their equipment—and their presence—made me feel small, too.

But then I remembered something important: I will still be here after the television crews and reporters from other outlets have left and moved on to the next emergency.

I will still be here to ask questions.

Because when you live here, the story doesn’t end when the cameras leave. You still need answers about what happened, what it means for your family and what comes next.

And I will be here to report those stories. There will be plenty of stories to tell—about what happened, how decisions were made, what we learned, and what comes next.

That is the role of a community journalist. It isn’t always about having the biggest camera, the biggest microphone, or the biggest platform.

Sometimes it really is just one person, one tiny microphone and a phone propped against a backpack on top of a trash can.

Covering the battery fire drove home for me why La Verne needs someone here who knows the community, listens to residents and keeps asking questions after the immediate emergency has passed.

Your direct messages, emails and texts helped guide that work. Thank you for sharing your concerns, trusting my reporting and helping your neighbors stay informed.

I want to keep doing this for years to come. And that means building a publication that can pay for the reporting—including my time.

The news is free. Reporting it isn’t.

That’s why I’m working to raise $50,000 by Dec. 31 to keep La Verne informed in 2027. As La Verne Daily News approaches its first birthday, your support can help give it a second.

You’re helping fund someone who makes the calls, sends the emails, requests the records, and follows up. Someone who covers City Hall, our schools, local businesses, and the emergencies we hope won’t happen—but need reliable information about when they do.

If my reporting has helped you understand what’s happening in La Verne, I hope you’ll consider making a one-time or monthly contribution.

My microphone may be tiny, but my commitment to this community is strong. Your support helps turn that commitment into another year of independent local news.

News you can trust because I live here too.