When the RSF Post was first launched in 2014 by local resident Nick Krnich, it was conceived not as a lifestyle circular or a public-relations echo chamber, but as a corrective to a civic imbalance: too much information – and therefore too much power – was being curated, filtered, and quietly monopolized by too few people. By encouraging voter registration and civic engagement, the RSF Post helped restore something essential to Rancho Santa Fe life: an informed electorate capable of weighing in thoughtfully on the candidates and issues shaping the Covenant.
As many of you know, the Post suffered a rather dramatic interruption in late 2023, when its content and format were lost and had to be rebuilt from the ground up – an experience I would not recommend, though it does build character. I returned to the editor’s chair at that point and, with the help of a small but formidable group of community members, reassembled an Editorial Board to help guide coverage that reflects the Ranch’s wide spectrum of views, sensibilities, and demographic realities.
It is now time for me to step back – at least from the day-to-day responsibilities as RSF Post Editor.
That said, my conviction that transparent, independent reporting on Association affairs is more necessary now than at any point in recent memory has not wavered. Between minimal member oversight of major capital expenditures, the steady advance of a high-density commercial development proposal, and a noticeable shift from member-driven governance toward staff-centric decision-making, our Covenant friends and neighbors deserve reporting that is accurate, persistent, and – ideally – unafraid of retaliation. When even the Rancho Santa Fe Review’s Karen Billings is barred from attending Art Jury meetings to report on Silvergate, one is forced to ask: if journalists aren’t in the room, who exactly is meant to be paying attention?
The RSF Post’s guiding principle has always been “For the community, by the community,” and that ethos feels less like a slogan and more like a civic requirement in the present moment.
I have greatly enjoyed reporting on the Covenant – a place I have called home since childhood, and one whose unique charm, history, and promise remain worth protecting. Rancho Santa Fe is, quite genuinely, a special place, and preserving what makes it so requires vigilance, engagement, and a willingness to read past the first paragraph.
I will, happily, continue to write for the Post. What I cannot do – at least for now – is carry the full editorial load. I am therefore asking Kelli Hillard, a periodic contributor and lover of all things Rancho, to step in my place and uphold the mission, vision, and values on which the RSF Post was founded twelve years ago. I am asking you, my longtime friends and neighbors, to support Kelli’s efforts and continue to submit articles on all things Rancho Santa Fe.
To preserve our pastoral Ranch, our community sometimes has to rally round each other, show up and speak out. As the only platform for and by the community, it’s what the Post has humbly attempted to achieve from its founding.
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Rachel Laffer is a longtime Covenant resident who has contributed to the RSF Post since its inception, including serving twice as its editor.