Editor's Notebook: Patch Celebrates its 100th Site Launch

Danville Patch's birthday is Feb. 26, 2010, just one year after the first Patch sites launched in Maplewood, South Orange and Millburn-Short Hills, New Jersey.

Today, the 100th Patch community news and information site is launching in Morristown, New Jersey.

Danville Patch was the 37th Patch site and the first to launch in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is now among nine live Bay Area sites, 18 in California and 100 across nine states.

While the content of each site is as different as the towns, the mission is the same: To be the best possible source of local news and information.

Since the first Patch launched the sites have produced more than 55,000 stories.

Here are some of the top stories published on Danville Patch over the last five months.

March

On the evening of St. Patrick's Day, Patch received information that a Danville Cub Scout leader and resident, Michael Vawter, was arrested after child pornography was found on his work computer at his office in San Ramon. The next day, Patch was the first media outlet to report a statement from the Boy Scouts of America saying Vawter's membership in the organization was revoked. Vawter is set to appear in court Thursday for his preliminary hearing.

In high school basketball, Chris McNealy, who later committed to U.C. Irvine, took San Ramon Valley to the Northern California semifinals.

April

On April 28, more than 200 people in the San Ramon Valley joined together to . Fereira, or Chiefie, was 89-years-old and died on April 9. In 1963, the 43-year-old Fereira successfully urged the county board of supervisors to give him the go-ahead to establish the local fire protection district that is still running today.

May

Mayor Mike Doyle called to let me know that a 20-year-old Danville woman, Katie Fleming, was waiting to receive a double-lung transplant and that the community was joining together to raise money for her. I interviewed Fleming as she was waiting for her transplant. One week after our interview, she received the call that new lungs were available, and I updated readers about how she was doing. Some two months later, Fleming let me spend the afternoon with her and capture her "new life" on video.

The Monte Vista High girls lacrosse team repeated as North Coast Section champions with a 6-5 win against Amador Valley in the championship game.

June

On the evening of June 22, a fatal fire that began in the attic swept through a mansion in the gated community of Blackhawk, killing 19-year-old Benjamin Litman and sending his father, San Ramon physician Robert Litman, to the hospital. Nearly two months later, the firefighters who saved Dr. Litman were honored in a ceremony. On what would have been Benjamin's 20th birthday, we published a tribute to him written by his three older sisters.

San Ramon Valley High's Bobby Geren was drafted by the Oakland A's in the 36th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

July

Some 40,000 people from all across the Tri-Valley stepped out in red, white and blue to celebrate Independence Day in downtown Danville. Highlights included marching bands, classic cars, floats and Chinese dragon dancers. 

Danville Little League's 11-year-old All-Star team put together an amazing run as it repeated as Northern California champions.

August

Late on the evening of Aug. 15, 19-year-old Justin De Young of Alamo died when he fell off a moving SUV on Del Amigo and Glenn roads. The next day, Patch reported what happened as well as  memories from friends who remembered De Young for his "great heart."

After playing for the United State under-18 National Team during the summer, San Ramon Valley High left-handed pitcher John Hochstatter played in the Under Armour All-American game at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Patch Sports Editor for the East Bay, Kyle Bonagura, contributed to this report.