Editor's Notebook: Patch Celebrates its 100th Site

Now there are 100 of us.

Patch, a growing network of community news sites, is hitting a major milestone Tuesday: the debut of the 100th site, this time in Morristown, NJ.

In just 18 months, Patch has taken root in nine states, and the seeds are being planted for many more around the country. Now owned by AOL, the company was founded in February 2008. It launched its first three sites a year later in New Jersey suburbs not far from Patch's New York headquarters.   

Redondo Beach Patch debuted in April. In our short existence, we have covered all manner of stories near and dear to residents of our city: redevelopment of the harbor, the future of the AES power plant and even the right to bear arms in public places.

The beach plays a big role in our community and in our coverage. We have reported on beach volleyball, lifeguard competitions and prospecting for buried treasure in the sand. Wave Rider Tori MacLennan has been filing regular dispatches about returning to surfing after an eight-year hiatus.  

It hasn't been all fun in the sun: We also covered the city's belt-tightening and the temporary closure of Seaside Lagoon due to safety concerns. Columnists Harry Munn and Joe Galliani haven't been shy about suggesting ways the city might improve. 

Collectively, Patch sites have published more than 55,000 articles and nearly 1 million photos devoted to local news coverage.

In honor of today's milestone, we put together a gallery of memorable photos from Redondo Beach Patch. Please take a look -- and let us know what we can do to improve in the future.