Celebrating One Year of Sierra Madre Patch

It’s hard to believe it’s been more than one year since we launched Sierra Madre Patch, but earlier this month we marched right past that milestone.

Over the past year we’ve seen tremendous growth in our readership, subscriptions to our daily emails, reader comments and news tips, our Local Voices initiative–and the list goes on.

But perhaps the greatest measure of our growth is the engagement of you, the residents of Sierra Madre, in everything you do. We couldn't have gotten this far without your contributions, comments, postings and feedback.

And while we’re definitely not stopping here, we thought we would take a moment to reflect back on some of the articles, issues and initiatives that have defined Sierra Madre over the past year.

Sierra Madre’s Police Union

Early on in our time in Sierra Madre Patch uncovered the fact that the Sierra Madre Police Officer’s Association was That story led the California Attorney General’s office to demand New Equity Productions--which was at the time contracting with hundreds of other police unions in California--either comply with regulations or cease operations in the state.

As we dug deeper into that story, we also uncovered a potential that could have caused the organization to lose its tax-exempt status.

The Water Rate Hike

As Sierra Madre’s City Council and residents debated the need for an increase in the city’s water rates, Patch was there with the latest news. From issued by , to our , to the eventual , and the and , Patch was there at every turn.

Arcadia Woodlands Destruction 

In early 2011, we teamed up with Arcadia Patch to provide some of the most comprehensive, of L.A. County Public Works’ just east of Sierra Madre. From the first day perched atop the oaks, to the destruction of the forest and, later, the lengthy . After reporters over access to the site, about how this injustice may have greased the skids for the highly unpopular tree clearing.

Solar Fees

More recently, Patch–with the help of the Sierra Club–reported that Sierra Madre’s . In this case, Patch’s reporting on the issue led directly to a by the Sierra Madre City Council.

Push for Public Documents

Earlier this year, seeing a need for more government openness in the digital age, we took it upon ourselves to ahead of each meeting. This resulted in the city's . And while the city’s plan is taking longer than expected to implement, Patch continues to publish these important public documents .

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