Today on Arlington Heights Patch: New Boards and a New Look

Hello!

For those of you I haven’t met yet, I am Melanie Santostefano, your Arlington Heights Patch Local Editor, and I want to welcome you to the new Patch-yes, it’s finally here! I think it is great for many reasons, and I believe you will enjoy it as well!

First of all, I think the site looks livelier, and better represents Arlington Heights. See that big photo on the top banner? That’s the corner of Campbell and Vail - located right near the heart of downtown. And Banta House in the picture that goes along with this article - located at the corner of Euclid and Vail. Nathanial Banta, who lived much of his life in the village which was previously called Dunton, was described in his obituary as, “a leader in almost every activity of a community nature in Arlington Heights". 

But pictures and scenes of the village aren't the only thing that are better about Patch. Now our news looks better, is easier to comment on, and is easier to share.

And right below the news on the homepage you’ll see Local Voice blogs, where we can showcase more town voices and get a view of what’s happening beyond the news. Plus, we’ve made it easier to start a blog yourself -- anytime, on just about anything.

And speaking of reader voices, the freshest thing you’ll find on the new Patch are our Boards. The Boards are a totally open place on Patch where you can post Announcements about anything you want -- lost cats and dogs, school plays, wedding announcements, fundraisers, current events, or that strange thing you saw earlier in the day. If it's very strange, I just might follow up on it! 

There’s an Opinion Board -- because everyone in town has one, so why not put it all in one place? The Buy/Sell/Trade Board is where you can post your garage sale and get rid of the stuff that’s taken over your basement.  And for our business community, there’s a Board for Business Updates -- a dedicated spot for business owners to post news about sales, specials, openings and closings.

Arlington Heights Patch is all about the Arlington Heights community -- living our best lives in town, and making it better for ourselves and our families. So please, tell us what you think of the new Patch in the Opinion Board, or through the feedback form.

I look forward to seeing you around town, and I can’t wait to hear from you!