Why Patch?

At first, I thought the woman was fawning.

It was during a conversation I'd half-heard during a recent meet-and-greet with the new school superintendent of District 97.

She was going on and on about Oak Park, about what a truly great place it is and how there's no place in the world like it.

I'm a pretty skeptical guy, so I thought maybe she was kissing up to an official who might have been her new boss.

Then it struck me that she wasn't kidding.  This conversational love song about her town was genuine. She was positively beaming about everything Oak Park -- about the village, the people, the schools, the teachers and the students.

And it is a nice place, this diverse, urban, responsible community. People flock here because of those values. From what I can tell, residents stay because they want to see that realization through.

Over the past few months, I've been lucky enough to see it first hand as I've been shown around Oak Park and River Forest.

I've quietly walked through some of the ornate churches and expansive parks, marveled at the local history and admired homes that I could only dream of living inside.

So many people are committed to making this community thrive. There are dedicated bloggers, columnists, artists, stay-at-home parents, bakers, coaches, students, cheesemongers, tweeters, small business owners, clergy, faculty -- you name it.

Everyone's got something to say about these towns. One of the goals at Patch is to bring that conversation online.  After all, it's your site, and we pledge to make the interactive part simple and easy.

We know there are other choices to get your local news and views, and that's great. The more voices, the better.  We'll provide links to them and hope they'll return the favor.

But our mission is clear: We're going to be a turn-to source for news and information about Oak Park and River Forest.

Breaking news? We'll be there. New business in town? Check. Feature story about a program looking for volunteers? Covered.

And don't miss our robust events calendar, where you can find out everything that's happening around town. We've also worked hard to bring you a comprehensive directory of local businesses and organizations, all of which are up for review by you.

Even if you're getting married, having a baby, earning a promotion or simply just throwing a big party, we have a place where you can announce that, too.  

The Oak Park-River Patch even has places for would-be volunteers looking to donate their time. Likewise for organizations looking for volunteers.

So, kind of like the residents of Oak Park and River Forest, we at Patch are proud of what we've built. I'm proud of the people who've helped build it and the journalists who are working hard to see it succeed.

Finally, a sincere thanks to everyone who has kindly welcomed me here.