Meet Pittsburgh's New Patch Editor, North Hills

Welcome back to Patch, folks.

I’m the new field editor overseeing the relaunch of Patch’s efforts in the Pittsburgh region. Initially those efforts will focus on Patches in Baldwin-Whitehall, Cranberry, Dormont-Brookline, North Hills, Peters and Upper St. Clair.

Some of you might already know this, but for newcomers: Patch is a news and community platform that encourages user participation. I’ll provide stories I hope you find interesting and I hope you provide calendar events, civic organization news and any other information pertinent to your neighborhood. Click on this link and you’ll find just how easy it is to post on Patch.

The Patch canvas is large enough to paint a colorful and compelling picture of your communities. As field editor, I might hold the brush. But the vibrant hues needed to transform that blank space into an accurate and detailed portrait only can come from you — the people who care deeply about the turf where you live and/or work.

Not to be egomaniacal, but I thought I’d tell you a bit about myself so we can quickly begin forging a satisfying and symbiotic relationship. I’m a lifelong Pittsburgh resident. I’ve cheered on our Pirates, Steelers and Penguins in our stadiums and taverns and from the comfort of my living room recliner. I’ve dined in our Primanti Bros. restaurants pondering why they long ago decided to put coleslaw and fries on all of their sandwiches. I’ve sat in our car washes wondering if I made the correct decision to pay extra for the deluxe undercoat.

I have considerable experience as a newspaper reporter, columnist and editor. For nearly 17 years, I was a metro columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. My job often involved angering questionably competent public officials to the point where they probably prayed to pagan gods for a giant sinkhole to suddenly open and swallow me.

That didn’t happen, though I did leave the Trib last year about 30 seconds before the announcement that the paper’s print edition was folding. Now I’m at Patch to hopefully provide consistent delivery of high-quality, hyperlocal news.

Back to the portrait analogy: The palette is in your hands. So if you have a news tip, story idea or craft beer recommendation, don’t hesitate to email me at eric.heyl@patch.com. You can also call or text me at (412) 334-4033.

But let’s not go crazy. If you burn the roast you’re cooking in the oven for dinner but don’t have to call the fire department, don’t call me, either. You have higher priorities. Open the windows, air out the house and take the kids to Wendy’s. You can’t let them starve, you know.

Welcome back to Patch, folks. Keep the prayers to pagan gods to a minimum and I think we’ll get along just fine.

Here’s how to get connected with Patch:

Cranberry Patch
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Baldwin-Whitehall Patch
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Dormont-Brookline Patch
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North Hills Patch
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Peters Patch
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Upper St. Clair Patch
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Pittsburgh Photo by Always Shooting via Creative Commons.