Best Of Patch 2021: 'Let's Help People'; Book Ban Questioned

ACROSS AMERICA — What makes a good local story?

In 2021, Patch helped communities across the country tell thousands of stories. Each focused on something different. The stories told tales of discovery, dissent and determination.

In Georgia, parents rallied for a new high school. In Maryland, an ancestry kit brought together strangers from the same family. And in Manhattan, a small group of people fought to protect a sacred space.

While each story was different, they all had something in common: Each defined your community. It showed us what makes it strong, where it might grow and introduced us to some of the people who call it home.

While it was nearly impossible to choose, here’s a small sampling of the best local stories published on Patch in 2021:

TX Anti-Abortion Leader Writes Ordinance For Manatee Politician

A director with Right to Life of East Texas and founder of the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn Initiative helped 39 cities across the United States pass ordinances outlawing abortions. Now, he’s focused on Manatee County, Florida, via Bradenton, Florida, Patch.

'No More Lipstick On A Pig': Sprayberry Parents Push For Rebuild

The Sprayberry community pushed the Cobb County School District in Georgia for a rebuild of Sprayberry High School to be included in a list of education sales tax projects. Two parents collaborated on the idea because they were frustrated with the school's "crumbling" state. Within a week, 1,500 community members rallied behind the parents. A week later, that number grew to 2,000, via Marietta, Georgia, Patch.

LGBTQ-Themed Books Removed From Fairfax County HS Libraries

Fairfax County Public Schools suspended circulation of two books in the libraries of high schools after community members complained about the sexual content of the books. Speakers told school board members the books describe pedophilia, although a review of the works showed no such content, via Falls Church, Virginia, Patch.

Mickey Mouse Is Runner Up For Mayor Of Hoboken, NJ

In Hoboken, New Jersey — a city of 53,000 people across the river from Manhattan — it's unprecedented in modern times to have an uncontested mayoral election. So, with only Mayor Ravi Bhalla running for re-election this past November, more than 600 voters had a little fun, writing in characters such as Mickey Mouse or celebrities instead, via Hoboken, New Jersey, Patch.

The Secret Lives Of Terrance O'Connor: One Family's DNA Discovery

A 23andMe kit ended up being nothing short of Pandora's box for two Maryland families who shared a grandfather from County Cork, Ireland. It brought together two families through Sarah Libby and Sarah O’Connor, neither of whom knew the other existed, via Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Maryland, Patch.

Essex County Clerk Explains 'Voting Anomalies' Found By GOP Group

A Republican civic group in Essex County had some serious questions for the county clerk's office about 2021 election results. But according to an official, there's a good explanation for the "voting anomalies" that the 100-year-old group saw online, via Montclair, New Jersey, Patch.

'Let's Help People': Brewery Offers Clean Water Amid Boil Order

When Plainfield, Illinois, officials issued a boil order after tests indicated E. coli bacteria in a water sample, people ran to the store and stocked up on bottled water. But with 600 gallons of clean, barreled water to spare at their brewery, Werk Force Brewing owners Brandon and Amanda Wright decided to do something to help out their fellow residents, via Plainfield, Illinois, Patch.

Amid Rise In Anti-Asian Hate, KTSF Keeps The Bay Area Informed

The headlines for the month of March on the website of KTSF, the Bay Area's Chinese-language news station, reveal a timeline of seemingly never-ending local incidents of violence against Asian Americans. Yet KTSF has been uniquely positioned to not only to speak to residents in their native language but also provide clear information and safety tips they may not have received otherwise, via San Mateo, California, Patch.

The Battle To Save A Sacred Indigenous Space In Inwood Hill Park

Isabel Amarante visits the Circle — an Indigenous Sacred Hoop — multiple times every week at its location in Inwood Hill Park. She has served as one of the quiet caretakers of the site for over a decade. One day, however, Amarante arrived at the Sacred Hoop to find a metal fence plunged into the dirt, splaying the twigs and shrubbery at its base, and physically stopping her from entering the space, via Washington Heights-Inwood Patch.

Lost Black Cemeteries: Sacred Spaces Ignored, Abandoned For Years

For decades, there has been no visible sign of the sacred spaces that were the last resting place of some Tampa area residents. The forgotten — some indigent, others with families who tried to keep their memories alive — share one common trait: They were Black Floridians devalued in the era of segregation, so parking lots and buildings were erected over their graves, via Clearwater, Florida, Patch.