Updated: 2:10 p.m. It's June, which means most of us have made a dent in our spring cleaning—which also means garage and yard sale season is in full swing. Here at Patch we pride ourselves on local, useful information. That includes which residents are have books for a bargain, a dresser in their driveway or some clothes laid out on the lawn. (And for those who pay close attention to village ordinances concerning the posting of signs for yard sales, it looks like they will also be allowed on Mondays following holiday weekends.) Posting your garage sale on Downers Grove Patch is easy and, even…

As the Oprah Winfrey show end its 25-year run today, my thoughts go not to the bereft fans who will have nowhere to turn at 9 a.m., but to the show's staffers. Will each of them walk out of Harpo Studios with a fat bonus check, or maybe even the keys to a new car? Will they go on on to bigger and better jobs—and on talk shows or news shows? I've always been an antennae for reports about how Oprah treats her staffers because I had a glancing chance to become one back in 1990. My husband and I had just returned to Chicago from the East and I was looking for a job. I had been doing a lot of …

Downers Grove Patch has been live for 10 months and in that time we've constantly evolved as a news and information site written by staff and freelancers, with plenty of comments from readers. Beginning May 4, we're adding another way for you to share your thoughts and opinions: Blogs. Patch's new community blogging platform will serve as a virtually water cooler where readers share their opinions, expertise and passions. As a Patch blogger, you get to choose the topic you want to discuss. Your blog will be whatever you wish to make it, and you will be able to contribute on your timetable, …

Now available in the Apple app store, the free Patch application for iPhone launched last week, giving Downers Grove readers a way to stay connected with their community—and even change sites with ease to check out what’s happening in nearby Patches. The app is also available on the iPod Touch (third and fourth generation) and iPad. And if you’re an Android user, there’s no need to feel left out: an Android version will soon debut. Patch app features include: The Front 5, allowing users to quickly access the most relevant stories of the day The weather report and forecast Community news, …

AOL, the parent company of Patch, announced an agreement to acquire The Huffington Post, a news, commentary and lifestyle website founded in 2005, and one of the fastest-growing web properties on the Internet. AOL is acquiring The Huffington Post for $315 million, with approximately $300 million coming from cash on hand. The combined companies will have 117 million monthly unique visitors in the U.S. and 270 million worldwide, based on December numbers from comScore. AOL said the transaction will create a new way for people to get local and global information in a timely and entertaining way…

When Downers Grove Patch launched 12 weeks ago, I warned friends and contacts that it would be a work in progress for some time to come. That work continues. There is much more that I, as editor, want this site to be. I want it to be an indispensable source of timely local coverage, including stories you won't find anywhere else. And I want it to be a virtual community that is an extension of our thoughtful, interesting and active town. Unlike old media, Patch considers readers to be active participants in posting, commenting, following and generating the news. There are lots of ways to do …

"Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays."  Remember that old Perry Como Christmas song? If you spend enough time in shopping malls this month, you'll undoubtedly hear it. Maybe one reason that song is still around is because there really is no place like home, especially during this time of year. For most of us, being home with family and friends, doing for others and giving instead of getting is what the holiday season is all about. And because Patch is all about Downers Grove, it seemed important to reflect this aspect of our community throughout the month of December. You may …

Q: Where can you go to ask questions specific to life in Downers Grove? A: The new Q&A tab on this site's navigation bar. Patch launched the new feature today to enable anyone in the community to ask their neighbors for advice on the best way to dispose of fall leaves, the stories behind the names of local institutions or anything else you're interested in or curious about. And if you know the answer to a question posted, you're invited to post that, too. Q&A is designed to be a place for Downers Grove residents to exchange information, offer advice and tips, or share opinions on local issues…

 Downers Grove Patch has been live only five days and already the questions are coming in from readers who want to know how best to use the site. That's a key advantage of an online news source: Readers aren't just passive consumers of the product, but also active participants in making it what they want and need it to be. There are several areas where readers can interact with Patch, so let's take them one by one: * Events. Prior to the launch of Patch, I worked to gather as many upcoming events as possible for the site. Calendar Editor Howard Hoffman and I will continue to do that, but …