DG Patch Promises All Local News, All the Time

Long before I signed on as editor of the new Downers Grove Patch, I was a first-time homeowner, new mom, preschool volunteer, church vestry member, PTA secretary, weekly newspaper columnist and blogger—all here in Downers Grove.

Downers Grove is where we settled in 1994 and where we've stayed.  The reason is simple: We love it here. Downers Grove has friendly residents, good schools, responsible government, picturesque neighborhoods and a vibrant downtown. Now it has one more advantage: a news source that is all Downers Grove, all the time.

Downers Grove Patch is your 24/7 online newspaper for everything Downers Grove. From businesses and restaurants to churches and schools, government offices, parks, local institutions—you name it, it's all here in the Downers Grove Patch directory.

But that's only the beginning. Downers Grove Patch will feature news you care about and information you need. There will be stories about schools, village government, community groups, sports, local personalities and volunteer opportunities. Many of them will make you smile, some of them might make you angry, but all of them will aim to increase your awareness and understanding of some aspect of our community.

And if you have something to add—whether an announcement, a volunteer opportunity, a comment or an opinion—you can post it at Downers Grove Patch. Because that's what a community does: it discusses, it debates and it shares information.

This wasn't always as easy as pushing the send button. When I was in journalism school in the post-Woodward and Bernstein era, newspapers printed only as much news as fit, photographs were few and far between, and only a few square inches were allotted to readers via Letters to the Editor.

As an online community newspaper, Downers Grove Patch has none of those limitations. Stories can be published any time. They can be updated as often as necessary and readers can weigh in at their convenience to challenge, comment on or add to anything that is written.

You can also email or call me at any time to suggest a story, discuss our coverage or share a tip.

So that is how we'll begin: Sharing our stories of the place we call home, exchanging our views and perspectives, and coming together as a community here at Downers Grove Patch.