8 Meaningful Stories and Features in Our First Year

Choosing to run this site was not an easy decision to make.

Patch was a new entity. Some people made unpleasant observations about working there. But after looking through the comparably few sites at the time – about 30 in April 2010 – I noticed a key element that sealed the deal for me.

I knew of a newspaper that talked about creating a database for the community; online yellow pages that went beyond phone numbers and addresses. Three years later that newspaper has yet to make any move toward such an addition. Patch had the Places directory online from its inception in 2007, exactly around the time the newspaper was talking about it.

The directory was a sign though not a deal sealer. It was learning that the editors have considerable amount of room to breathe when it comes to choices in coverage and how to do so that convinced me to come aboard. 

I never had so much responsibility before, yet I never held back from thinking, and often saying, that aspects of past work situations could be better with some changes.

It was time to put up or shut up, and I’m rather fortunate for the opportunity to do so.

I have never worked harder in my life, and yet I have never felt as fulfilled as I do now.

In one year, we have produced 2202 articles, about 200 videos and too many photos to keep track of. Numbers themselves count little compared to quality, so here are a few particular articles and regular features that I see as strides taken toward producing a robust online information source that reflects the community, in no particular order.

One of my main objectives for working online was to learn how to tell a story with video. In the case of Randy’s, one only had to look to see what the store meant to people.

All the fancy electronic tools will not ever outshine the written word. It was my first choice in expression, and always will be my favorite. Here, Jesse Marx created a cinematic portrait with only minimal use of a camera, relying mostly on words to craft a look at a complex transition.

This story represents the first big challenge we had as a publication, and an attempt to combine feature writing with hard news reporting.

Online media leaves room not just for different formats but also for combining platforms into one digital story. In this case, the audio and video came separately, so it made sense to try putting them together.

By far my favorite aspect of this area is how strongly military personnel are supported. The Trikolas’ are one among many military families who allowed us into their lives, and we can’t thank them enough both for that privilege and the service.

Our Coverage of Lukas Verzbicas

To this day, our coverage of class-of-his-own Sandburg alum Lukas Verzbicas remains among the highest read of all our articles on Orland Park Patch. We look forward to watching him continue on a special path.   

For the majority of my news career, we only reported on final votes made at meetings, when it was too late for readers to form and voice an opinion on whether or not a government decision is in their best interests. That’s where Open Session comes in. It focuses on details from area committee meetings before final votes are cast.

Volunteers in the Community

People really step to the plate around here when their loved ones are in need. Though sometimes, as in the case of Yuriy Zmysly, .

Thank you to everyone who helped us get here.

There is much more to come. After all, we are still only getting started.