Editor's Notebook: Patch Celebrates its 100th Site Launch

Tuesday is a big day for the Patch community, as it marks the launch of the 100^th local news site. Beverly Hills Patch has been up and running for a few months now, and its success is due to our readers. Thank you, Beverly Hills, for clicking through and coming back for more.

If you're not familiar with the Patch family, here is a quick recap: The hyperlocal news venture was founded in New York in 2008 and launched its first sites simultaneously in Maplewood, South Orange and Millburn-Short Hills, NJ, in February 2009. We are now in nine states and have posted more than 55,000 articles and nearly 1 million photos.

To celebrate the 100^th site launch, I'll be joining my fellow Patch editors by volunteering in our towns. Today I'll be walking dogs for Ace of Hearts, a Beverly Hills-based rescue organization that saves dogs that are on the verge of being euthanized. 

In the meantime, please check out some of my favorite Beverly Hills Patch stories:

One of our first posts was about the city's food waste recycling program, which reminds us that we are lucky to live in a forward-thinking, environmentally friendly town.

Patch wants to be your go-to source for community news, so we're working hard to bring you coverage of the city's acclaimed schools. From Beverly Hills High School football to Horace Mann's next principal, we're on the local sports and education beat.

A big story for Beverly Hills is Metro's westward subway extension, which will bring a subway through town. Residents have been active in the planning stages, and Patch has been there to cover Metro's town meetings and the City Council's reaction.

And in case you missed it, Patch was in the front row to cheer on the city's graduating students, from seniors leaving BHHS to eighth-graders leaving middle school.

Lastly, one of my favorite videos we've posted is about a group of residents who meet for pickup basketball at Roxbury Park. It gives a glimpse into the community, and shows the world that outside all the glitz, glam and shopping, Beverly Hills is a small town with a big heart.