Grafton Patch, One Year Later

It seems like yesterday, but it has been a year since Grafton Patch began.

And what a whirlwind year it has been since I nervously but excitedly clicked a button and launched the site.

We have gone from hearing “What is Patch?’’ to “Oh, you’re Patch’’ to, more and more often, “Oh, sure, we know Patch.’’ In fact, I have become familiar with being called “Patch.’’

And that’s a good thing.

Grafton Patch launched with the goal of providing relevant information and a forum for people to interact. And we continue to become, I hope, a familiar and trusted place to learn about what’s happening around town, to share ideas and opinions, to become an even closer community.

When I started this job, I wondered how a small town could keep me busy.

Ha.

Grafton is always busy. What I love about Grafton is its dedication, not just in words but in events, to the beauty of small-town life.

The military band on the Common in the summer, followed by scarecrows in the fall and the tree-lighting in the winter. The standing-room only crowd on Veterans Day. The enthusiastic audience at the dedication for the new South Grafton park. The roar of motorcyles at the ride to honor the memory of Grafton teen Joey Wilson.

It’s been a busy year, an educational one (I never imagined I would ever know what Search Engine Optimization is, let alone use it) and a rewarding one.

I say this all the time, because it is true and truly impressive: The people in Grafton are terrific.

I have yet to attend a meeting where people allowed pettiness or vitriol to replace honest debate, and trust me, that is not something I can say about every town I have covered. And at the end of the day, I sense that pride in their town keeps residents united, despite divided opinions on certain issues.

Grafton has a lot to be proud of, and I am honored to have been along for the ride.

So thanks for the warm welcome.

Now on to year two…..

What would you like to see us cover in the upcoming year? Email story ideas to me at Sandra.Bowles@patch.com.