Dispatches: How Do You See the American Dream Changing?

We're excited to inaugurate a new series for our Patch Readers: "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream."

There are so many changes happening so fast that it's dizzying: national debates about unemployment, foreclosures, debt, religion, government and private enterprise all touch on fundamental ways in which we see ourselves and our communities. At Patch, we want to explore that conversation on a daily basis so we can better understand how our neighbors are adjusting to the challenges and opportunities that surround us.

We don't think there's one American Dream, but a multitude of American Dreams which a multitude of people are working toward. Looking out across nearly almost 900 Patch sites, we see businesses holding their breath deciding whether to expand; college graduates returning home because they can't find jobs; and senior citizens bringing boarders into their homes to help pay their bills. We also see bold new volunteer efforts, inspiring stories of local businesses that succeed because they innovated, and locals who've taken these trying times as a signal to engage more, not less, in their government.

At the purely local level, we want to know where Medford fits along these fault lines.

For example: Cut backs in at the Federal level have meant less money to Medford's city coffers for grants to pay for improvements to city parks and streets.

"Dispatches" will be built upon the compelling snapshots we unearth across all of our Patch sites.

Tell us what issues and what stories in Medford. go to the heart of your American Dream.