Introducing Dispatches: The Changing American Dream

Every day, the national media is full of stories about how American families, businesses, and neighbors are adjusting to these trying times.

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 Oakland Township 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.

That is what "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream" is all about.

We don't think there is one American Dream, but a multitude of American Dreams which a multitude of people are working toward. Looking out across nearly 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 we, as Oakland Township neighbors, fit along these fault lines.

Nationally, there's a debate about the education system, which is at the center of our dreams of a better life for our children. Locally, our public school districts are among the highest scoring in the state, though they are universally ; in fact, Oakview Middle School in Oakland Township has already as Lake Orion Community Schools prepares for a massive budget reduction.

Nationally, businesses – both big and small – are struggling to stay afloat. In Oakland Township, two restaurants have in the Goodison area; meanwhile, several storefronts remain vacant in the Country Creek Crossing shopping plaza at Adams and Silverbell roads.

Nationally, communities coast to coast are seeing a reduction in police and fire department staff. In Oakland Township, the lieutenant position was to save money.

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

And, of course, we want your help: Tell us what issues and what stories in Oakland Township go to the heart of your American Dream.

This is a unique moment in the history of our country, and Patch is uniquely positioned to explore and amplify the stories that capture that moment.