Thank You Message for First Birthday

Around mid-morning today, Perkiomen Valley Patch will officially be 1 year old.

365 days, 12 months, four seasons, nearly 1,900 articles and 525,600 minutes….

Way back at this time in 2010, the Montgomery County Patch presence consisted of Regional Editor Melissa Treacy and me (Ann Cornell). Yes, Perkiomen Valley Patch was an only child, and on Dec. 6, 2010, after a late night and several demanding weeks of prep work, we expectant “” anxiously waited to see how our baby would be received.

I was fortunate that I didn’t have to wait long for feedback.
“I just saw your website; it looks great!”
“Aw, well, thanks, Mom.”

I’m even more fortunate that I’ve heard that compliment more than once in the last year; sometimes it doesn’t come from people related to me!

There have been plenty successes and uh, “moments to learn from” for this little site that could. We have so much to still do, but I want to take this moment to thank those who have been part of bringing PV Patch (and me) this far.

My family and friends: And you guys thought I couldn’t get anymore neurotic!
Thank you for supporting and loving me long before Patch was even a twinkle in my eye. Life would be so much tougher and less entertaining without you.

My partners in “Patching” – Melissa, David, Kyle, James, Leann, Gerry, Tony, Mischa and Sarah and Keith: What a crazy-talented, crazy-hardworking and depending how many hours we’ve been up, just plain crazy (in the most affectionate sense) crew. Thank you for your generosity, creativity and willingness to lend an ear. You’ve also provided some much-needed laughs, even if I’ve almost choked on more than one soft drink.

To the adults and students who have contributed to PV Patch within the last year by writing articles, taking pictures and/or video, and blogging: Thank you for sharing your talents and being part of the voices and views that make up the fabric of PV Patch. To say that a large portion of our success is due to you is a vast understatement. You have helped shape this site.

To all of the people of the Perkiomen Valley area: Christmas is approaching, which (among other things) means the seasonal favorite (or Prozac prescription) “It’s a Wonderful Life” will be hitting the airwaves at least once. In one of George Bailey’s impassioned speeches to the villainous Mr. Potter, he says, “Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about -- they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community.”
While Mr. Potter was dismissive of the importance of his neighbors, Patch believes they are our reason for being. This site is meant to be a source of information for you and reflective of the community. As the article “,” which ran Dec. 6, 2010, stated: “We wanted to take the time to remind you why we're here and what this site is all about. Simply put, it's about you.”
So many things have happened within the last year, but that sentiment remains unchanged. On this day, one of my biggest “thank you”s is for you, the community who does the working and paying and living and dying. Patch has chronicled your triumphs, tragedies and moments that fall in between the two. For this local editor, meeting so many of you and being a part of your lives has been a sheer privilege. There are truly good people in this area, and getting to know you has been one of the best aspects of this job.

Thank you, everyone, for helping make Perkiomen Valley Patch what it is. One is still a very young age, so we hope you’ll stick with us and continue to help us grow.

We promise to stick with you.