To My Marple Newtown Patch
I have worked for Patch for more than three years. I didn't have the pleasure of launching this website in December 2010 but I inherited this amazing site from my predecessor Jennifer Kim more than a year or so ago (I honestly don't even remember) and it has been an honor.
I covered an amazing amount of stories and events and each was important in its own way. From the local politics to carnivals, car crashes and fires, parades, business openings, Sarah Murnaghan, hurricanes, snow, Elections, school events and SO, SO much more. I've loved it all.
Patch was a love hate relationship but I wouldn't change anything. I've learned so much from working at Patch, things that I wouldn't have learned at any other company. The quote I always reference is "I hate having to write but I love having written," this is absolutely true for me and I'd say most journalists or writers. I loved my job but it was stressful. But the love absolutely outweighed the stress (I did stick around for three years), the love I have for the readers and the people of this community. I was here to serve you—to tell your stories, inform you and promote your businesses, schools and people.
Patch as a company has seen numerous ups and downs. The joke always was, the only thing constant at Patch is change. There have been layoffs over the years and I along with many of my colleagues were let go in this round. I do not know what will happen to Marple Newtown Patch as a website (there will no longer be an editor in the traditional sense) but my hope is that YOU, the Marple Newtown community will continue to utilize it and post to the Boards, Blogs and Events sections. Keep, what you've helped to create, alive! This site is about you and it is now up to you to keep it going, so please do me (and Jenn) proud (be nice to one another in the comments sections :) and keep posting!
I have met countless people over these three years and all of you have been amazing. I grew up in Marple Township so it's a special place to me and I liked to think that Marple Newtown Patch was your town square. I know I dropped the ball here or there and perhaps upset a few along the way, but I do hope I told your stories well. Telling your stories—whether it was through words, photos or video—is what Marple Newtown Patch was about for me and I hope your story was told.
Thank you Marple Newtown Patch readers! Thank you for reading, thank you for pushing me when I needed a push, thank you for posting to the site, thank you for commenting, thank you for sending me press releases and story ideas, thank you for the shout outs, thank you for answering my questions and returning my calls and emails, thank you for loving my videos and photos, thank you for being kind, thank you for correcting my spelling and grammar errors, thank you for laughing with me, thank you for the support, thank you for being MY hometown.
I love you Marple Newtown Patch and I will truly miss you!
--Courtney
Marple Newtown Patch Local Editor
courtney.elko@gmail.com
