Happy Birthday, Muskego Patch!

While I wasn't editor when Muskego Patch launched in December of 2010 - the exact date is under debate - I have to believe it's initial debut came with some worry as to how well it would succeed.

Patch selected Muskego as part of more than a dozen sites in southeastern Wisconsin because it was a community that existed in the shadow of a larger market that didn't pay much attention to it.  As a resident, I have to believe this was the perfect community, as it has also seen it's share of voice lost in print, having to make room for other communities in ever-shrinking pages of copy.

Believe it or not, we are still here, and whether you've ranted and railed on our stories, or lavished praise, I am deeply grateful that you've included us as a source for information.

As much as I possibly can, I've tried to fill in the many blanks on meeting topics and hoped that as the word spread that we were here, you felt more 'clued in' as to what was happening in the community.

Our current social media numbers are pretty good for a little spot on the map: 340 Facebook fans and nearly 200 followers on Twitter help us get the word out that Muskego is a living, breathing community with an identity all its own.

I thank you for reading, responding and reacting to the news. I encourage each of you that has perhaps thought your event or idea wasn't 'big enough' to include, that indeed it is, and we'll post what you've got.

I understand this new media takes a little getting used to. We don't seek to be the big impersonal news sites, nor are we looking to be the daily gossip. (Some may disagree with the latter, but if you saw some of the news tips we've passed over, you'd think again.) We do want to be an advocate - a 'homer' if you will - for Muskego so yep, we'll talk up the efforts of local groups and fundraisers, but we'll also admit when there's less savory topics facing the city.

Continue to comment, but please remember these are your neighbors. Speak with respect to each other. Like most people's moms said at one point or another, disagree without being disagreeable.

Welcome to our second year - we hope to throw a mini birthday party early in the new year, and will have more information on that once the holidays subside. In the meantime, keep us tuned in and we'll look forward to a very busy 2012 together.