Final Week For Editor of Havre de Grace Patch
Havre de Grace Patch will have a new editor next week.
Photos
As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child.
My wife and I—with our hectic schedules and two young children—are firm believers in that notion.
So as Havre de Grace Patch—my third baby, some might say—nears its second birthday, I want to take the time to thank everyone who has made its success possible.
I'm often asked how we have stories so quickly—pulling up to the scene of bank robberies at the same time as police, or showing up to the scene of an emergency only to get out of the way of the ambulance that was also responding. The answer is simple: we have a really strong, engaged readership.
I often hear about an incident from an informed reader before I do from any other source.
So I hope those readers will be just as nice to the next editor of the site.
Many of my primary sources have known for a few weeks that we'd have a new editor at the helm of Havre de Grace Patch. Now I can say we're in full transition mode.
Starting next week, the picture, name and email address atop the site will change (I'll let the new editor introduce themselves to you all at that point in time).
One thing that won't change: the mission of Havre de Grace Patch.
The basics will remain—and some new features I haven't had time to implement lately will begin to appear.
The best thing about Patch's evolution has been the increased ability for the reader to interact and actually remove the middle man—you can post photos, events and content directly to the site.
I'm not leaving Patch—far from it. You'll still see my byline on the site. You'll still see me around town. You can still reach out to me if you need anything.
But the day-to-day oversite of Havre de Grace Patch is being handed over to someone highly qualified, energized and full of ideas.
I won't list all my 'Thank You' messages here—there are far too many and I'm afraid I'll leave people out.
I need to start out by thanking my family. While I consider many of you an extension of that family, it's my wife and kids that are often left at home when I'm out around the community. Just as many times, its a family member or friends helping out with the kids so I can cover a story or attend a meeting.
Then there are the many sources and contacts I often utilize to tell these stories. The late night and early morning phone calls from "The Patch guy" often take those individuals away from their families. I thank them for believing in the value of Patch.
But, in general, I want to say thank you to the backbone of Havre de Grace: the volunteers, the people who get involved, the people who are in the know and who want to make Havre de Grace a better place. I want to thank our readers, who never hesitated to reach out and offer their input, news tips, desires and criticisms.
It's easy in this line of work to get caught up providing information to a number of target audiences. But our target has never changed.
We're here to make life easier for the Havre de Grace resident.
Thanks for being the village to help nurture my Patch.
Sign up for our newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Contact editor Sean Welsh with any news tips. Want to write on your own? Skip the middle man. Join our Local Voices.
Billee Smith
6:55 am on Monday, October 1, 2012
Sean, thank you for all you have done to work with and promote Havre de Grace Main Street over the last months. I appreciate your willingness to help! I wish you well and hope that we do see you around town and still part of our community!
melissa thompson
7:29 am on Monday, October 1, 2012
Thank you Sean for all the time that you have spent keeping us informed in such a quick and accurate way. You will be missed
Theresa Ray
8:07 am on Monday, October 1, 2012
Thank you for all you have done.
I Know for a fact many people first learned about our business through the Patch.
Tom Barnes
8:55 am on Monday, October 1, 2012
Sean, you've been great and created an excellent news source. Thanks for what you have done for the community and our little town. I am glad we will not have to say "we will miss you" and that you will be hanging around and still producing articles!! My family and I wish you the very best. God Bless.
Paula Casagrande / Big House Signs
9:06 am on Monday, October 1, 2012
Sean, so glad to have met you and appreciate your part in opening communication within the community. Plus keeping us informed of local goings on, more so than the traditional newspapers. Don't be a stranger.
Barbara Snyder
10:22 am on Monday, October 1, 2012
Best wishes to you, Sean. You made the Patch into the valuable resource it is.
Fred Cullum
11:47 am on Monday, October 1, 2012
Sean, Thank you for your hard work getting the Havre de Grace Patch up and running and making it what is is today. It was always a pleasure dealing with you on city issues. You changed the news media here and since we really no longer have a local newspaper that covers local happenings, the Patch has filled a large void for many people. I wish you all the luck in your next adventure in life.
Suzanne S. Chadwick
12:25 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
Sean, Congratulations on all the success you've had making our Patch what it is, as well as with your family. Good luck in your next chapter and those to come.
Edward Heydt
2:03 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
Sean, I want to add my congratulations on a job well done. You have helped make the Patch an important news source in Havre de Grace and beyond. I can remember the day Patch came on site and how excited I was that we had a local news source. Then as the other communities came on board the value increased. God Bless!!!
David F. Jaffe MD
2:12 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
Sean, in developing the Patch here in Hdg you created something that has real impact. Ultimately, I believe that life is truly well-lived if you can somehow leave your family/town/country/world better than you found it. You made a difference.
Good luck in your next venture.
Amy Kenney-stout
2:57 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
Thank you for your time and effort! HdG Patch is my first source for news!
Jim Cameron
4:53 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
Sean, you're going to be a hard act to follow. Good luck in your future endeavors
Alma Orive
4:56 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
Sean, you've made a big difference in our little village. Words alone cannot express our gratitude to you. Wish you and your family Enough.
Biller's Bikes
5:46 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
Congratulations!
Irmgarde Brown
8:24 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
Wow. You will be much missed. Oh gosh, so does that mean you need a volunteer job at the Graw Days Festival? :-)
Deborah
7:50 am on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Bravo Sean. The word "missed" is somehow ineffective. Thank you!
Leo Heppner
8:30 am on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Thank you, Sean! You did a fantastic job. Also, I appreciate your support of my work, as well. Good luck to you and your family.
Lost in HdG
5:39 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
The new editor will have a tough pair of shoes to fill. Congratulations on your new mission!!!!
Curtis Coon
10:51 am on Thursday, October 4, 2012
I admire the way you handled the unfounded and what I felt was wholly unfounded public ridicule of Patch as being a medium "no one reads". You kept your cool and maintained your integrity. It would have been very tempting to many to have lashed out but you dealt with it properly. There is, indeed a difference between pure journlism and Patch, and that difference is something many people have had to "learn". It is called "Freedom of Speech". Thanks for your long-lasting contributions.