Community Corner

A Fond Farewell and A Most Heartfelt Goodbye

Editor Lori E. Switaj bids goodbye to Patch.

First things first: Your Avon-Avon Lake Patch will still be here.

But some things will change: Oct. 15 will be my last day here at Patch and it’s time to say goodbye and thank you.

The thank you part is easy: As many of you know, I have been a reporter and editor in Avon and Avon Lake for a very long time and have come to know many of you, and your stories, in depth. 

Find out what's happening in Avon-Avon Lakewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Since beginning my journey in community journalism, I’ve interviewed hundreds upon hundreds of residents, sharing more than a million words in thousands of articles. You've all helped the cause. 

I’ve watched as city administrations have changed hands, as children I’ve written about grew up, got married and joined adulthood. There have been triumphs and tragedies, heartaches and joys and scattered throughout, tales of (kind of) small town life and all that goes along with it. 

Find out what's happening in Avon-Avon Lakewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Oh the things I've heard, the places I've been, the people I've met. 

I’ve learned—up close and personal—what great towns Avon and Avon Lake are. While neither is perfect (hey, what fun would that be) I can say with certainty that if you are reading Patch because you are a resident of either town, you really are fortunate. These are towns filled with good people. Really good people. 

For the past three years, I’ve had the honor of working for Patch and what an adventure its been. It’s a concept both Avon and Avon Lake residents grasped onto with fervor, and the feedback has been incredible. From the site's heavy usage to the emails and story suggestions and uploaded information, it’s clear the community enjoys the advantages of sharing, and the immediacy, that today’s news sites allow. Keep contributing. 

The readership has been tremendous and it’s been a thrill to be a part of creating this online community and help record history as it's made. I owe Patch, and AOL, a big thank you for three years of an incredible learning experience in the "new journalism" field. 

Oh, the things I have learned.

During these Patch years, my readers have been a tremendous help. The story tips, the sharing of information (both here and on our wildly popular Facebook page), the emails and calls have made my job—and in turn, your life—that much easier. 

The ‘thank you part’ is easy. The goodbye, not so much.

And so it’s on to a new venture. Good luck to you all~

Keep adding to Patch:

While hundreds of readers take advantage of our free event listings, classifieds, buy/sell/trade, announcements, etc., some of you are still missing out. Each month hundreds of you post and thousands and thousands log on to see what events are going on, garage sales, events and announcements. 

Posting on Patch is super easy and here’s a quick tutorial.

  1. Sign up for Patch and confirm
  2. Post! You can go to buy/sell/trade and quickly post (add a photo) or go to “Boards,” select your board and post. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words.

If you absolutely MUST contact me 

Please note: After Tuesday, my job here is done and you’ll have a new contact person. Understanding that I’ve made many contacts through work that extend beyond journalism and the Internet, I’ve set up a temporary email at LoriESwitaj@gmail.com. (See that word? "Temporary"? After a month, it's gone.) But once again, thank you all. It was my pleasure.


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