Happy Anniversary to Mountain View Patch!

We usually describe Patch as a hyperlocal news and community information site, but it's so much more than that.

It's a conversation starter. Here in Mountain View, we know a little bit about that.

Attend any City Council meeting and after each agenda item people gather to discuss what just happened. At school board meetings most of the conversation occurs before the sessions, as teachers and parents discuss the accomplishments and challenges in the district. At Chamber events the air is abuzz with people networking and figuring out ways to better help one another and the community of Mountain View.

Everywhere in the city, whether at the large Fortune 500 companies or the small startups on Castro or E. Dana Street, conversations are taking place that impact Mountain View: its residents, its businesses and even the visitors (what you didn't realize MV was a tourist destination?).

Mountain View Patch, which launched Sept. 28, 2010, has for the last two years been in the middle of it all trying to accurately report on the state of the city. But as we grow and mature as a site, we also want our readers to realize that all of those conversation taking place over beer, wine, burgers, pho or tacos could also take place here, on Patch.

We are off to a good start. In two years:

• We've published 3,650 articles

• The community has uploaded 2,771 community events

• Our Local Voices bloggers have submitted 328 blog posts

• The community has uploaded 226 Announcements (did you know you can post announcements for free? Weddings, birthdays, lost cat, garage sale, new hires, non-profit fundraising updates—all can go up on Mountain View Patch for free!)

But there's so much more that we can do to bring offline conversations online! Have you left a comment recently? Have you considered sending a "Letter to the Editor" or opinion piece for publication?

Our goals is to make this your go-to-place for information about the community of Mountain View. It's like a big party online. As the editor, my job is to steer you to the interesting conversations. Hopefully you have a great time and decide to hang out. If not, there's another conversation that you might like better. But on Mountain View Patch, there is a place and a home for everyone.

So thank you Mountain View embracing Patch. Let's continue to grow together.

Here's to another successful year!

Don't miss a thing in Mountain View!

Follow on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Get the daily newsletter | Post to our calendar | Share an announcement