Your Patch Editor Is Signing Off

Does Ryan Seacrest still say "Seacrest Out!" when signing off? I sure hope not, because right now I need a signature sign off move and that seems like a really solid one.

Sadly, today is my final day as the editor of the Monrovia and Arcadia Patches. I have tendered my resignation and will be taking a teaching job in the fall that I'm very excited about. However, after covering Monrovia for the last three years, I'm also forlorn because I love this place and I truly value the community within a community that has embraced Patch and what it has tried to do.

I'm not sure what's next for Patch in Monrovia and Arcadia. As news reports have documented, major changes are in the works. Hopefully the site remains a vibrant place for the sharing of information and opinion. I'm optimistic.

I launched Monrovia Patch in October 2010 and have kept a close eye on what's happening in town ever since. I live here. I've had beers with you at Londons, maybe. If not, we should have had beers because there are so many good places in town to get them and beers are tasty. Either way, I've grown to know so many people here and I truly, deeply appreciate their help. So much so, that my farewell might as well be a huge "Thank You" litany. So here goes.

Thanks to the Monrovia City Council for being accessible. As a reporter, that's the most I can ask. I've always appreciated your willingness to talk to me, to call me back, even when the story isn't rosy. So thank you Mary Ann, Tom, Larry, Becky and Alex!

Thanks to the Monrovia Police Department, which has become so much more accessible under the leadership of Chief Hunt. Thanks Jim. And special thanks Lt. Ortlund, Lt. Lee, Sgt. Verna, Sgt. Manfredi and Sgt. Newton (and in Arcadia, Sgt. Leveque). You guys have always been especially helpful.

Thanks Fire Chief Chris Donovan for answering my calls and texts in the middle of the night!

Thanks spokeswoman Jen McLain for going out of your way every time!

Thanks to everyone who's ever alerted me to something happening via email or Facebook or Twitter (special shout outs to Robert Parry, Ralph Walker and Hugo Torres!). Many readers don't realize that reporters rely on tips to find out what's going on.

Thanks Patch bloggers for contributing to the news! Thank you to Monrovia business owners for advertising with us. Thank you to all the restauranteurs who feed me on a near-daily basis! (special thanks to Something Healthy, T. Phillips, London Gastropub, Sena, Jake's Roadhouse, and a fond farewell to Planet Cookies!)

Though I won't be writing about Monrovia anymore I will continue to live here, so I look forward to seeing you all soon. So long!