Hello to Chatham from sunny, beautiful southern California!

Although I am on vacation, the people and events of Chatham are not far from my thoughts, nor from my fingertips, thanks to my laptop and Internet connection. I have kept up-to-date on visits from Santa Claus, delays from the snow storm and the news of a Chatham resident allegedly involved in a $40 million Ponzi scheme.

This week has reminded me in many ways of my first week as the editor of Chatham Patch: people to talk to, information to gather, a whirlwind of names, faces, place—a wealth of knowledge to acquire in a short time, because I know how much you depend on Chatham Patch.

I was very fortunate when I took over this website in September. My predecessor Zach Subar, who launched the site one year ago today on Dec. 28, 2009, laid an excellent foundation for me with information and contacts to rely on. Many of you greeted me with a smile and exclamations of, "Oh, you're the new Zach!" and then patiently answered my questions as I settled into my new job.

It has been a rewarding experience to watch the site's readers grow. One of my proudest moments in this job happened at the Library of the Chathams when I stood with a librarian talking about a woman who drove her car up the pedestrian path to the library's front door. Another patron standing nearby said, "Wait, what happened? Where can I read about this?" Before I could say anything, the librarian said, "Do you not know about Chatham Patch? Here, let me show you," and pulled up the website on a library computer.

Moments such as that one fill me with pride, because without the people of the community, Chatham Patch would not be here. You send in photos, questions, story ideas, news alerts, feedback, comments and so much more. You are the reason Chatham Patch is here and the reason we are able to stay so current with the news. None of this would be possible without you.

So to all of you in Chatham, thank you for everything you have done to make Chatham Patch so successful in its first year. It is humbling and gratifying to be the one at the helm as we round into Year 2.