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Notes from the Editor is a column by Dexter Patch Editor Daniel Lai that highlights news in the community and on Patch.com."When is Chelsea getting a Patch?" Many of you have asked this question since Dexter Patch launched two years ago and at long last I have an answer: It's coming next week! From the Purple Rose Theater and Chelsea Schools, to Chelsea government and local crime, Chelsea Patch will provide daily coverage of the Chelsea community and provide a central location for residents to discuss the day's news, share their events and announcements, find local businesses, and just connect with their neighbors. While the site itself isn't quite ready to be unveiled, our Chelsea Patch Facebook page is up and …
Hello Readers! As every good reporter knows in this business, there comes a time when we have to step back, shut off the computer and cell phone, and "unplug" for a few days in order to recharge our life battery. For me, that time has come. After months of covering meetings, events, and elections, I will be taking a few days off to recharge. I know what you're thinking: "Wasn't he just on vacation six months ago?" Yes, while I was down in Florida taking in some sun, perhaps the biggest event in Dexter's recent history blew by, literally. But as you saw back in March, the team at Patch.com …
Father's Day is approaching on Sunday, June 17, and shopping for gifts especially for the dad who has everything can be challenging. Let Dexter merchants help in finding the perfect gift! Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales has a selection of T-shirts ($20), hats and glasses, as well as a selection of beer for the connoisseur in your family. Beer bottles range in price from $8 to $18. Gift cards are also available. For a great gift idea, give dad a Metroparks gift card, which can be used at park golf courses, marinas and interpretive centers, for a variety of services, including golf fees, picnic …
For a lot of people, Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of the summer travel season. For others, it is a time to stop and reflect on the sacrifices men and women in America's military have made in the name of freedom. In my family, many of my uncles served in the military, many of whom were deployed during World War II and the Korean War. Growing up, I remember my grandpa was always fascinated with war movies. One story my siblings and I fondly remember involved my grandpa walking up and down the aisles of the local Blockbuster chanting "war, war, war" as he browsed the military …
It's said you are not supposed to meet your heroes. But in the case of Dan Rather, I decided to chance it. After all, how often do you have the opportunity to shake hands with one of American journalism's iconic reporters? Monday night I did just that, as Rather, the former anchor and managing editor for CBS News for more than 20 years, gave a talk at the Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor to promote his new book, "Rather Outspoken." It was no surprise that Rather spent the better half of his hour and a half presentation retelling stories about his career highlights at CBS, much of which are …
They walk for the survivors. They walk for the caregivers. They walk to remember those who are gone. Today is the sixth annual Dexter Relay for Life. Purple shirts and white tents will fill Monument Park in downtown Dexter beginning at 9 a.m. The public is invited to come and learn all there is to know about the American Cancer Society fundraiser. Here's a look at some of the entertainment that will take place throughout the next 24 hours: 9 a.m.: Opening ceremonies 9:30 a.m.: Survivor lap around the track in Monument Park 9:30-10:30 a.m.: Fiddler's Restrung performance 12:30-1:30: p.m.: …
Whether they are driven by a love for teaching, a desire to see standardized test scores rise, a push for higher wages for teachers or frustration over diminishing school funding, people get passionate about education. People have rallied in Lansing, they fill school board meetings, and they write to legislators. They cheer for young people at sporting events and beam when students receive honors at awards ceremonies. Patch is now partnering with The Center for Michigan, a think-tank focusing on helping citizens drive important changes in the state. This year, the center has been leading …
We've included a weather update, gas prices and some suggestions on how to spend your day. 1. The weather The National Weather Service forecasts mostly sunny skies, with a high near 51 degrees today. Tonight there will be areas of frost after midnight. Otherwise, it will be mostly clear, with a low around 28 degrees. 2. Violin and Piano concert Russian-trained violinist Maria Bessmeltseva will return to the Dexter District Library at 7 p.m. tonight, for a performance of classical music for violin and piano. The performance will include a short presentation of a few composers and their …
No, you're not losing it! Patch looks different today. We did a quick visual nip-and-tuck to the homepage to make it even more user-friendly. And we've moved a couple pieces of furniture. For those keeping score: We tweaked some words in our navigation bar to save space (e.g., "Traffic & Gas" is now "Commute") We moved the weather icon next to the Patch branding so you can find it more quickly! We moved, well, YOU closer to the top! (Our "shout stream" is now front and center to show all your comments off.) And of course we beautified a few things. While the site might look a little …
Though an editor knows no rest, it is time for me to take my (much deserved) vacation. As you read this, I will be on my way to sunny Florida for a week to visit my fiance's grandparents. I'm writing this column five days in advance, sitting in my "office" at Foggy Bottom with a laundry list of "to do's" before I can even think of boarding a plane on Monday. I've left the packing to my fiance while I take the proper care to make sure this site is maintained. My biggest concern while I'm gone is, who will be minding the store? Perhaps that's why I haven't taken a vacation in over a year, and…
As a journalist, the right to freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment is all too familiar. This week, however, I was checking the Dexter Patch Facebook page and came across a rather disturbing fight between several readers. Some of the comments caused me to do a triple reread. Two adults were calling another adult "stupid" and "illiterate" in response to his expressing his opinion on the page. In turn, the adult targeted by the others, retaliated with more expletive comments. The behavior from both parties was reprehensible and totally inappropriate. This back-and-fourth debate on…
When Patch launched in Dexter last year, editors and freelancers ventured to local businesses to collect information for our directory. The result: Patch Places, a spot where users can find descriptions, hours, accepted payment methods and more for spots around town. All users can add events taking place at local spots, rate the business on a scale of one to five stars and add a review. If you tell your best customers and friends to review you on Patch, their reviews will show up on the Patch homepage! Plus, owners of local businesses get extra bonuses when they claim a listing. Owners or …
When you think of Edgar Allan Poe, poems like The Raven or stories like The Cask of Amontillado come to mind. Today is Poe's 203rd birthday. And, like many of his characters, he's managed to remain alive long after his death. Here are some ways to celebrate this literary legend locally. 1. Cozy up to the macabre Fans of Poe can check out The complete stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe at the Dexter District Library. This single volume brings together all of Poe's stories and poems, and illuminates the diverse and multifaceted talents of Poe's writing. 2. Make a pizza True, pizza was not …
New Year's Eve was a time to reminisce on the ups and downs of 2011. But the clock has long since struck midnight and the year 2012 is now upon us. We introduced you to Dexter Patch in December 2010. This year, you'll see and hear even more from us as we work to make this community news site ever more engaging and interactive for users. The opportunities to comment on stories, share opinions, post photos and announcements and add events to the community calendar are still available and through the use of these and other features, we hope our site will strengthen this community. And you, as …
Has it really been a year? That's how long Dexter Patch has been covering our community. It seems like just yesterday I was wandering the streets of Dexter familiarizing myself with the town and its residents while desperately trying to find a place with free Wi-Fi connectivity. As some of you know, I've made Foggy Bottom my unofficial second home. Since then, I've met and made some amazing friends who have championed Patch to the public from day one (thanks Paul Cousins), all the while covering government, schools and local events. It's been a lot of fun reporting on (and playing in) Dexter…
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to win a $100,000 gift to Dexter Community Schools. Patch.com is launching a nationwide contest to find the best dressed home in its Patch communities, and the winner’s school district will receive $100,000, no strings attached.Here’s how the contest works. Beginning today and continuing through Dec. 26, you can nominate your home by uploading a photo to the contest entry form on the site. During that same time period you and your neighbors will also be able to vote for your favorite festive home. The winning entry will be forwarded to a national Patch judge…
Taste is highly personal, particularly when that taste is literally on the tip of the tongue. So it's no surprise that when it comes to the sugary, colorful indulgences served this week, one person's delight may be another's disgust. Fortunately, abundant choices at office parties, family gatherings and neighborhood visits let us grab what we savor and skip what's out of favor. In these polls, tell what you crave and what makes you cringe. Pick one on each list. Then feel free to tell us in comments what we've missed. Happy Holidays!
With Patch organizing a holiday light contest that awards the best display with $100,000 for its school district, we wanted to see what that money could buy. If you simply take a photo of the great holiday lights at your house and add it to this page, that $100,000 could soon be in local school children's hands. Just like kids heading off to the school store with a crisp $5 bill in their pockets, district officials in Dexter could be answering the question of what to do with that money. Instead of painstaking choices among rubber pencil grips, sweet erasable pens or Hannah Montana stickers, …
We've added some new features to Patch this week and encourage you to try them out. Front and center is a new "Neighborhood Gallery" button that invites you to share your photos with Dexter Patch readers in a quick and easy way. We receive countless e-mails with school, church and community event photos attached. We admit it sometimes takes us too long to get to them, though we welcome all reader-submitted photos and news. But with the new Neighborhood Gallery, you'll be able to bypass our often-crowded inboxes and upload the photos onto Patch yourself. After you click "Neighborhood Gallery…
