A year ago today, I was sitting nervously at my laptop, my phone pressed to my ear as I listened to a couple of Patch head honchos give this fledgling site a once-over from computers hundreds of miles away.

I'd been hard at work for weeks getting it ready – writing the first stories, entering directory listings, writing up events for the calendar. With an "OK, you're good," the editors clicked a button, and Barnegat Patch went live.  

Since then, we've worked to make Barnegat Patch the source you turn to for stories you can't find anywhere else. The rundown of the four-hour zoning board meeting, the campaign finance reports of local candidates, the latest on the car crash around the corner, the details of the township's evacuation plan ahead of a major hurricane: If it mattered to Barnegat, we got the story for you quickly.

And we've also put the focus on the people who live here, and tried to tell their stories. Some of my favorite moments from my first year as your local editor were ones I spent talking to my Barnegat neighbors, whether they were in St. Mary's adoration chapel at 3 a.m. or behind a lemonade stand waving down passing cars to raise money for a friend.

And you've responded. You've visited the site, signed up for the daily newsletter and come back day after day, and I want to thank all of you for that. Every comment, every email, every news tip and thank-you and constructive criticism has meant so much to me.

Before I started this job, Barnegat was where I slept. Working for you through Barnegat Patch has helped it become the place where I live. I'm glad to be here, and I'm looking forward to making Patch even better in the year to come. 

As always, we love hearing from you. What are we doing right? What are we doing wrong? What do you want to see here that you haven't seen yet? Leave us a comment, email me at graelyn.brashear@patch.com or give me a call any time at 732-331-7686.

Thanks everybody, and happy New Year!

- Graelyn