Welcome to Fountain Valley Patch

Officially, Fountain Valley is known as "A Nice Place to Live." But talk to the people who live here, and they'll tell you that it's much more than that--it's a great place to live, work and play. Here at Fountain Valley Patch, we plan to cover every bit of all three--and then some.

A little bit about me: I've lived in Southern California most of my life and I have nearly a decade of experience as a reporter, writer and editor. My best and most fulfilling work has always been in community journalism, and I'm very much looking forward to combining that passion with my considerable online experience, and putting both to work for you.

My team and I will do our best to cover every corner of Fountain Valley, telling the stories about people, places and events that help this rapidly growing community maintain its small-town charm. , a 30-year resident of Fountain Valley, will bring her unending local passion to The Fountain Valley Files. , a very talented young journalist from Cal State Fullerton, will bring you Tales From the Gospel Swamp, a weekly look into Fountain Valley's rich history. And we'll have plenty of school, sports and nightlife coverage as well.

But we need your help. It's OK to be a reader, but it's even better to be a user. Sign up, give us your feedback and tell us what you'd like to see more of. If you're a business owner, find your listing, claim it, and make it your own with photos, menus, or whatever else you think will make it more useful to the rest of the community.

Patch is about community journalism, but is also in and of itself a community. As your Patch local editor, it's my goal to become part of your community, and to make you feel like part of ours. If you see me out and about in Fountain Valley--and you will--I sincerely hope that you'll introduce yourself and tell me how we're doing. And anytime you have a tip or comment, you can send it to justin.petruccelli@patch.com, or call me at (714) 642-0190.

Thanks in advance for your support, and I hope to hear from you soon.