Connecting to People on a Deeper Level

It's not often that you get to completely start something from scratch.

But that's the feeling I get when I think about launching this website.

Just a few months ago, when I became editor of San Bruno Patch, I knew it was going to be a challenge to get this thing off the ground. Most people had never heard of Patch before. "What's it called?" I've heard a few times. "San Bruno pants?" And most people hadn't gotten the chance to meet me yet.

But when I thought about all of the wonderful opportunities to tell San Bruno's stories here — stories that haven't been covered for years because no one else has been around to do so — it got me excited to build something that not only I could be proud of but something that readers would find relevant to their lives.

Like I said, however, it's been a challenge. Take, for example, my first week on the job in May. I went to the library to do some research, and I asked one of the reference librarians to whom I should talk to if I wanted to learn more about San Bruno.

She told me to talk to Harry Costa, owner of Costa's Just Things on San Mateo Avenue. She told me he would probably be the best person to talk to if I wanted to get a sense of the city because he's owned his business for a long time. She didn't tell me he would be such a hard sell (only because after being the chamber president, he requires most newcomers to go through the chamber before speaking with him, which I did and everything worked out).

But I'm glad I talked to him. If I hadn't met Costa, I probably wouldn't have met some of the folks at the San Bruno Chamber of Commerce.

And if it wasn't for meeting some of the people at the chamber and at other organizations I've come across, the word of mouth about the site before launch probably wouldn't have caught on as quickly and we would still be known as San Bruno "pants."

My point is that, as we have been working to get this site ready to go, we've already made progress toward my ultimate goal: We've started the process of connecting to people on a deeper level.

That is why San Bruno Patch is much more than just an online newspaper. We do the news, the stuff you might expect from a news organization — coverage of the city council, school board, local business and prep sports. But we also go out of our way to tell you, in a detailed manner, interesting places you might want to check out around town, we give you the opportunity to contribute to the site and, most of all, we invite you to interact with the conversations taking place here through relevant, thought-provoking content.

As the editor, I'll be curating the content that you see on the site. There are also freelancers who will be contributing to the site every week. (Shameless plug here: If you would like to be a freelancer or a columnist for the site, feel free to email me at martin@patch.com. We pay!)

Our ultimate goal is to create an online record of San Bruno. Think of Patch as something you can take ownership in — your piece of the Web.

The way the site works is literally like a patch of grass. It's a communal space that everyone can use and take care of. In the end, if everyone makes sure it stays green with information and discussion, it grows.

To see me talking about Patch, watch this video.