Sweating, Leaping, Blogging and Saving This Week

Good day Urbandale:

It's going to be a great week on Urbandale  Patch. Here are a few of the reasons why:

Best of Urbandale

Monday, we launched the first of several "Best of Urbandale" contests this spring. This one asks readers to vote for their favorite place to work out. You can vote for your favorite spot to sweat here. We'll announce the winner on March 9.

Smart Businesses

Congratulations to Legacy Financial Group and Canine Craze Performance Center, two Urbandale businesses that claimed their free business listings in our Patch Places directory. Kathy Krogmeier of Legacy likes that she gets an email whenever someone gives her company a rating or review. Jacquie Holm-Smith claimed Canine Craze's listing so she could replace some lackluster photos of the businesses' building with photos from its grand re-opening last week.

Sorry Jacquie, I didn't take the photos, but I'm looking forward to seeing the ones you upload!

If you'd like to claim your businesses listing, check out this on doing it.

Leap Day Contest

Wednesday we get an extra 24 hours with Leap Day. Urbandale Patch decided to celebrate by giving stuff away.

Over the next month, Patch readers can get one entry for a drawing for $100 from Patch and some cool Leap Year gifts from some great Urbandale businesses — a $29 bouquet from for example — every time they comment on a Patch article. We'll announce the winners after 29 days (of course). 

Want a fair advantage? Sign up for Patch's daily email of top headlines and when you see an article that interests you, click on the headline, and leave a comment in the comments box. Those with the most (and best) comments will win the prizes. 

New Blog

We've got a great new blogger on Urbandale Patch. is an assistant city manager for Urbandale, but also an expert on green living. He's making a big different in the city by securing grants for things like the electronics recycling day, energy efficient park lights, and a tennis shoe recycling drive in the Urbandale elementary schools. Today, he writes about why your dishwasher doesn't seem to be getting your dishes as clean as it used to. 

Office Hours

I'll be at on 86th Street from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. I'll be the one working on the laptop with bold green letters P-A-T-C-H on it. (Tasteful, no?) Stop by and give me a story idea, or just let me buy you a cup of coffee. 

Book Me

I love to talk and I love to talk about Patch. If you'd like to learn more about Urbandale's newest source for news, conversation and commerce, give me a call — 515.306.5504 — and invite me to explain to your group or organization how Patch can make living in Urbandale "ridiculously easy." 

School Spotlight

Once a week, I'll be going back to school.

Patch will be heading to an Urbandale school regularly to write about something cool the kids, parents or teachers are doing. On Thursday, I'm heading to to learn about some penny-wise pupils. (This is quickly going to become my favorite assignment of the week!)

Which schools should I visit in March? Let me know what's going on in your school by

Go Patch!

Finally - do you love Patch? You're not alone! Let's Go Patch! is a new site dedicated to all things Patch. If you want to give praise, find out news, learn what it's like to work here, and more, check out the Let's Go Patch site!