Editor's Notebook: Riverhead Reborn

There's something about new beginnings.

When I was a little girl, the first day of school meant a shiny Barbie lunch box and notebooks, a trip to Abraham & Strauss for a new outfit and always, a box of 64 Crayola crayons, with the sharpener built in.

The best part was the feeling that, as those school doors opened for the first time, anything could happen: The future was a sparkling clean slate of promise, of possibility.

This morning, my first official morning as Editor of Riverhead Patch, I took a ride down East Main Street. Riverhead, to me, has always been a shimmering mosaic of diverse cultures and deeply rooted traditions.  So many faces, so many stories, so much belief in the future, and reverence for the past.

On Main Street, as new restaurants and hotels set up shop and scores of families flock to the aquarium, it's easy to sense the stirrings of excitement, of energy, as so many who love this beautiful place come together to shepherd Riverhead into its next incarnation. 

As the arts continue to flourish and parents and community leaders come together with pride to cheer on the next, shining generation to grow up on streets steeped in history and family values, Riverhead remains a town where neighbors help neighbors. Where generations of families continue to live in a place they are proud to call home.

I'm thrilled that today is my first day here as editor of Riverhead Patch, my very own new beginning . I've got a brand-new notebook and a box of pencils and I'm eager to meet each and every one of you and hear your stories. People, mothers and fathers, elected officials and emergency responders, business owners and teachers, friends and neighbors are what give Riverhead its character and heart. 

I'll be rolling out a new feature in the coming days, "Faces of Riverhead," chronicling the stories of the men and women, unsung heroes and everyday folks who make the Riverhead community so special. Riverhead Patch is the place where your voices will be heard, where you can engage in an ongoing dialogue online about the issues that shape your days and futures.

I'm looking forward to meeting all of you. Send me an email if you'd like to talk about a story, an issue, an event that you feel deserves the spotlight. Or better yet, stop by and say hello; you can find me, more often than not, savoring some tasty spinach pie at the Athens Grill, or a sinfully delicious cinnamon scone at Panera on Route 58 before I head to a Riverhead town board meeting or a school event.

This is your community website. And I'm so proud to be a part of Riverhead's transformative revitalization and very own new beginning.