Community Corner

Editor's Notebook: Riverhead Spirit Going Strong

A parade on Sunday on Main Street brought out the best of Riverhead.

It's been just about a month since I took over as Editor of Riverhead Patch -- and what a month it's been.

Some could -- and have, jokingly -- call it trial by fire, with my first month marked by the brush fires that raged for days. But what I've learned, in four short weeks, is that Riverhead is a community that comes together in a crisis, a hometown comprised of residents characterized by their huge hearts and deeply rooted belief in the future.

Nowhere was that optimism more evident than on Sunday, as scores of residents flocked to Main Street for a championship varsity girls' basketball team. Flags waving and crowds cheering, parents and friends, educators and business owners turned out to celebrate the promise that lies in each and every one of those young athletes -- who not only excel athletically, but academically. Each and every one of those young women held all of Riverhead's collective dreams close as they soared toward unprecedented victory .

Find out what's happening in Riverheadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

And what better place for the Canyon of Champions parade than on Main Street?

Main Street, nestled in the heart of downtown Riverhead, where for so long, empty storefronts lay dormant. In one month, I've seen a plans for a , and a that not only will nurture new writers but embrace traditional literature as well as emerging new technology. will open its doors on Main Street in the fall. New business is flourishing on Main Street, because one by one, merchants are investing in the future --  sharing their burgeoning belief in Riverhead's revitalization and rebirth.

Find out what's happening in Riverheadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

None of the energy taking hold in Riverhead today, though, would be possilbe without the people -- the men and women, young and old who give Riverhead its face and heart. The who worked for days to extinguish those wildfires and keeps lives and property safe from harm. The scores of readers who've asked how they could help the family of a tragically in childbirth. The elected officials and everday folks who share a tie that binds them -- the knowledge that the place that they call home is a town where neigbhors care about neighbors. A place where residents believe firmly that Riverhead is a thriving town that gets better, every single day.

Listening to the clapping and cheering, foot stomping and singing as the parade made its way down Main Street on Sunday, the energy was palpable -- excitement made the air electric. Each and every one of those residents knew what I know -- that Riverhead is the place where years of tradition and love for the community are coming together for a bright new tomorrow.

And I, for one, can't wait to see what happens next.


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