Stow Patch Celebrates It's Half-Year Birthday June 20

We've been around for six months now and we know many of our readers take advantage of the services on our site, but here's a refresher course: 

We've built Patch so that you have plenty of opportunities to comment on stories, share your opinions, post photos and announcements and add events to the community calendar. We hope that our site will strengthen the community, but we can't do it without you. 

1. Comment on a Story

We subscribe to the idea that "news is a conversation." Much of our reporting will emanate from what readers tell us in emails, comments on our sites and in conversations around town. Share your thoughts and reactions to our articles by posting a comment directly below each story.  

2. Ask a Question

So maybe you want to know when that pothole is going to get fixed, or maybe you're a local expert on native trees just dying for someone to ask why their allergies are so bad this year. Patch's Q&A section is the place for you to ask your questions and show off your expertise, all while connecting with your neighbors. Visit the Q-and-A forum to ask a question or answer someone else's.

3. Post an Event 

Do you know of a book signing at our local bookstore, a celebrity chef appearing at cooking store or an art exhibit at a local coffee shop? Is there a garage sale or graduation ceremony coming up? If it's not on our Patch calendar, it should be. Feel free to add events to our site.

4. Send a News Tip

While we're out and about in the community every day looking for stories, we can't be everywhere. That's why we rely on our readers to tip us off from time to time.

At the bottom of the homepage, under the Contribute section, there's a link that reads, "Send Us News Tips." Tell us about stories we should cover. Your tip will be sent straight to , the editor for this site.

5. Post an Announcement

Post births, engagements and wedding announcements. Tell us who made the honor roll or share school awards, social notes and thank you shout outs. If you're looking for volunteers or searching for your lost dog, we welcome you to call on your community for help. Just remember, our Terms of Service say announcements should be for personal use and not for advertising. 

6. Sign Up for Newsletters

The daily Stow Patch newsletter brings you all articles and announcements that have been posted in the last 24 hours. It is delivered to your email every Thursday. You can also sign up for the weekly newsletter, which shows a subset of the content created and featured on our site during the past few days. It is delivered weekly. Look for the Follow Us and Newsletter links in the right column of this and most every page.

7. Claim Your Directory Listing 

Our business and organization listings aren't skimpy. Our team of researchers actually hit the streets and visited businesses, schools, parks, libraries and more so we can provide photos as well as detailed information such as products sold and hours of operation. To contact us about the listing for your business or organization, email us. If you own or manage a business or organization in our directory, claim it.

8. Shout It Out!

You now have a way to shout out on the site without having to add a comment to an existing article. You can tell us what you have to say right now by using the new shout box at the top of the Activity Stream on the homepage. Whatever you "shout" will go directly into the stream, right on the homepage.

9. Upload Your Photos and Video 

Upload videos of high school football touchdowns or your Stow Little Leaguer's first home run. Post photos from local festivals, or send in a snapshot of your best holiday recipes. We invite you to share with the rest of the community the memories you've caught on camera.

10. Advertise With Us 

For all advertising queries, please send an email to Brandon Tidd, our .

11. Review Restaurants

Do you want to be the first to tell your friends whether the new restaurant in town gets a thumbs-up? You can post a review of your favorite (or not-so favorite) restaurants. Or, search to find what you're craving — you can filter results by cuisine, price or seating accommodations.

12. Social Engagement

You can "like" us on Facebook  and follow us on Twitter. Immerse yourself in our content and actively contribute and engage via social media. Let's start a conversation. 

13. Send a Letter to the Editor

The more Stow Patch serves as on online space for community dialogue, the more useful our site will be. So next time you have something to share with your neighbors, consider taking a moment to send a letter to Patch. Chances are, you're not the only one who feels that way.

Patch invites every member of the Stow community to submit a letter to the editor. Express your thoughts or concerns about anything that might be stirring up conversation around town, and we'll post it. Make sure it's not longer than 300 words and email it to .

14. Blog

It's one of our newest features we offer and many are already taking advantage of the opportunity in our Local Voices section. City Council President , Councilmember recently blogged about their trip to our nation's capital and offers a humorous take on What's for Dinner? Anyone can blog! If you are interested, send an email to Editor Amanda Harnocz.

15. Nominate a Whiz Kid

Because, who doesn't like to brag about their kids? We at Stow Patch want to brag too! Click for more information on how to submit nominations. 

... and if that isn't enough for you ...

16. Follow us on Social Media Sites to Continue the Conversation:

• http://www.facebook.com/StowPatch
• http://twitter.com/#!/StowPatch
• Don't forget to download our iPhone app too!