For those of you who have ever chatted with me, you know I can, at times, be long-winded. So I plan to make this short—at least by my terms. This is my final week as editor of Northfield Patch. I've accepted a position as communications coordinator for the Minnesota Society of CPAs, a not-for-profit with 9,400 members. It’s a great move for me as I focus on my long-term career goals and look for a new challenge. I greatly enjoyed my time with Patch, especially getting to know so many wonderful people near and far in the company. Most of all, I’ll miss working with so many great people in …

Anyone who has read Northfield Patch in the past year is well aware that my wife and I welcomed our first child this year. As she closes in on the end of her first year and, given that it's Christmastime, I've been wondering about our approach with her when it comes to talking about the Big Guy. How should we talk about Santa Claus? Given the nature of my job and what I read and see at times, I have a very honest, realistic approach to life. But I also appreciate imagination and letting a kid be a kid. I fully intend to let our little girl grow up with the wonderment that is Santa Claus, but …

Thanksgiving is here! I want to know what the users of Northfield Patch are thankful for this year. Tell me and your neighbors in the comment section below. I'll start: I'm thankful, that after two years, I'm still privileged to be the editor of Northfield Patch and help keep the community informed. I'm thankful that my daughter, Lucy, turns 10 months old on Saturday. It's been a great challenge so far and I feel blessed to have her in my life. I'm thankful for my wife, Ariel. She's a tremendous mother and wonderful wife. I'm thankful for her patience and understanding when I leave the house …

As I started eyeing Nov. 18 on the calendar a few weeks ago, I wondered what I could say that hasn't already been said. Today, Northfield Patch turns 2 years old.  In that time and the few months before that led up to the site's launch, I've had conversations with thousands of people (not an exaggeration) about Patch and what we're trying to do to help make our community just a little bit better. I kept coming back to the post I wrote a year ago about Northfield Patch turning 1. As I read and reread it, everything written rings true today—if not more so. And, really, I don't know if I could …

This is a notice for all Northfield-area nonprofit leaders: Share your story with us. In the past 18 months, Northfield Patch has received 900 submissions for our Local Voices section. In there, you will find words of wisdom from your neighbors, business owners, stay-at-home moms, government officials and many, many more people who a simple label can't describe. With Give to the Max Day coming up on Nov. 15—where hundreds of thousands of dollars will flow to our local nonprofits and colleges—Northfield Patch wants to give you an opportunity to share your organization's story and why people …

In April I wrote about rumors of a pastry/coffee shop coming to downtown Northfield in the former Pan Pan Café space at 303 Division St. S. Craig Redalen, the property manager of the building, wouldn't comment on the matter at the time. Late last week, a sign went up in the storefront for "CakeWalk—custom cakes and dessert bar." The sign says "coming fall 2012." Once I saw the sign last week, I started following the paper trail and tracked down the owner, who lives in Lonsdale. I'm still waiting to hear back from the new downtown business owner and will be sure to update Patch users as soon …

I've always enjoyed having a summer birthday. The weather is generally nice, I have more freedom to plan around a birthday and, if I choose, I can just sit in my house and do nothing in the comfort of air conditioning.  Without a doubt, there are some downfalls, though. My birthday was never celebrated in school—some teachers tried the misguided "half birthday" celebration, but it just wasn't the same. My birthday, the last day of June, is overshadowed by the Fourth of July. I use the word overshadowed not because I care that I'm not the center of attention (I really, really don't), but …

I had heard every cliché. I waved it off as misguided longing for something more. I thought it was impossible to go from a selfish being to one who would sacrifice everything for another for whom they’ve only known for less than 10 seconds. I was wrong. Children do cause unexplainable changes. As many of you know, I became a father on Jan. 24 and today I am celebrating my first Father’s Day. While the day itself holds no significant meaning to me—every day is a father’s day to me—it does allow me to pause and appreciate what I’ve experienced for the past five months. I’ve got nothing poignant…

Northfield has a lot to offer and I'm ecstatic to be a family man in this river town. What it doesn't have is a zoo (feel free to share your jokes in the comment section). With a few days off recently, my wife, Ariel, and 3-1/2-month-old daughter, Lucy, visited the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley. I love the Minnesota Zoo. I grew up in the Apple Valley area and attended the School of Environmental Studies, a school for juniors and seniors that is on the campus of the zoo (though the school operates on its own and isn't directly tied to the zoo). Through my studies there, I was afforded ample …

No, you're not losing it! Northfield Patch looks different today. We did a quick visual nip-and-tuck to the homepage to make it even more user-friendly. And we've moved a couple pieces of furniture. For those keeping score:  We tweaked some words in our navigation bar to save space (e.g., "Traffic & Gas" is now "Commute")  We moved the weather icon next to the Patch branding so you can find it more quickly!  We moved, well, YOU closer to the top! (Our "shout stream" is now front and center to show all your comments off.)  And, of course, we tried to give the site a more polished look.  While …

Thank you. There's no other way to say it. Since Northfield Patch launched in November 2010, it's been one of the most engaged Patch sites in Minnesota. The site continues to grow every day because of the wonderful community in which we have the privilege to live. For two of the past four months, Northfield Patch has been the most visited Patch site in Minnesota. The other two months? It was the second and fourth most visited. Now consider that Patch is in 26 Minnesota communities (more than 850 nationwide), including some very large ones like Eagan, Edina and Woodbury. Now consider that …

Who knew The Monkees had ties to Northfield? Since word of lead singer Davy Jones' passing on Wednesday from a heart attack, I've seen a few interesting ties to Minnesota pop up. In a few Facebook feeds, including resident historian Susan Hvistendahl, it was pointed out that Monkees band member Peter Tork attended Carleton College before becoming a member of the band in the '60s. Then when The Monkees played at the Minnesota Zoo last summer—which almost didn't happen because of the state shutdown, as reported by Apple Valley Patch—KYMN's Scott Peterson nabbed an interview with Jones. KYMN …

If you're reading this, I am now a father. My wife, Ariel, and I welcomed a baby girl, Lucy Renée, on Tuesday at Northfield Hospital. She weighed 5 pounds, 15 ounces, and was 19 inches long. It's our first child and, as the cliché goes, words can't describe what I'm feeling. I just wanted to drop a quick note to let everyone know that I'll be off for a few weeks to ease into my new role as daddy. Michael Garlitz, who should be a familiar name, will run Northfield Patch in my absence. If you have any questions, comments, story ideas or news tips, you can reach him at my email at corey.butler@…

While the folks at Kildahl Park Pointe opened their doors Saturday to give visitors a glimpse of their homes (and hand out some treats), the real draw may have been Fred Gonnerman's Dickens' Christmas Village. My wife Ariel and I stopped by during the three-hour opening to take a look—both out of curiosity and inspiration. This is probably a good time to say I love Christmas. And I've long looked forward to creating my own traditions as I started a family. This is our third Christmas together as married folks and we've become Christmas village enthusiasts during that time, adding to our …

Light the candle, Northfield Patch is 1 year old today. Boy, does that feel good to type. During the past few days, I've considered the best way to use this space to express my gratitude to you—the reader, the viewer, the user, the backbone. You see, you don't just read news and information on this site. You don't just view our photos and videos. You don't just use this site by commenting, submitting blogs, photos or your own announcements and calendar items. You, Northfield, are the backbone of Northfield Patch. Since Patch launched in 2008 in New Jersey with three sites and expanded to more…

Here's a quick behind-the-scenes look at Northfield High School's ambitious undertaking of the beloved musical West Side Story. This is raw video, which means I spent no time editing pieces together. It's two quick clips to give you just a glimpse at the work on the production from the group on stage. There are dozens of other hard-working folks not on screen who are helping put the show together. Look for more polished videos showcasing the musical in the coming days on Patch. If the 90 minutes I sat it in on rehearsal this week was any indication, it should be a great show. For more on the …

I never thought I'd be so happy to be a temporarily out-of-work journalist. I was in between jobs—moving from the Northfield News to Northfield Patch—and didn't have much to do until I started with the new online venture. With a few days to kill before starting as editor of Northfield Patch on Sept. 27, 2010, I figured I'd head out of town for some much needed rest and relaxation. And then it rained. And rained. By time Friday, Sept. 24, 2010, rolled around, the Cannon River had rapidly risen and Northfield was threatened by water. Normally, as a journalist, I would have been in the water …

Every day, the national media is full of stories about how American families, businesses and neighbors are adjusting to these trying times. There are so many changes happening so fast from national debates about unemployment to foreclosures and debt cropping up everywhere. And Northfield is not immune to such changes. At Patch, we want to explore these changes in a daily conversation so we can better understand how our neighbors are adjusting to the challenges and opportunities that surround us. We don't think there's one American Dream, but a multitude of American Dreams. Looking out across …

Residents of the Northfield area are in for a treat today as President Barack Obama makes his way through our territory. Regardless of your political alignment, I am a firm believer that it's a great moment anytime you can see the president. It's about respecting the office, not necessarily the man (or woman) who holds the seat. Call me old school. Northfield Patch will have people on the ground in Cannon Falls to get photos, videos and comments from folks who are there to welcome—or heckle—Obama. We'll be in the event as Obama speaks and will have people canvassing the scene outside, which …

Are you the proud parent of a graduate? Whether it's preschool, college or somewhere in between, brag about it on Patch! Hear that? Somewhere, "Pomp and Circumstance" is playing, and someone is struggling to keep that mortarboard in place. Yep, it's graduation season, and whether it's your preschooler moving on to the big K, or your college senior heading out into the real world, you can brag about it on Patch. First, make sure you are a registered user of your Patch (if you aren't, click on "Sign Up" in the top right corner of the home page). Once you are logged in, scroll to the bottom of …