Launching Bowie Patch was a huge challenge. When I started with Patch in July of last year, I was fresh out of school at Towson University and eager to jump into community journalism head first.

We built a digital directory of the community, and on Sept. 28, 2010, Bowie Patch went live and I started my career as an editor and journalist. Since then, I've had the opportunity to cover a huge variety of happenings from the opening of the new City Hall, to elementary school students learning a new sport, and Jack Johnson pleading guilty to charges of corruption.

I've had the pleasure of working with a great group of people here at Patch. The support staff and other local editors of Bowie's neighboring sites have been instrumental in the success of Bowie Patch, and I can't thank them enough for all of the support and guidance over the past year.

I am also very grateful for all of the interactions I've had with people in the community while out covering stories. While it may seem like a small gesture, hearing that people "love the Patch" or that they read it every day goes a long way in making the long hours seem worth it. Thank you all for your kind words, news tips, submissions and especially your patience while we tried to do something that's never been done before.

Signing off,

Josh Flynn