Community Corner

Introducing: Dispatches on the American Dream in Bowie

Introducing a new series of stories looking at how our neighbors are facing challenges and opportunities to build better communities and better lives.

We're excited to inaugurate a new series for our Patch Readers: "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream."



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 that it's dizzying: national debates about unemployment, foreclosures, debt, religion, government and private enterprise all touch on fundamental ways in which we see ourselves and our communities. At Patch, we want to explore that conversation on a daily basis 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 which a multitude of people are working toward. Looking out across nearly almost 900 Patch sites, we see businesses holding their breath deciding whether to expand; college graduates returning home because they can't find jobs; and senior citizens bringing boarders into their homes to help pay their bills. We also see bold new volunteer efforts, inspiring stories of , and locals who've taken these trying times as a signal to engage more, not less, in their government.

At the purely local level, we want to know where we, as Bowie neighbors, fit along these fault lines.

Nationally, there's a debate about the education system, which is at the center of our dreams of a better life for our children. Locally, we know Bowie’s schools and those across Prince George’s County still need improvement. And the most important people that can make an impact are not national politicians, but and teachers on the ground level.

"Dispatches" will be built upon the compelling vignettes and snapshots we unearth across all of our Patch sites.

And, of course, we want your help: Tell us what issues and what stories in Bowie go to the heart of your American Dream. You can e-mail your ideas to editor Josh Flynn at joshua@patch.com


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