Even though summer doesn't officially end until Sept. 21, the start of school signals that we've come through the bulk of it and that fall is on the horizon. I've shared some of my favorite summer photos to get this started, but I'd love for readers to upload some as well. These can be pictures taken of your kids playing in the sprinkler, of a family outing to a local ice cream shop. Anything summer related goes. Share your photos on Patch by clicking the Upload Photos and Videos link below our pictures.

Hello readers, La Grange Patch has some new really cool features that I wanted to tell you about. Hopefully, they'll help make your life easier and help you better share your life with us on Patch. Traffic and Gas First, I'm excited to tell you about our new Traffic and Gas feature on the site. Thanks to our friends over at MapQuest, you can now find an interactive traffic map and the area's cheapest gas prices on Patch. The traffic map shows you where there's road construction or accidents backing up traffic, so you can plan your best route to get where you need to go on time. Our gas price …

With the power out at my home today, I felt like a nomad, searching up and down the streets for just a little internet. With Caribou Coffee on La Grange Road closed because of a lack of power, I decided to head down the street in search of a strong cup of coffee and a strong WiFi signal at Starbucks.  Lo and behold, when I got there, it seemed that every other resident in La Grange, La Grange Park and Western Springs also had the same thought. Patch contributor Thom Rae was at the counter when I arrived. "If you stick around, a spot will probably open up in about ten minutes," he told me. …

Bloggers (and those interested in joining the ranks), We've got some awesome new site additions coming to Patch next week. At Patch we're always looking for local voices in the community with something to say, and now we've got a great platform for you to say it. Do you have a unique voice? Are you an expert on something? Well, Patch now has a place for you to share what you know with your neighbors.  If you already have a blog, but would like some help growing your audience, share it on Patch! If you've never had your own blog before, but would like to share your opinions, or educate your …

Dear Readers, I have news today I'm both sad and excited to share. Forget Mom's endearing "rip the Band-Aid off quickly" addage—let's dive into the good stuff first :-) I am extremely happy to introduce you to Matthew Hendrickson, who will be La Grange Patch Editor as of Saturday, April 9, 2011. Not only is Hendrickson a La Grange native and graduate of Lyons Township High School where he worked at WLTL radio, he is, more importantly in this case, a respected, accomplished journalist you can trust to continue to provide comprehensive news coverage of La Grange and La Grange Park. He's no …

The April 5 election of La Grange and La Grange Park school, library, village and park board trustees is approaching and early voting is underway. With a total of four contested elections in the villages, yard sign endorsements are in no short supply throughout neighborhoods. Although Patch publications do not make endorsements, that doesn't mean you can't make your endorsement on Patch. I invite you to tell the community whom you endorse, and why, in a letter to the editor. I will accept and publish letters through Friday, April 1. How To Endorse A Candidate To send an endorsement letter to …

We have profiled a number of amazing young people in the La Grange Park and La Grange communities in the six months since La Grange Patch first launched, but, there are so many inspiring youth, we decided to make it a weekly feature. We know you've been impressed by the kids in your life, so please, nominate them—let's give them some credit and allow other readers to be inspired! Do you know a great kid who made Eagle Scout? Or did your local soccer team take the championship? Did your neighbor's child win a spelling bee? Did your niece, nephew or grandchild score a role in the school play? …

It used to be "The Talk" was the main hurdle in parenting adolescents. Now, it seems, technology has created the necessity for "The Talk 2.0," if you will. And, just as "Birds and the Bees" literature and talking points are widely available, there is a host of resources to facilitate Internet safety talks with children and teens. For example, Google has The Google Family Safety Channel on YouTube.com, with videos for parents and kids. You can view their most popular bit, "Parents at Google in the US talking about child safety online," to the right of this article. Locally, parents and …

The CBS Evening News recently ran a story about Patch.com. So did the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Reader. These articles explain a bit about what's offered on Patch.com news sites, and even address concerns some have about our company. But, for readers of La Grange Patch, which will enter its sixth month of operation on Jan. 1, let's get down to the nuts and bolts and talk about the top 10 things you might not know about this daily news site serving La Grange and La Grange Park. 1. Prefer Headlines E-mailed to Your Inbox? No Problem. We offer daily, weekly and breaking news …

On Saturday, the annual "Holiday in the Park" at the Community Park District of La Grange Park, 1501 Barnsdale Road, kicks off at 1 p.m., but the main event happens at 1:30 p.m., when  Santa arrives by fire truck—he will then be available to listen to kids' Christmas wishes and pose for photos, which come with frames. The festival, which lasts until 4 p.m., also features a petting zoo, hayride, bonfire and s'mores, crafts, games, cookie-decorating, face-painting, story-telling, eats and drinks, chair massages and live music by area school bands and choruses. And, it's all free, thanks to …

Business window displays have transformed to red, white and green, lights twinkle in nearly every tree downtown and we're all enjoying winter flavors of cinnamon and spice and everything nice—all that's missing is snow. For the days of Dec. 1 through Dec. 5, enjoy the holiday spirit at your choice of activities in and around La Grange and La Grange Park, as outlined below—make sure to click on the blue links for all the details of the events you're interested in. And, next week, look out for another installment of Santa Tracker for Dec. 6 through Dec. 12. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 1 Annual YMCA Mens …

This is as busy a time of year as any. Thanksgiving is Thursday and most of us are either charged with preparing the main event or a side dish—I'm bringing mashed sweet potatoes and butternut squash to my family's get-together in Chicago. For those of you tasked with bringing the bird, let me help you save time by highlighting the places in La Grange and La Grange Park where you can purchase turkeys and tofu "turkeys." Alternative Bird The Tofurky Roast—a pre-cooked vegetarian dish made from a tofu-wheat protein blend, stuffed with wild rice and whole wheat bread crumb stuffing and known for…

As this video describes, La Grange Patch's Q&A section, launched last week, is a place where we La Grange and La Grange Park community members can get our questions answered—from "Where can I find a last minute dog walker?" to "What's the story behind my street's name?" and everything in between and beyond—and where we in turn can help our neighbors out by inputting helpful answers to their questions. We've already had a number of questions answered, including "Who founded the annual Pet Parade?" and "When will there be a commuter train to O'Hare?" and more! To show appreciation to those who …

Well, if the weather holds out (cross your fingers for this forecast projecting partly-cloudy and low-sixties) the villages of La Grange and La Grange Park have no shortage of fun, free, family-friendly parties, and of course, trick-or-treating, in store this Halloween weekend. So, put the kids in their Iron Man suits or Cinderella gowns, plop on your cat ears or Where's Waldo striped hat, and choose your own adventure: FRIDAY, OCT. 29 In La Grange, Fannie May Candies is sponsoring the free Halloween party at the Park District of La Grange from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., which means a chocolate …

A 70-degree weekend is in store this Labor Day holiday for the La Grange area, and there are three festivals nearby with fun for everyone: from the live music of the Gin Blossoms and The Ides of March, featuring Jim Peterik, in Schaumburg, to a full carnival in Naperville, to an exhibit of photography, watercolors, sculptures, and more, in Oak Brook. Sept. 3 - Sept. 6 Naperville Jaycees 2010 Last Fling: a carnival, national musical acts, a local artist stage, beer garden, food vendors, business expo and tons of other special events and activities Sept. 4 -Sept. 6 Taste of Schaumburg and …

I want to take a moment here to both share some of the school coverage La Grange Patch has produced in its one month of existence, and to ask for your feedback as I plan continued education coverage this year—no story is too big or too small. What are your questions about what's happening in, and to, our public schools? Please tell me in the comments or via e-mail. If any of the questions that come in are those I can answer right away, I'll compile the questions and answers in my next column. Below, please find a sample of our public school coverage to date. Perhaps viewing these headlines …

Working for Patch.com means not only devoting time to coverage of local news, but also to volunteering in the community, part of a program Patch calls Give 5. The Give 5 program has two prongs: Patch gives 5 percent of its advertising space, free of charge, to local charities from the communities Patch serves, and all Patch employees spend five working days each year volunteering in the communities Patch serves. On Aug. 17, Patch employees all over the nation spent time giving back in their locales to commemorate the 100th Patch launch. Due to obligations on the 17th, on Aug. 18 I headed to …

La Grange Patch is on Twitter. So are many other businesses, politicians and residents in the La Grange and La Grange Park area. For those who want to keep up with local goings-on via iPhones, Blackberrys, Androids or any Internet-enabled phones, Twitter can be the easy solution. Of course, it's also accessible on your home computer. For example, restaurants like Nicksons Eatery and Q BBQ often tweet their daily specials, which is convenient around dinner time if you haven't had a chance to walk by their sidewalk signs. La Grange Public Library often tweets interesting factoids; Brookfield …

Hello and welcome to La Grange Patch, a new daily online newspaper covering La Grange and La Grange Park, Ill. If you'd like, take a minute to watch the video to the right of these words. It's me, trying to shoot a "Welcome to La Grange Patch" video, as torrential rain beats on my umbrella, nearly drowning out my voice on the mic, while sopping wet dogs—and their owners—march in the 64th Annual La Grange Pet Parade. That day was a ton of fun, and, it was enlightening. I showed up expecting to be met with a vacant street and a parade cancellation. Instead, I found no one had budged from their …