You follow Solon Patch. Maybe you get our daily newletter and see all the latest headlines in your inbox every morning. But did you realize you could be getting more out of the site? Click here to find Solon Patch on Facebook, and click "like" to see all of our updates in your news feed! We'll share articles as they are published, photos from around town you will not see on the site and — when the news is big — we share live updates, right in your Facebook home page. Are you following the deer culling story? Or plans for a new Giant Eagle? Or the awesome, undefeated season turned in by Solon'…

Do you own a business in Solon?You may already know that Solon Patch has a comprehensive directory with listings for the businesses in town, but you may not know that you can take control of your listing -- for free.That’s right—we want you to claim your listing and make it your own. Business owners who claim their listings can add additional details and post new photos. You can also update some of the existing information on your page. For example, if your hours have changed or you’ve expanded the services you offer, you can change it right away if you’ve claimed your listing.And once you …

Today, Solon Patch celebrated its first anniversary, and it was definitely a successful event. We gave away coffee courtesy of D&R Bagels on Aurora Road. We handed out Patch swag and signed up interested readers for our free daily newsletter. Those lucky folks got a chance to be entered into a drawing for a $25 D&R Bagels gift certificate. We've jumbled up the entries and the winner is...Denise Maiorana!  Congratulations Denise! You'll receive an e-mail shortly to find out how we'll get this gift certificate into your hands! The best part of Patchiversary for me was talking to the great …

A year ago, I was beginning my journey as editor of Solon Patch. What a ride it's been! About 1,800 articles later, we are just getting started. We couldn't have done it without you: our readers, our users, our contributors. Thanks for making our first year a huge success, and for following our coverage. From writing about the successes of Solon Schools to the deer culling debate at City Hall to the sometimes weird stuff in the Solon Police blotter to everything, we've enjoyed the ride. I hope you've had fun too, and left feeling more informed about your community. In the last year, we've …

Let’s say you’ve already signed up for our newsletter, you like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and you obviously check the site for the latest updates. So what else can you do on Solon Patch? So much more! Solon Patch is more than just a news site—we’re a community conversation online. But we need you to make that conversation as rich and complete as it can be. Here are just a few ways you can get involved: Post an event or an announcement If it’s happening in Solon, we want to hear about it. Just remember—they can’t be used for advertising purposes. Businesses that want to spread …

If you like seeing Solon news and features, but don't always remember to check Solon Patch every day, may we suggest signing up for the Patch Newsletter? That way, the day's headlines will be delivered — free of charge — to your inbox every morning. See a story that catches your eye? It's a simple click to Solon Patch for all the news, features, photos and videos, as well as a directory of local events, business listings and feedback from your neighbors. We'll only send one email a day — we promise. We won't try to get you to buy anything. And we won't sell your email address to anyone else. …

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 …

Everyone remembers where they were on Sept. 11, 2001.  But in every community across America, there are those who were more directly affected by the terrorist attacks and the confusing decade of war, fear and unrest that has followed. We are looking for those of you in Solon who have felt that effect more closely than most, and we want to share your stories. Telling your stories is the best way locally we can help come to terms with that terrible day and the way it changed our country. Were you there or know someone who was in New York or D.C. that day? Did you go afterwards to help? Did you …

Are you passionate about something in Solon? Contact us! Whether it's food, family, schools, government, business, social issues, exercise, fashion or business— if it's your thing, we'd like you to consider blogging for Solon Patch. Anyone may apply. I am specifically interested in talking with: Musicians, Live Music Fans, Audiophiles and Artists Parents, High School Students, Teachers and Professors Priests, Pastors and holy men and women of all faiths Outdoors types and Gardeners Car Aficianados Bartenders, Baristas and Foodies Fashion Experts, Stylists and Crafters Volunteers and Nonprofit…

Today is Solon Patch's three-month anniversary. We are incredibly grateful for our wonderful readers who have embraced the site so far. Whether it's the tons of comments on deer management issues or the great events and announcements you let us know about, we couldn't do this without you. Thank you for commenting on articles, posting events and announcements and checking in regularly to find out what’s happening in Solon. So consider this a check-in with you, our readers, to find out how we're doing. What features on the site do you like? What can we do better? Tell us in the comments, or …

The night before Read Across America Day, I learned that my library had been decimated. As some of you know, I recently moved here from North Carolina to start working for Patch. And since I'm still transitioning back to Northeast Ohio, much of my stuff (I have lots and lots of stuff) was tucked away in one of those self-storage places. As all of you know, we just had a deluge of rain and melting snow. Many places were flooded. One of the places was my storage shed. Most of my stuff is fine, but many of my books, and I have hundreds, are not. The boxes containing them were sitting on the …

The media and the blogosphere have been buzzing this morning over the announcement that Patch's parent company AOL has acquired popular online news site HuffingtonPost. Solon Patch is one of close to 800 hyper-local news sites operated by Patch across the country. In the coming days, you're likely to hear and read lots of speculation about what this deal means and what effect it will have for Patch sites. The purchase is likely to have little direct effect on sites like Solon Patch, but the honest answer is we don't really know yet. Stay tuned! What I can tell you in the meantime is we'll …

Starting next Thursday, Patch will run a new weekly feature called The List, highlighting editor and reader picks of great local businesses, destinations, services, organizations, ways to spend a day off  and more.   You’ll find useful lists to help you, your family, friends, and significant others find the best places for everything from Sunday brunch to New Year’s Eve celebrations, pumpkin patches, date night destinations, florists, girlfriend nights out, kids' party places, parks and more. Stay tuned for our first list on Thursday. But we need your help. Want to suggest a list? Submit your…

Coming next Thursday, Solon Patch will take its content offerings to the next level. We have already given you lots of resources to better engage with your community, from the comprehensive business directory and events listing to our daily 5 Things to Do posts.  But from here on out, Thursday will be "Must See Day" with tons of new content for you to wrap your mind around. But keep in mind that these features can't excel without your input, suggestions and comments. More on that below. Here is what you can expect on Thursdays: Get Out: Thursday means the weekend is fast approaching, so Solon…