A Farewell From Your Merrimack Patch Editor

As someone who writes for a living, putting into words a farewell letter to the readers of Merrimack Patch has been unusually difficult.

Friday, Dec. 27, will be my last day as the Local Editor for Merrimack Patch. Though I am leaving, this site isn’t going anywhere.

I’ve worked in the news industry – first for newspapers before transitioning to Patch for the last 30 months – since I earned my degree in journalism and mass communication in 2004.

Two weeks ago, I accepted a job as the Director of Communications for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) based in Manchester. I’m looking forward to a new adventure in a new environment, but I’m going to miss Merrimack terribly.

I think the most important two words I can say to you as I depart Patch are “Thank you.”

Thank you for embracing Merrimack Patch and welcoming me into your community and lives.

Thank you for getting involved by sharing news tips, photos, news and events, and contributing to the conversation we have been building in this forum since 2011.

Thank you for keeping me on my toes and for making my job interesting day in and out.

Thank you for helping spread the word about Merrimack Patch, for subscribing to my newsletter, for following me on Facebook and Twitter. I never could have done it on my own.

Thank you for the bear updates! It was so much fun over the past couple years tracking the Merrimack bears with all of you. It was something I thought would be interesting, but never imagined taking off the way it did (I ran a slideshow of the pictures I received in 2013 on Christmas Day, which can be found here.)

Thank you for sharing in my excitement of being able to keep you connected to the people and events that make Merrimack such a great community!

Thank you, above all, for making me feel at home. I’ve been a New Hampshire resident all 32 years of my life. I’ve never lived in Merrimack, but I’ve felt like a member of your community from Day One.

Patch wouldn’t work without people – the people who read our sites and comment on our stories, engage with us on Facebook and Twitter or strike up conversations in a coffee shop. Over the last two and a half years, I’ve made some great friends in Merrimack. I cannot count the number of conversations I’ve had with residents, business owners and community leaders, over a cup of coffee at Swan Chocolates, Starbucks and Out of the Woods Café when it was open. Whether it was for a story, or just a morning or afternoon chat I felt like a friend and neighbor all along.

I’d also like to say a special “Thank You” to the Patch team in New Hampshire. Patch has a top-notch team of journalists representing the company in the Granite State.  I couldn’t have asked for better people to work with and I value the friendships we’ve made. The readers of Patch in New Hampshire are lucky to have you steering the ship.

I hope 2014 brings new, exciting and fun things for everyone reading this letter – and maybe even a new grocery store to town. 

Happy New Year!

Carolyn Dube
www.twitter.com/carolyndube