At Patch.com, we want to do more than just provide local news coverage. A major part of our mission is to become a center of local conversation— a place where members of the community can come to share information and opinions.

As Local Editor of the Manasquan-Belmar Patch, I'd like to personally extend an invitation to the public to take advantage of all that Patch has to offer.

First thing's first. In order to become an active member of the Patch community, you'll need a Patch account. At the top, right corner of the screen you'll see a sign-up link. It takes just moments to create your Patch.com account.

Did you son or daughter recently graduate college? Was there a birth in your family? Are you promoting awareness for a charitable cause? Once you've created your Patch account, you can let the community know by posting an announcement.

Is your organization planning a local event? Want to get the word out? Our events calendar makes it easy to submit an event listing. You can input all of the important information directly and even add photos or video. For those who aren't exactly tech-savvy, there is a tutorial video attached to this article that will guide you through the event posting process.

With your Patch account you can also join the local conversation by commenting on articles. In many communities Patch has become a vibrant hub for discourse on a variety of local issues. With so much happening in the Manasquan-Belmar area, we'd like for this site to serve residents the same way.

We'll be adding more polls to articles. Readers can weigh-in on hot topics with one click of their mouse— no log-in required.

I'd also like to invite members of the local community to meet with me and share their opinions, ideas and news tips. I will hold "office hours" on a weekly basis. 

I will use the Manasquan-Belmar Patch Facebook and Twitter accounts to announce where I'll be and when each week.

We are also still accepting applications for local bloggers. If you'd like to share your ideas or opinions in a regular blog on Manasquan-Belmar Patch, click here to apply.

If you'd like to express a viewpoint on a local issue, feel free to email me a letter to the editor at tom.dunphy@patch.com.

I urge area residents to join the conversation and together we can make Patch grow.