We Want Your Stories

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 local businesses that succeed because they innovated, 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 Manassas Park neighbors, fit along these fault lines.

Nationally, there's a debate about the No Child Left Behind law and if it has run its course. At the local level, the city's school district didn't meet federal benchmarks this year, partially because of the challenges assoicated with educating a diverse population that includes English as a Second Language students and special needs students. 

As the nation's economy struggles, Manassas Park struggles to bring in businesses. This, many say, is the key to relieving the tax burden on the residents who pay some of the highest property taxes in the Commonwealth. 

"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 Manassas Park go to the heart of your American Dream.