It's been one year since Patch launched in Corona del Mar and Newport Beach and I must say, the time has flown by.

I remember the night before CDM Patch went live, I was getting ready to call it a day when I got word that a private plane had crashed into Upper Newport Bay, killing three South Bay residents. I grabbed my camera, jumped in my car and headed straight to the scene. Honestly, things haven't slowed down much since then. In January, a fatal crash on Pacific Coast Highway took the lives of Julie Allen, a 27-year-old Newport Beach resident and two other Orange County residents. Fast forward to July, when the "I Heart Puppies" Store in Corona del Mar came into the public spotlight when a nonprofit group launched an investigation into the store after complaints from residents and assertions that the store gets its puppies from Midwest puppy mills.

I could go on and on, listing all of the stories Patch has covered in Corona del Mar and Newport Beach, but the point is that although the news has not always been pretty, my hope is that it has been useful to residents.

Today I find myself still extremely busy, but enjoying every second and being thankful to do what I love - report the news. Since August, I have had the pleasure of managing both Corona del Mar and Newport Beach Patches, and I wouldn't be able to do it without the help of my team of freelance writers and photographers. I want to thank those who have been here with me since the beginning, Susan Hoffman and Tiffany Carter, as well as Walt Weis, Kathy Ochiai, Philip Friedman and Sandy Asper. I appreciate all of your hard work, thank you so much for your efforts.

Today Patch remains committed to serving as the news hub that keeps residents updated on everything and anything impacting their lives, work and quality of life. The focus of Patch, though, is more than just news. Our goal, from the start has been to help readers and give readers a place to share information and exchange opinions and ideas. We’re always looking for bloggers, columnists and of course, suggestions on what we should cover. Feel free to email me anytime at nisha.gutierrez@patch.com.

This year would not have been as memorable, eventful, successful or fun without you so thanks for reading and interacting with Corona del Mar and Newport Beach Patches. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.