Farewell, and Thanks for Being Part of This Journey

Friday will be my last day as editor of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Patch.

After moving back here from Phoenix in 2007 to be closer to my mom, I am once again venturing west. I will be moving to Palm Springs, Calif., next month.

Since my mom passed away last year, I've been trying to decide where I want to be. During the 18 years I lived in Phoenix, I visited Palm Springs many times and continued to go back there for breaks when I could after moving here. I love the area, and I knew going forward it would be a good fit for me.

I'm still working on the job aspect of the move, but that will come.

Since launching Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Patch in October 2010 as part of America Online's dramatic 850-site growth in one year into the online content market, I have never been as immersed in a job as much as I have been with this one. My role stopped just short of feeling like I was running my own business. I know many of you thought I was, but trust me my paycheck came from New York.

In the more than 20 years I had worked in community journalism prior to Patch, I thought I had been there and done that. Boy, was I wrong. I leave very much enlightened about the path this medium is taking us as journalists and you as readers. I believe it's a good direction. Sure, there will be continued bumps and obstacles, but there is a true need for this service as technology ramps up the speed of our lives and information becomes more fragmented.

Francis Bacon once wrote that "Knowledge itself is power." That's the way I approached this job every day, trying in some way to empower you with knowledge about Lake Forest and Lake Bluff. That might seem like more of a humanitarian pursuit, but this job is, in fact, very much about the human condition.

I couldn't have asked to cover two towns better than these. And there are so many good people living here who are dedicated to making sure the bar continues to be raised even when tragedies make it feel like it's slipping from our grasps.

Starting this weekend, Steve Sadin will fill in as editor until a permanent replacement is hired. Steve is editor of Deerfield Patch, but before that he was one of my original writers I hired in 2010. He's covered sports, schools, government and more for this site, so he has a good working knowledge of the two towns. Feel free to reach out to him: steve.sadin@patch.com.

I wish each of you the best.

Jim