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Welcome back, Patch Blogger!

What We Cover

Area Covered: Natick, MA

Population: 33,006

Local Government: Representative Town Meeting with a five-member Board of Selectmen and Town Administrator elected by the Board

High Schools: Natick High School

Meet Your Local Patch Team

Robert Rosen

Robert Rosen, Contributor, Editor

About Robert

Email: Robert.Rosen@patch.com

Phone: 781-367-2835

Birthday: December 23

Danielle Horn

Danielle Horn, Associate Regional Editor

A Worcester native, Danielle got her start in the news business when, as a senior in high school, she wrote a column for the Telegram & Gazette about the dangers of teenage drinking. After graduating in 2003 from Worcester State College, she went on to work as a reporter at four daily newspapers, all in Central Massachusetts. (Come to think of it, she has worked at virtually every daily newspaper in and around Worcester.) Danielle left print news because she believes Patch.com will successfully reinvent the media industry, and that the most important news is local. In addition, she loves Patch's cute little logo. (Look for her wearing her bright green, unofficial "Patch," sneakers and any of the Patch T-shirts she has been hoarding since she joined the company.)

Bret Silverberg

Bret Silverberg, Contributor, Editor

Bret Silverberg graduated from Northeastern University's School of Journalism's graduate program in August 2010. Prior to that, Bret was the editor for the Needham Hometown Weekly Newspaper from 2006 to 2008. He took some time off from journalism to try his hand at a career in music for the next two years. After making one record and setting out for multple U.S. tours, he decided it was time to jump back into journalism. Bret freelanced heavily for the Jewish Advocate, Needham Patch (along with several other area Patches), and numerous other publications throughout 2009 and early 2010 while earning his Master's degree. Though he is fully invested in the world of journalism, he still likes to pick up a guitar from time to time. 

Sean O'Donnell

Sean O'Donnell, Editor

Sean started freelancing for Patch while he was still completing his journalism degree at Keene State College in New Hampshire. Shortly after graduating he took over as the Local Editor for Hopkinton.patch.com.

While at KSC Sean was the news editor for The Equinox, a weekly student newspaper. As News Editor Sean was responsible for everything from breaking news to student government meetings. He also worked as a photographer and videographer for the paper while taking classes focusing on multimedia reporting.

In his free time, Sean enjoys outdoor activities including skiing and hiking. He also enjoys spending time with his family and friends spread across the New England area.


Catherine Doneghy

Catherine Doneghy, Ad Manager

Catherine Doneghy, please call her Katie, grew up North of Boston in a small town known for its singing beach, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts. Trekking to Vermont for education (and skiing) granted her a degree in History and minor in Business from the University of Vermont. A passion for small business initiatives and cutting edge technology has brought her to start-ups in the food world and the educational travel industry where her drive for results and communication skills have made her a treasure!

Katie joined the Patch team as an Advertising Manager covering Hingham, Braintree, Canton and Plymouth to shake things up. Katie now covers many of the MetroWest Patch sites. She is a localvore - this mentality goes beyond what she puts in her pie hole. She wants to get to know YOU, come to your events, support your business and teach you how to get everything you can and want out of your Patch.

Drop her a line!

617-470-1886

catherine.doneghy@patch.com

P.S. I like raspberry jelly on my grilled cheese. My hero is Ernest Shakleton. If you don't know who he is; look him up and get inspired! I love the outdoors and getting back to nature.

Kristen Angelone

Kristen Angelone, Contributor, Sales, Blogger

Originally from Rhode Island, she went to Assumption college in Worcester, then moved to Boston 7 years ago to work in print advertising, including a number of years at Boston Magazine. Kristen had an opportunity to work in professional soccer in 2008 (she is a passionate soccer fan, player and coach in JP Youth Soccer), yet recently left the New England Revolution when the opportunity came to work for Patch.

Since moving to Jamaica Plain in 2009, she has been enamored with the neighborhood since moving to the Boston area. She believes the diversity, culture, arts, food, and location make for a fabulous experience whether a resident or visitor!

Patrick Purcell

Patrick Purcell, Contributor, Sales

Patrick is the Regional Publisher for Patch in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  He is a Weston High School alum and a Boston College graduate.  Patrick spent most of his career in the newspaper industry prior to joining Patch.  He has managed sales teams for The New York Post, Boston Herald and Community Newspaper Company.  

Susan Petroni

Susan Petroni, Editor

Susan has been a journalist since high school, when she was hired by the Everett-Leader Herald to cover basketball and other high school sports. She is excited to be covering the community she lives in, again.

After graduating from Boston College, Susan was an award-winning sports editor (New England Press Association (NEPA) awards) and an award-winning education reporter (named best education reporter by the Massachusetts Teachers Association). A former political, town government and investigative reporter, Susan has won several New England Press Association, Suburban Newspapers of America (SNA) and National Newspaper Association awards.

A former writer at the Brockton Enterprise and an editor at The Eagle-Tribune, Susan has worked as a freelance writer and editor since getting married and having a family. She has written for national publications like FamilyFun magazine and was editor of Bay State Parent magazine from 2004-2008. Bay State Parent won more than 100 awards while Susan was at the helm, including being named best regional parenting magazine in North America by SNA in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Susan lives in Framingham with her husband and their daughter. An active volunteer and an avid photographer, Susan is rarely seen without her camera.  

Robert Fucci

Robert Fucci, Contributor, Editor

Rob Fucci is a 16-year award-winning journalist who earned his degree in broadcast journalism from Northeastern University. He was raised in Natick and currently lives just over the border in Framingham with his wife, Lesley. (Ask him about her desserts!) Rob will have updates about Sudbury on Facebook and Twitter. And if you see him around town,  stop to say "hi."

Keith Regan

Keith Regan, Guest Editor

Keith Regan is a freelance writer who lives in Hopkinton with his two children. When he is not writing or reporting, he spends his time playing and coaching soccer and coaxing his Jeep toward the magical 200,000-mile mark. 

Jim Calarese

Jim Calarese, Contributor

Jim Calarese is a professional photographer who owned and operated a wedding and portrait studio in Milford for 28 years. Now, Jim spends his time traveling and creating art photos (http://jim-calarese.artistwebsites.com/) to sell online.

Jim's professional career began after completing a photography course at Franklin Technical Institute in Boston and the U.S. Air Force photography course in Denver. After four years as a military photographer, he began freelancing for local newspapers and photo studios and then opened his own studio.

Jim has photographed more than 1,200 weddings and hundreds of local high school seniors and family groups. He has photographed Presidents Nixon, Kennedy and Carter, and as well as celebrities Shirley MacLaine and Jimmy Stewart. He earned the designation of Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) from the Professional Photographers of America and was selected Eighth Air Force photographer of the month.

Jim's style is to capture life and nature as it is. 


About Us

What is Patch?

Simply put, Patch is an innovative way to find out about, and participate in, what's going on near you.

We're a community-specific news, information and engagement platform driven by passionate and experienced new media professionals. Patch is revolutionizing the way neighbors connect with each other, their communities, and the national conversation.

We want to be the most trusted, comprehensive, and relevant news and information resource in your community. What can you do on Patch?

  • Keep up with news and events
  • Check out photos and videos from around town
  • Learn more about local businesses and the people behind them
  • Participate in discussions
  • Share your perspectives via our Local Voices blogging platform
  • Submit your own announcements, photos, and reviews

Who's Behind Patch?

Patch is run by professional editors, photographers, videographers, and salespeople who live in the regions they serve, and is supported by a great team in our New York City headquarters. Patch also gets advice from our Advisory Board and from many members of the community.

We look forward to meeting you and hearing your stories. If you see us around town, don't be afraid to say hi and tell us what you want to see on Patch!

Where You Come In

We hope that our sites will strengthen communities and improve the lives of their residents, but we can't do it without you. We've built Patch so that you have plenty of opportunities to comment on stories, share your opinions, post photos and announcements, and add events to the community calendar. So get to it! And if you're a business owner who wants to be listed, just let us know.

Giving Back

You can't truly serve a community unless you provide the help it needs most, which is why giving back is so important to us. We do it as part of our coverage — in a dedicated space that lets local charities and volunteers find each other — and with a program called "Give 5," through which we donate advertising space to charitable organizations and contribute our own time as volunteers. Want to know more? Email us at give5@patch.com.


Advisory Board

Phil Meyer

Phil Meyer

Phil Meyer is Professor Emeritus in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and was inducted into the North Carolina Hall of Fame in Journalism in the spring of 2008.  He joined the Journalism School in 1981 and served as Knight Chair in Journalism Professor from 1993-2008.  Prior to joining the school, he held a number of reporter and research positions at various media outlets. 

He has won numerous awards including the 2005 Sigma Delta Chi Distinguished Service Award for Research About Journalism (with Scott Maier). He was named a Fellow of Society of Professional Journalists in 2005. In 2004, the Newspaper Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication gave him its Professional Freedom and Responsibility Award. And in 2000 he received the American Association for Public Opinion Research Award for Exceptionally Distinguished Achievement.

Meyer is the author of several books including The Vanishing Newspaper:  Saving Journalism in the Information Age and Precision Journalism:  A Reporter’s Introduction to Social Science Methods.  Journalism Quarterly in 2000 listed this book as one of the 35 significant books of the 20th century in journalism and mass communication; and the American Association for Public Opinion Research, observing its 50th anniversary in 1996, listed it as one of 50 significant books on public opinion research.

He received his B.S. in technical journalism from Kansas State University and his M.A. in political science from the University of North Carolina.

Steven Berlin Johnson

Steven Berlin Johnson

Steven Berlin Johnson is a pioneer in the web world, as a co-founder of FEED, Plastic.com, and Outside.in, which was acquired by Patch in March of 2011. He also co-created Findings.com, which launched in late 2011. Steven was the 2009 Hearst New Media Professional-in-Residence at The Journalism School at Columbia University, and served for several years as a Distinguished Writer in Residence at NYU’s Journalism School. He is a bestselling author of seven books, and won acclaim and a Newhouse School Mirror Award for his 2010 Time Magazine cover story, "How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live." 

Speaking of Steven's editorial prowess, check out this video based on Steven's book, Where Good Ideas Come From, which was named one of the best books of 2010 by The Economist.

Brian Farnham

Brian Farnham, Founding Editor-in-Chief

Brian was Editor-in-Chief of Time Out New York magazine before coming to Patch. Before that he worked for a variety of publications both online and off, including Details magazine, New York Magazine, and the old, dearly departed Sidewalk.com. He has written for numerous publications, from the New York Times magazine to Harper's Bazaar. He graduated from Bowdoin College and got an MFA in creative writing at Columbia University so he could put his novel in a drawer with distinction. He lives in Manhattan with his beautiful wife, adorable son, angelic daughter and the world's most dog-like cat. He’s proud as hell of what the Patch team has built.

Ken Paulson

Ken Paulson, President and Chief Executive Officer of the First Amendment Center

Ken Paulson is president and chief executive officer of the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University and in Washington, D.C.

Previously, Paulson served as the editor and senior vice president/news of USA Today.  He is now a columnist on USA Today’s board of contributors, writing about First Amendment issues and the news media.

Throughout his career, Paulson has drawn on his background as both a journalist and lawyer, serving as the editor or managing editor of newspapers in five different states.

He also is past-president of the American Society of News Editors, the nation’s largest organization of news media leaders.

Paulson also was the host of the Emmy-honored television program “Speaking Freely,” seen in more than 60 PBS markets nationwide over five seasons, and the author of "Freedom Sings," a multimedia stage show celebrating the First Amendment that continues to tour the nation's campuses.  

He was an early advocate of making newspaper content available online, launching online newspapers in both Florida and New York in 1993.

For 12 years, Paulson was a regular guest lecturer at the American Press Institute, speaking to more than 5,000 journalists about First Amendment issues. He was honored with the API Lifetime Service Award. In 2010 and 2011, he served as chair of the PBS Editorial Standards Review Committee.

In 2007, Paulson was named fellow of the Society of Professional Journalists, “the highest honor SPJ bestows upon a journalist for extraordinary contributions to the profession.” In 2008, he  received the Robert S. Abbott Memorial Award for Meritorious Service in Mass Communications from the Southern Regional Press Institute. He has also been elected to the Illini Publishing Hall of Fame at the University of Illinois.

He is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law and the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He also has served as an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University Law School. In 2008, he received an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters from American University.