A Farewell From 'The Patch Guy'

To my dedicated Patch readers:

Though it saddens my heart to type these words, I must say farewell to you all as editor. 

I shared the news with many of you on the Menomonee Falls Patch Facebook page, but I thought I'd also get the word out on the official site. 

Many of you have heard the news about Menomonee Falls Patch closing - as well as all other Wisconsin sites. Indeed, that is true. Well, at least on Oct. 15 I know my personal journey with Patch will come to an end as I will be laid off Tuesday. I'm not sure what the future of the site is, but that will be hashed out by the higher ups with Patch Media Corporation. 

I just wanted to say it's been a real pleasure covering the local news that was most important to you all over the past three years as your editor. It was an incredible challenge building a site from the ground up, but I couldn't have asked for a better community to do that in. 

I had a lot of fun chasing down ghosts on Main Street, keeping up with the Radisson Hotel situation, hustling out a 2 a.m. to report why you heard those sirens, and letting you know about the many great events hosted in Falls.  I hope my stories made you laugh, made you cry, made you angry, or enlightened you.

Most of all, I hope I helped foster a deeper sense of community here in Menomonee Falls, or simply cast a brighter light on what many of you already knew - this is a great place to live. 

Whether it was a sports game, a meeting with a local organization, or stopping into the police department for reports, I was always received warmly and with open arms. Menomonee Falls is a great community, and there's something unique going on here in the village. 

I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunity to share my passion for writing with you. However, I'm saddened that residents may not have that virtual connection to their community moving forward, and I truly believe there's plenty of news to cover out here. Only the future will tell what happens next. 

I'm not sure what lies ahead on my path, but I'm sure I will always write. Through the years I've met many of you while on the beat, and you've also become my friends. Feel free to contact me at engelki5@live.com if you want to stay in touch. 

This past summer, I ventured out to Washington state to climb Mt. Adams. Little did I know that my summit would soon become a metaphor for the challenging times ahead at Patch, and simply the prospect of shaping my future. Though standing atop the summit is beautiful, it's the physically exerting climb to the top that I remember most. It's the climb that makes the summit so much sweeter. I guess you could say I've climbed Mt. Patch. 

Now, I'm excited to climb another peak, both literally and metaphorically. 

I'm looking forward to new challenges, but I'll always have a place in my heart for Menomonee Falls. 

Thank you all for a wonderful run. 

Sincerely, 

Carl Engelking