13 Things to Know About Hartland Patch

Hartland Patch has been around for nearly a year, but have you discovered everything our site has to offer?

We wanted to take the time to remind you why we're here and what this site is all about. 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. We hope that our site will strengthen the community, and you all help make it better.

Here are some tips to using the site:

1. Comment on an Article

We subscribe to the idea that "news is a conversation." Much of our reporting will emanate from what readers tell us in emails, comments on our sites and in conversations around town. Share your thoughts and reactions to our articles by posting a comment directly below each story. 

2. Ask a Question

So maybe you want to know when that pothole is going to get fixed, or maybe you're a local expert on native trees just dying for someone to ask why their allergies are so bad this year. Patch's Q&A section is the place for you to ask your questions and show off your expertise, all while connecting with your neighbors. Visit http://hartland.patch.com/questions and ask a question, or answer someone else's.

3. Start a blog

We offer the opportunity to blog on our site in the section called Local Voices. Once you get started, you can post as little or as much as you want and you get the benefit of our editing for style and grammar. If you're interested, please email Hartland editor Christofer Machniak: chris.machniak@patch.com.

4. Send a News Tip

At the bottom of the homepage, there's a link that says, "Send Us News Tips." Tell us about stories we should cover. Your tip will be sent straight to Christofer Machniak, Hartland Patch's editor.

5. Post an Event

Do you know of a book signing at our local bookstore, a celebrity chef appearing at cooking store or an art exhibit at a local coffee shop? Is there a garage sale or graduation ceremony coming up? If it's not on our Patch calendar, it should be. Feel free to add events to our site at http://hartland.patch.com/events/new.

6. Post an Announcement

Post births, engagements and wedding announcements. Tell us who made the honor roll or share school awards, social notes and thank you shout outs. If you're looking for volunteers or searching for your lost dog, we welcome you to call on your community for help. Just remember, our Terms of Use say announcements should be for personal use and not for advertising. Here's the link to post an announcement: http://hartland.patch.com/announcements/new.

7. Sign Up for Newsletters

The daily Hartland Patch newsletter brings you the five latest articles, the most recent announcements and opinions posted in the last 24 hours and a listing of that day's upcoming events. It is delivered to your email every day by 6:30 a.m. You can also sign up for a weekly newsletter and breaking news alerts. To sign up, click on "Follow this Patch" in the upper right hand corner of the site.

8. Claim Your Directory Listing

Our business and organization listings aren't skimpy. Our team of researchers actually hit the streets and visited businesses, schools, parks, libraries and more so we can provide photos as well as detailed information such as products sold and hours of operation. To contact us about the listing for your business or organization, email us at directorysupport@patch.com. If you own or manage a business or organization in our directory, claim it at http://hartland.patch.com/search/listings.

9. Shout It Out!

You now have a way to shout out on the site without having to add a comment to an existing article. You can tell us what you have to say right now by using the new shout box at the top of the Activity Stream. Whatever you "shout" will go directly into the stream, right on the homepage.

10. Upload Your Photos and Video

Upload videos of a Hartland Area Youth Athletic Association touchdown or your Hartland Little Leaguer's first home run. Post photos from local festivals, or send in a snapshot of your best holiday recipes. We invite you to share the memories that you've caught on camera with the rest of the community. To do this, we recommend you create an announcement or start a blog as a place to upload your media. But if you'd like help, email Hartland editor Christofer Machniak: chris.machniak@patch.com.

11. Advertise With Us

For all advertising queries, please email our sales@patch.com.

12. Social Media Engagement

Like us on Facebook at and follow us on Twitter. Immerse yourself in our content and actively contribute and engage via social media. Let's start a conversation together.

13. Send a Letter to the Editor

Patch would like to extend an invitation to every member of the Hartland community to submit a letter to the editor. Express your thoughts or concerns about anything that might be stirring up conversation around town, and we'll post it. Make sure it's not longer than 300 words and e-mail it to Hartland editor Christofer Machniak: chris.machniak@patch.com.

The more Hartland Patch serves as on online space for community dialogue, the more useful our site will be. So, we hope these 13 tips help make our site the place to learn and hold conversations about Hartland.