Merry Christmahannukwanzaaka!

On behalf of Bed-Stuy Patch, I want to wish everyone season's greetings!

We are approaching the final week of the last month in the first decade of the new century in the new millennium (whew, that's a mouthful!). This decade has been an emotional one, where, as a country, we've made unprecedented leaps forward in technology, medicine, science and even policy. But also, we have suffered a number of devastating natural disasters, as well as a handful of humanitarian setbacks.

I can hardly believe some of these events and milestones took place in the span of just ten years: The birth of the iPod; the international recognition of global warming; the burst of the dotcom bubble; the fall of the Twin Towers (9/11), the U.S. Invasion of Iraq; the first legal same-sex marriage; the expansion of broadband and wireless Internet access nationwide; the birth of Facebook; the birth of YouTube; the devastation of Hurricane Katrina; the devastation of the Indian Ocean Tsunami; the election of America's first black president; the confirmation of the first Latina woman to the Supreme Court; the fall of Lehman Brothers; the Miracle on the Hudson River; the birth of the Tea Party Movement; the devastation of the BP oil spill; the birth of hyper local news; a new nuclear weapons pact with Russia (the most significant arms control agreement in nearly two decades)... Really, the list can go on and on, but you get the point. It's been an incredible last ten years.

Here are a few things you can expect from Bed-Stuy Patch in the final week of 2010:

• A slide show of some of Bed-Stuy Patch's most poignant moments to date, captured in pictures
• Beginning on December 26th, the first day of Kwanzaa (Umoja), and continuing through the last day December 31st (Imani), we will profile a person or organization in Bedford-Stuyvesant that exemplifies each principle
• Bedford-Stuyvesant in the past decade has witnessed a growing population of Senegalese immigrants. In a three-part series, we will look at how this vibrant immigrant community has acculturated into the neighborhood
• And, of course, any and all Bed-Stuy breaking news

Here are a few things you can expect from Bed-Stuy Patch in 2011:

• New columns on community health, financial literacy and neighborhood heroes
• A bi-monthly series called "Meet the Electeds," where we will take an up-close-and-personal look at all of Bedford-Stuyvesant's elected officials, from the congressman, to the assemblyman, to the state senator, to the district leaders
• A "Restoration Corner" column that will highlight the multitude of wonderful initiatives offered through the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, the first community development corporation in the country.
• And of course, expect more of the same daily reporting around the issues that are relevant to YOU.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Stay safe, and stay warm!