As Bel Air Patch Turns 8, We Celebrate Readers And Contributors

BEL AIR, MD — Eight years ago, on Sept. 9, 2010, Bel Air Patch launched. We've come a long way, and you are why.

Last month, Bel Air Patch recorded more than 130,800 visitors. The figure — compiled and verified through Google Analytics — includes readers on desktop, laptop, tablet, mobile and our app. Our visitors often access Patch on several devices over the month.

That's a lot of readers, especially for a town of 10,037 people (based on 2017 U.S. Census data)! Our readers and contributors are from Bel Air, and residents of neighboring towns also land on Bel Air Patch too, from Abingdon, Forest Hill, Joppa and beyond.

More than 5,100 people last month visited the calendar on Bel Air Patch. It's the place to go if you want to know about upcoming happenings, like the St. Margaret Fall Festival on Sept. 21 and 22, the Purple Passion Walk at Harford Community College on Sept. 22 and the Community Collection drive at Bel Air High School on Sept. 22. And don't miss this presentation sponsored by the Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy — "Pathways to Recovery: National Strategies to End Opioid Addiction" — at Bel Air High School on Sept. 20.

Facebook and newsletters are two of the main ways your neighbors have been staying connected to Bel Air Patch. The Bel Air Patch Facebook page has more than 29,000 followers. Don't "like" us yet? Follow Bel Air Patch on Facebook, and help us get to 30,000! If you don't get daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sign up here — they're free.

Here are some of the most-read articles on Bel Air Patch in August:

• Bookstore Opens At Bel Air Armory
• Governor Larry Hogan Makes Rounds At Bel Air BBQ Bash
• At Least 25 Water Rescues In Harford County Reported During Storm
• Bel Air Wawa Assault: Three Men Sought, Sheriff Says
• Nearly 100-Year-Old Home For Sale In Heart Of Bel Air
• New Restaurant Coming To Boulevard At Box Hill

Bel Air Patch is lucky to have a vibrant community of contributors who help make the site what it is. Theresa Wiseman has shared news from the nonprofit community, Carolyn Mitchell has kept Bel Air up to date on the Spirits of Tudor Hall and Susan Fletcher has covered Harford Community College news. There are so many different voices who contribute to Bel Air Patch and make it the go-to place for information about Bel Air. We see you on our bulletin board, jobs section and calendar, and you help make the site a vital resource for the community. For that, we want to say thank you!

If you would like to post on Bel Air Patch, too, you may easily to sign up for a free user profile. As a Patch user, you can post articles, events, jobs and announcements. And the "rules of Patch" are easy to follow: "no abusive content, no commercial spam, keep it local, and be awesome."

If you own a local business and are interested in getting your message on Bel Air Patch or our nearby Patches, please visit the page and tell us what you need. One of our sales reps will be in touch. Or contact Richard Sands at richard.sands@patch.com.

While many news websites are limiting access to free articles, Patch is always free to view. We're thrilled you've made Bel Air Patch a part of your life. Thank you so much for your support and readership.

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Contact Your Local Editor

Have a news tip? I'm Elizabeth Janney, your local editor. Send your tips, ideas and questions my way at elizabeth.janney@patch.com.

Photo by Elizabeth Janney.