A New Series from Patch — "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream"

At Narberth-Bala Cynwyd Patch, we're excited to inaugurate a new series for our readers: "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream."

Every day, the national media are full of stories about how American families, businesses, and neighbors are adjusting to these trying times. National debates about unemployment, foreclosures, debt, religion, government and private enterprise all touch on fundamental ways in which we see ourselves and our communities. At Patch, we want to explore that conversation on a daily basis so we can better understand how our neighbors are adjusting to the challenges and opportunities that surround us.

We don't think there's one American Dream, but a multitude of American Dreams that a multitude of people are pursuing. Looking out across nearly 900 Patch sites, we see businesses holding their breath, deciding whether to expand, college graduates returning home because they can't find jobs, and senior citizens bringing boarders into their homes to help pay their bills.

We also see bold new volunteer efforts, inspiring stories of local businesses that succeed because they innovated, and locals who've taken these trying times as a signal to engage more, not less, in their government.

At the purely local level, we want to know where we in Narberth, Bala Cynwyd, Belmont Hills and Penn Valley fit along these fault lines.

Nationally, there's a debate about which government-building efforts are "shovel-ready." Locally, Lower Merion Township's government is while discussing (as it has for months going on years) the future of zoning, occupancy, traffic and tax revenue in Bala Cynwyd's .

Nationally, there's a debate about the education system, which is at the center of our dreams of a better life for our children. Locally, the debate in Lower Merion School District is about how to spend tax dollars when they don't go as far as they used to and they're less often matched by state and federal aid.

"Dispatches" will be built upon the compelling vignettes and snapshots we unearth across all of our Patch sites.

And, of course, we want your help: Tell us what issues and what stories in Narberth, Bala Cynwyd, Belmont Hills and Penn Valley go to the heart of your American Dream.

If you're interested in contributing to "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream," please email me at eric.campbell@patch.com.