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Community Corner

Five Ways to Bring Your Point of View to Albany Patch

It's your town -- tell us how you see life in Albany with these ways of participating and contributing to the quality of your local news site.

At Albany Patch you're a huge part of the news. It would be impossible to even begin to tell you how many story ideas, news leads and breaking news alerts we have received directly from our readers. It's what makes Albany Patch a unique platform for communicating within your community.

There are many ways that Patch can help you take that participation to an even more direct level. Whether you see something new in town that you think other should know about, or an opinion on local politics that you cannot wait to debate with your neighbors, you can share it with the editors who can find the right avenue for sharing it on the website.

Here are five ways you can be a part of Patch.

1. Submit photos. We know for a fact that there are many talented photographers in Albany. Whenever you see and open gallery such as this one from last year, don't be shy and add your photos. You might win a contest or you just might brighten somebody's day.

2. Shoot videos. Inspired by Albany Film Fest? Grab your camera or smart phone and start making your own short films about life in Albany. Send them in and let other in on your observations.

3. Cover sports. The sports writers at Patch try to get to the most important games of the season. While they do a great job of it, fans of local sports teams often attend every game taking great photos and drawing their own observations often based on a deeper understanding of their favorite teams. If you're a student or a parent who has an inside scoop on sports in Albany, we want to hear about it!

4. Share your expertise. Blogging on Albany Patch is one of the best ways to speak your mind to the broader community. Become an Albany Patch blogger and share your point of view on local politics, food, family life, pets, nightlife or anything in this town that strikes your fancy.

5. Rate businesses. Albany has a few Thai places, a couple of breakfast spots, Italian, Indian, Vietnamese and many more restaurants. And what about nail salons, art galleries and clothing stores? Visit our directory and file a review of your favorite places to help out newcomers and old timers who may be looking for something new in town. 

Find out what's happening in Albanywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If you'd like to get going with any of these, email editor Emilie Raguso at emilier@patch.com

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