I saw this broken bench by the Kemp Mill Pond when I was walking by Wednesday morning, and I was wondering if anyone knows how it broke and how long it's been like that.  I'm guessing that it has something to do with the tree stump behind the bench. Do you have a question about something in your community? Email esther.french@patch.com with a photo and what you're wondering about, and I'll post it on Wheaton Patch.

From time to time, we run quick posts that give you tips on how to leverage Patch to reach other people in Wheaton. Is a family member graduating from high school or college? Did your child win an award? Is your neighborhood group doing something for charity? Announce it on Wheaton Patch! Today we're spotlighting Moira Ratchford, an artist who lives in Wheaton. Moira has pledged to shave off her hair in solidarity with cancer patients at Johns Hopkins Hospital. But first she must reach her $800 fundraising goal for the Lucas Livingston Memorial Fund, so she created an announcement on Patch to…

  Wheaton Patch looks different today. We did a Patch-wide quick visual nip-and-tuck to the homepage to make it even more user-friendly. And we've moved a couple pieces of furniture. For those keeping score:  We tweaked some words in our navigation bar to save space (e.g., "Traffic & Gas" is now "Commute")  We moved the weather icon next to the Patch branding so you can find it more quickly!  We moved, well, YOU closer to the top! (Our "shout stream" is now front and center to show all your comments off.)  And of course we prettified a few things.  While the site might look a little different…

Patch readers, you may have seen that in February, I won an online video contest sponsored by an international women’s aviation organization. This week I will travel to Europe as the official American reporter at the centennial celebration of Harriet Quimby's flight across the English Channel in 1912.While I’m away, Ben Gross will be guest editing the Wheaton Patch. Please feel free to contact him during the week with any comments, questions, or story ideas.  On the weekend or for breaking news, contact associate regional editor Sonia Dasgupta at 301-237-1216 or sonia@patch.com.If you’re …

Update, Feb. 10, 4 p.m. Thank you for your support, Patch readers! I am excited to share the wonderful news that I have been named the winner of the “Across the Channel: Women Unifying Nations” video contest. Next month I will travel to Europe as the official American reporter at the centennial celebration of Harriet Quimby's flight across the English Channel in 1912--a major milestone in female aviation. I couldn't have done this without your votes and encouragement. Thank you! I'm looking forward to sharing my experiences abroad next month with my friends here in Wheaton…