Rohnert Park and the Changing American Dream

We're excited to inaugurate a new series for our Patch Readers: "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream."

Every day, the national media is full of stories about how American families, businesses, and neighbors are adjusting to these trying times. There are so many changes happening so fast that it's dizzying: 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 Rohnert Park 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 which a multitude of people are working toward. Looking out across nearly almost 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.

Rohnert Park is no different than hundreds of small towns that have become casualties of the soured economy and housing market. Here, the city faces a growing 42 percent commercial vacancy. Big employers — such as and — have left town. The every year to other Sonoma County cities, and the district was forced to close four schools in recent years.

But a lot is changing. With a slew of developments — from, to the University District and even the — there's a growing sense of possibility here. 

At the purely local level, we want to know where we, as Rohnert Park neighbors, fit along these fault lines.

Nationally, there's a debate about which government-building efforts are "shovel-ready." Locally, we know that economic development projects, creating a diverse job market and supporting the people who live in Rohnert Park is on the forefront of the minds of politicians, local business leaders and nonprofits.

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, we know the problems Rohnert Park's schools face are unprecedented. And the most important person to turn that situation around is not a national politician, but our or Tech High principal.

As politicians and pundits in D.C. trade barbs over the handling of the economy, we want to know how you're managing. We want to hear your stories and how your dreams and aspirations have changed, for better or worse.

There's no limit to the types of stories that interest us. Our Dispatches series is simply a window into how these turbulent economic times are affecting us right here in Rohnert Park, from personal tales to a look at how our local institutions are faring.

"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 Rohnert Park go to the heart of your American Dream.

This is a unique moment in the history of our country, and Patch is uniquely positioned to explore and amplify the stories that capture that moment.