Patch Spring Tour: Stop 1 - Greenfield Starbucks

Since starting with Patch a few months back, I have been a reporter without a newsroom.

Patch editors are given the tools – laptops, satellite cards, etc. – to work remotely. The idea is to be out in the communities we cover, being visible, and engaging with those we write about (hence, the ).

I conducted my first Patch interview at nearly four months ago – a sit-down with Mayor Michael Neitzke, himself a fan of the ‘Bucks – and quickly adopted the coffee shop as my “office.” Two, maybe three times a week, I spend a few hours there.

This Starbucks, as most are, is always buzzing with activity. There are people like myself, buried in their laptops, filling out spreadsheets or writing term papers.

There are couples having casual conversations about their day.

There are folks small-talking about the weather, the news, and today, Opening Day and the Brewers.

And there are the regulars, a group that today we’ll refer to as the “Brew Crew” in honor of Opening Day. They hang out almost daily and gravitate to Chuck Crump, a 73-year-old retired Navy Chief, postal worker and bartender, among many other professions. He makes them laugh, gives out hugs to the ladies and shares stories.

As expected, I ran into Chuck today and found out about the air compressor he purchased over the weekend, and he, along with the mayor, gave me some (much-deserved) static for becoming a minivan owner last week.

Today, I also became acquainted with Steve and Cindy Rogers, who were the only people to come up to me and mention the Spring Patch Tour (Steve, thanks for helping me avoid the shutout).

Steve is the pastor of and told me how his church used Patch, and how he’d love to use it even more to promote events like the upcoming Baby Dedication Ceremony this Sunday. Think baptism, but a bit less formal.

"We will be offering an opportunity to any and all that would like for us to pray over their children, asking God to not only protect and provide, but also to bless and to guide our children," Rogers said. "In the times that we live, this always feels like a great thing to do."

Overall, a great first stop on the Spring Patch Tour and a great start to the week.

Up Next: El Beso Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony