When Abraham Lincoln bade farewell to Springfield to assume the Presidency in 1861, his short speech was full of sadness. And it stands to reason: Goodbyes are rough. They can be emotional. They can even be tearful.

But I'm no Abraham Lincoln. I am, however, a huge music nerd. So rather than quote Mr. Lincoln's succinct erudition to summarize my feelings about leaving Mokena Patch, I will instead quote Canadian 1970s arena-rock group Trooper: We're here for a good time, not a long time.

And I have to say, my short stay in Mokena has been a good time. I want to thank everyone who met with me at the start, who showed a genuine interest in what we are all about and who gave up some of their valuable time to answer questions and throw some light on the issues we covered. The community of hospitable, tight-knit, concerned citizens made it easy for me to both make a home and a profession here. In fact, it made me realize how much I miss my own hometown of Houston, where I will continue to pursue journalism starting in May.

Mokena Patch will continue. We will have fill-in editors taking the helm over the next few weeks until a permanent editor is in place. I've included their contact information below.

Thanks again, Mokena. And in the words of those long-haired, maple-leaf-sporting rockers: Have a good time. The sun can't shine every day.

Mokena Patch's fill-in editors:

BRIDGETTE OUTTEN (April 25 to 30)

(773) 459.6901 bridgette@bridgetteoutten.com

JESSE MARX (May 2 to May 7)

(708) 925-7064  jessemichaelmarx@gmail.com