Welcome to 'Dispatches: The Changing American Dream'

Today, we're excited to kick off a new series, "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream," that will chronicle how the residents of central Connecticut are adjusting to these trying economic times.

The simmering national debates about unemployment, home foreclosures, the debt ceiling, religion, government and the military (among others) all reflect how we see ourselves and our communities in this time of dizzying change. At Patch, we want to explore that conversation so we can better understand how our neighbors are adjusting to the challenges and opportunities of life in 2011.

Looking out across nearly 900 Patch sites spread all over the country, we see businesses holding their breath deciding whether to expand; college graduates returning home to live because they can't find jobs; and senior citizens bringing boarders into their homes or returning to the workforce to help pay their bills. We also see bold new volunteer efforts, inspiring stories of local businesses that succeed because they innovate, and locals who've taken these trying times as a call to participate more, and not less, in their government.

At the local level, we want to know where you, as residents of Portland and East Hampton, sit along these fault lines. We don't think there's one American Dream any more, but a multitude of American Dreams that a multitude of people are working toward.

"Dispatches" will shed light on the trials and tribulations, joys and triumphs, of living life as an American in 2011. 
And, of course, we want your help: Tell us what issues and what stories in Portland and East Hampton go to the heart of your American Dream by emailing me at michael.bartolotta@patch.com.