Sierra Madre Patch editor John Stephens just landed a new gig with Huffington Post that will take him to New York. Stephens will be the site’s new “Trends Editor.” We assume the job refers to online trends, but we asked Stephens to clarify.

“Yep, you got it,” he said via email. “It’s not about tracking how the hippest hipsters are wearing their hair, it’s top stories of the day.”

Stephens posted a farewell today on Patch.

Looking out my window at the mountains above Sierra Madre Canyon, I can’t help but reflect back on the last four years of my life spent covering this foothill village and the wonderful people who, like me, have been lucky enough to call it home. Then a deer walks by my front door – the same proud buck I see nearly every day – and I say to myself, “You’re moving where?!”

But those of you who know me well know that the excitement of a new challenge is hardly something I can resist, and this is certainly that next challenge.

Good luck out there, sir. We’re sure you don’t need it for the job, but you will need it handling the New York winter. Don’t forget to wear a scarf or three.

Regional editor Patrick Lee and interim editor Cassandra Morris will take over the Sierra Madre Patch in Stephens’ stead.