Biggest Stories of Patch's First Year

I've been a resident of East Brunswick since 2000. But, since I started covering the town for Patch, I've become a little bit embarrasssed by how much I didn't know about the town. Sure, I knew more than some. I knew East Brunswick was more than Route 18, I knew it had excellent schools and wonderful parks and a top-notch library.

But what I didn't know was the people—the ones who make the town go, and give it the character and the color that make it a terrific place to live. While I've had to spend time learning about past school and township budgets, and lawsuits and the names of who runs what (and the names of who really runs what), I have to say that the best part about covering East brunswick has been the people I've met, many of whom I now call friends.

So East Brunswick, I'd like to thank you all for a great year and I look foward to another 12 months of covering all the stories and people that make this town great.

And on that note, here is just a small sampling of some of the stories covered by Patch this year. Some of them are sad, some are exciting, and some you may have missed. So enjoy.

If you have a favorite not listed here, let me know.

* : The East Brunswick High School’s mascot is the Bear, so maybe it’s fitting that over the course of a few days in July, a real black bear captured headlines. 

The 270-pound, 3-year-old bear was first spotted Monday, July 4, and proceeded to wander the highways and byways of East Brunswick until it was finally cornered in a tree on Tompkins Road by Animal Control Officer David Blumig and the Division of Fish and Wildlife.

It wasn’t the bear’s first visit to the area either. Kim Tinnes, a Wildlife Services technician, said at the time that she had helped move the bear three times to the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area. Each time, however, the bear has decided to migrate, possibly in search of a mate.

* :There are more than a few famous people that call East Brunswick Home, and one of those is hometown hero Heather O’Reilly. 

  and her teammates on the U.S. Women’s National Team captured the imagination of the area and of America during a wild run in the World Cup. The team fell to Japan in the finals, but before the were done, the players left a mark on women’s sports that won’t soon be forgotten.

* : In June, East Brunswick High School senior was drafted to play baseball for the Colorado Rockies with the 77th pick. During his senior year at EBHS, Carl posted a.493 batting average, had three home runs, 22 RBI, 25 stolen bases, and on base percentage of about .690 and a slugging percentage of .750. 

* : Despite some fears that it would pave the way for something like a Super Wal-Mart, the Township Council approved a settlement in the fall that finally brought an end to the Golden Triangle controversy. 

The plan is part of an agreement between Toll Brothers and the township that ended years of litigation and paves the way for the developer to revitalize the former Sam’s Club location on Route 18.

The agreement allows Toll Brothers to build up to 220,000 square feet of commercial retail space - with no one store being larger than 180,000 square feet - and 200 to 400 housing units. Under the agreement, no more than 10 percent of those units can be three bedroom apartments. Mayor Stahl said he expects Toll Brothers to build close to the maximum number of units allowed.

The agreement also calls for an annual Payment In Lieu Of Taxes of $550,000, which would increase as the residential component is built, said Mayor David Stahl.

* Hurricane Irene: It was all hands on deck in August, when Hurricane Irene hit land and brought wind, rain, flooding and massive destruction and power outages.

Some areas of East Brunswick were with out power for more than a week, while others-including 10 or so homes on .

Despite the damage and inconvenience, there was no loss of life, so thank goodness for little things.

* : In March, a privately owned bus hit an embankment on southbound NJ Turnpike near Exit 9, killing two and injuring 41 others.

* : Children, parents and adults mourned the loss of a friend, teammate, classmate and loved one, Daniel Shaposhnikov, who died while hiking with his family in Sequoia National Park. 

Family and friends remembered the Bowne-Munro student during a moment of silence when his State Cup Championship soccer team, FC United played at Didericksen, through a memorial tree, and countless tears, stories and hugs.

* :East Brunswick residents gathered around their television sets in February to see if East Brunswick resident Jesse Eisenberg would win an Academy Award.

Eisenberg received a Best Actor nomination for his portrayal of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network.

* : A local, single mother who has been receiving help from the Township Department of Community Services shared her story with Patch. 

Readers learned that those in need aren't always homeless, destitue or desperate. Sometimes they are just like the rest of—overworked, underpaid and, sometimes, in need of a little extra help.

* The County Fair: The Middlesex County set up shop in August once again. With rides, music, exhibits and more, this year’s version was one of the best.