2011 Recap: This Year's Reader Favorites

As the year draws to a close, we thought it would be interesting to highlight the top ten stories in 2011, according to our site traffic reports.

Not surprisingly, most of the stories that made the list were local stories, tragedies and triumphs, that affected people all over town. There's a good variety of stories in there, from the food pantry theft arrests last winter, to a new business opening its doors in Purchase.

Overall, crime stories were post prevalent on the list, including a bank robbery and assault that took place this summer.

Since some stories were related, so we condenced them into one topic for the purpose of this list. 

So without further delay, here are the ten most read stories of 2011:

10. LMK Custodian Charged With Marijuana Possession

The early August arrest of then-middle school janitor Angel Manuel Montes starts our list at number 10. According to police, Montes was caught with more than a quarter pound of marijuana in his vehicle on his way to work at . 

Montes had been selling marijuana to fellow custodial workers in the school, police said at the time.

9. Republicans Sweep November Elections

Nov. 8 was a big day for local Republicans, who captured the mayor/supervisor seat, secured two town board positions and won the town clerk's seat. 

There was a lot of build-up leading up to the elections, with controversy about election materials handed out by local Democrats as well as a back-and-forth that developed involving past spending and leadership issues.

In the end, though, Republicans won in the end and the new year will start with a group of new G.O.P representatives taking office at town hall.

The only new business to make our top ten list, the opening of China White this spring in Purchase was welcomed news to our readers.

China White offers quality Chinese food ingredients, cooked into healthy recipes, only a few blocks away from Harrison’s two colleges.

A possible armed robbery in early March is seventh on our list. Police say two men armed with a handgun approached a woman getting into her vehicle on Purdy Street and stole cash and jewelry.

A manhunt throughout downtown Harrison ensued, but police didn’t locate any suspects.

The case remains unsolved.

In one of the stranger news stories of the year, a political fallout apparently led former Democratic Party district leader Maria Polera to order at least six unsolicited pizzas to the home of mayor/supervisor Joan Walsh.

The former political allies had a falling out earlier that year when Walsh made comments about Polera’s personal hygiene, court records show.

Polera eventually pleaded guilty to second-degree harassment and disorderly conduct.

The alleged assault of a 22-year-old woman at the Harrison Train Station is number five on our list. Shaun Williams, 46, was accused of punching and choking the woman after she confronted him about photos he was taking of her at the station.

In one of the year’s low points for the town/village of Harrison, popular town clerk Joseph Acocella died suddenly on Aug. 8, 2011.

Acocella’s death was followed by an  down Halstead Avenue later that week. His family later set up a  to continue his local legacy.

A demeaning list sent to thousands of high school students this spring raised bullying concerns in local high schools. The list contained the names of nearly 100 girls from schools around the area and was eventually posted on Facebook, creating outrage among parents, students and school administrators.

The February arrests of six town employees accused of stealing from the Harrison Food Pantry was our most read local story of the year.

News of the arrests quickly spread throughout town, and the arraignment of Joseph Arcara, Jack Arcara, Adam Straface, Florence D’Imperio, William D’Imperio and Sherry Toplyn, outraged many.

Five of the accused pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and avoided jail time. Straface is scheduled to take his case to trial in January 2012.

A late-summer dispute over religious headwear led to the arrest of 15 Muslims at Playland.

The dispute broke out near the park's entrance between members of the Muslim American Society of New York, according to parks department representatives. Fighting began when muslims were told they would be denied access to certain rides if they wore religious garb.

Two seasonal officers were injured and police were called in from all over southern Westchester County.

The story quickly became national news and debate over how the situation was handled continued for weeks.