Top Edgewater-Davidsonville Stories of 2011: Part I

Between the bank robberies and county rezoning and redistricting, Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch had a busy first year. Here is a look back month-by-month of the stories and posts that stood out. 

Thursday we will look at December 2010 through May 2011. Friday we will look at June 2011 to present.

Stories that link to a video will include a (V) so you won't be surprised when you click through.

December 2010

• James Cifala, then-owner of on Mayo Road in Edgewater was . 
• On Dec. 31, the . Edgewater Patch was first on the scene of the early morning blaze and posted exclusive video that was later replayed on local evening news broadcasts in Baltimore and Washington. (V)

January 2011

• Edgewater and south county got a new leader for Anne Arundel County police at Southern District. changed places with who went to Northern District. 
• Beloved local chef of a frozen pond behind the South River Colony townhouses on Stepneys Lane in Edgewater. Raddie, the son of prominent Croftonite Madonna Brennan, was into culinary arts and there is now a at Anne Arundel Community College named in his honor. on Mayo Road. 

February

• The Davidsonville Ruritans submitted an application for a of their club building on Maryland Route 424/Davidsonville Road. Community opposition to the tower arose in February, pitting neighbor against neighbor. Comments on Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch mirrored rising tensions between the neighbors. The tower plans were eventually quashed by Anne Arundel County Department of Planning because the corridor is part of Davidsonville Crossroads, a designated National Historic Area.
• and what it means to fall in love. This little item is guaranteed to make you smile. Here is what "Jackson" a kindergartner at Central Elementary, had to say about falling in love: "It feels like you want to look in the future and imagine if the person is going to look ugly or not before you marry them."

March

• The Seahawks girls
• Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch discovered that Edgewater's PRIDE has been indicted for rape of a former student at a Kent Island studio where he worked. "Sensei" Justin Dutcher continued to operate his Edgewater studio until July 2011 when his wife told prosecutors, who were ready to begin the criminal trial, that he had . An Interpol alert was dispatched around the world and Dutcher was eventually caught by . He avoided a trial by taking a negotiated bargain in November 
• In late March and early April three new restaurants opened in Edgewater: ,  and .

April

• South River sophomore he designed as part of a STEM challenge in Deborah Lesko's Project Based Learning class. He got $5,000 and a trip to Florida's Universal Studios where he got to see the Blue Man Group perform onstage using the instrument he designed. (V)
• Gov. to taut good news about the crab recovery efforts and successes in the Chesapeake Bay (V).

May

• South county homes were featured in the an 80-year tradition of opening beautiful homes to the public. The pilgrimage works to highlight historic buildings, restoration and preservation. They visited Davidsonville homes like Indian Range and Obligation, plus south county homes like Thanksgiving Farm, Holly Hill and Sudley Plantation.