2011 Year in Review: The Top 15 Stories on Hartland Patch

Happy New Year. Want to know what was the most read stories of 2011? We have them here. We picked 15 in order to highlight 10 different subjects. Let us know in comments what you think of the list.

No. 15 — — The Dec. 20 vote has since brought both praise and derision in comments on Hartland Patch stories, and over the controversial substance.

No. 14 — — Hartland resident Michael Rosinski captured a glimpse of the Northern Lights the night of Oct. 24, sharing some of his photos with us while others reacted to the phenomenon that's rare in this part of Michigan.

No. 13 — — Lance Glazier's moves as a human billboard has inspired the community. Hartland also has responded to the 40-year-old single father of three to this holiday season.

No. 12 — — In November, Hartland High School football coach Marcus Dukes resigned to spend more time with his young family following a disappointing season. His replacement, in December.

No. 11 — — Copying a prank inspired by a South Park episode, 10 students singled out children with red hair in November but were later caught and have been disciplined.

No. 10 — — A  Waterford Township was chased from Oakland County to a Hartland neighborhood following a domestic dispute. The driver, Stephen Wethy, later pleaded to no contest to multiple felonies and was sentenced to 5 to 20 years in prison, according to state records.

No. 9 — — Jeremy Combs, 22, died while at the University of Michigan-Flint after what was believed to be an aneurysm or a stroke. A close friend of the family also submitted on Hartland Patch in memoriam.

Nos. 4-8 — Hartland administrator's legal and MEAP troubles — Educator Tracey Sahouri was at the center of two unrelated controversies that attracted a lot of attention locally and statewide.

The former principal first generated headlines after she was ticketed after police said she allowed underage drinking during her child's graduation party. The case , but while the issue was in the courts, her actions in a separate incident became the focal point of an investigation into how the MEAP test was being administered.

Both the state and school district found a breach in security that led the district to change and transfer Sahouri to to serve as an assistant principal. In addition, the state .

No. 3 — — Cornerstone Church of Highland publicly apologized after problems during an Easter Egg drop in April after more than three times the numbers expected showed up on a rain-soaked field. Some of the criticisms — which ranged from crowd control to parents rushing in to scoop up eggs for free prizes — were voiced on about the event.

No. 2 — — This November story with a poll that asked if the Lions fumbled on this decision struck a chord with Hartland Patch readers and possibly drew an audience from the region and beyond to generate the high numbers.

No. 1 — — Hartland School District Superintendent Janet Sifferman's decision to discuss a complaint about Hartland students on a spring break trip during a board meeting sparked more than 80 comments and the most page views of any single story on Hartland Patch in 2011. Sifferman said she brought it up to warn parents about possible problems on these trips while those commenting on the story argued over the complaint's validity and whether it was appropriate for Sifferman to raise it.