Year in Review: The Good, the Bad and the Memorable Events of 2011

In 2011, Larchmont and Mamaroneck residents have weathered the tumultuous winds and flooding resulting from Tropical Storm Irene, a bizarrely timed snowstorm that threatened to disrupt Halloween for eager trick-or-treaters, a long-awaited and much-anticipated opening of the Mamaroneck Public Library, and the murder of a beloved PTA mother whose two children attend local schools.

Now that the year is drawing to a close, it’s time to reflect on the stories that have made you, the readers, react with a mixture of shock, awe and amazement at the events transpiring in your neck of the woods.  

What follows is a list of the stories whose time may have come and gone but whose impact may still be generating community dialogue.

• Although originally described by Village of Mamaroneck Mayor Norm Rosenblum as “not a random act of violence,” the , a 49-year-old divorced mother of two children, nevertheless caused a ripple of terror to spread among residents of the friendly village.  A handyman known to Katz, , was caught by New York City police hours later, driving Katz’s car with some of her jewelry in his possession.  Originally sent to jail on a burglary charge, Powell was eventually charged with several counts of murder.  He will stand trial on these charges in 2012.
• Despite a frenzy of anxious newscasts that urged residents to board up windows and stock up on supplies in preparation for a bona fide hurricane, Irene failed to live up to all the hype. The storm, , was quickly downgraded to a tropical storm before its arrival in Westchester, where it proceeded to dump several inches of rain in its short wake.  The Village of Mamaroneck suffered Irene’s worst wrath, with flood-prone areas under several feet of water by morning. Luckily, the storm did less damage than the Nor’easter of 2007.    
• Who would have thought that the only so far would strike in October?  In a freakish act of Mother Nature, residents battled several inches of slushy surprise on Oct. 29.  Although power outages, downed trees and road closures threatened to stop the celebration of Halloween, luckily, the mess had been cleaned up sufficiently by Oct. 31, and ghouls and goblins were out in full force.
• Since construction began on the renovated in February 2009, residents made do with the library’s cramped quarters at their temporary location on Mamaroneck Avenue.  All that changed on Jun. 30, when the state-of-the-art 31,300 square foot facility on 136 Prospect Ave. was   Since then, over 1,000 new users have signed up.
• Although it’s been hinted at for years, the Town of Mamaroneck finally started the daunting process of of property that fall within their purview. The aim of the project is to correct inequities in property taxes from outdated assessments performed 43 years ago, however, public opinion appears to be mixed, with some questioning whether their tax bill will come out higher in the end.
• Not one but two off the Larchmont dealer’s lot on Boston Post Road in October.  The first car, a $90,000, 2010 S550, was found missing on Oct. 4 when a chain securing the fence around the dealership was cut.  The second car, a $50,000, 2011 ML350, turned up missing 10 days later, when a lot count was short the SUV.  Strange coincidence or two separate occurrences?  

What do you think were the most memorable stories of 2011?  Tell us in the comments section below.