Rochester Athletes Had Moments of Glory in 2011

North Oakland Sports' Dan Stickradt mentioned a number of athletes and moments among his picks for 2011's best.

  Here's a look at area athletes and teams and how they did in 2011, courtesy of  NorthOaklandSports.com: Rochester’s Kelsey Dieters put the finishing touches on a grand career that featured a 107-5 record. She regained possession as the No. 1 player in the state by running the tables in 2011 at No. 1 singles and reclaiming the Division 1 state championship she earned as a sophomore. As a freshman and junior, Dieters, who is now at Ohio State, reached the state semifinals but her loss in the semifinal round as a junior was an upset. Dieters went on to win the 2011  Miss Tennis award, becoming the school’s fifth female state athlete of the year in a variety of different sports in less than three years. Other highlights: Outside of Rochester…

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Top Videos of 2011: Here's What You Watched, Rochester

Here's our list of some of the top videos based on your clicks, Facebook likes and comments – from an 'Irish wake' to Black Friday madness around Rochester and Rochester Hills.

We all know the old adage, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Sometimes videos can portray a story better than any other medium, no matter how much we write about it. Visual. Concise. Objective. Here's our list of the video stories that captured the attention of Rochester Patch readers this year, along with dozens of others you may have missed the first time around: Mourning patrons of O’Connor's Public House gathered on Jan. 13 to march through downtown Rochester for the Irish wake of fictional “Gus O’Connor,” who was honored by a toast of Jameson whiskey and a humorous eulogy when his first name was dropped from the local tavern. Naturally, residents from Rochester and Rochester Hills had little choice but to show up and pay their …

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Around Town

Things to Do in 2012: Karaoke, Pottery, Zumba

With a new year to fill, Around Town Laura makes her plans.

While I might not do so great on my personal resolutions, (either that or my scale is stuck) I have to say last year's Patch resolutions went pretty well. From a beautiful Mom Cave to those amazing almond croissants, I checked off most of my 2011 list and then some. While I never managed to find the dads of Rochester out-and-about in their leather pants (Biker Night at O'Connor's excluded), I did experience the grown-up version of Emagine theater and it was fabulous. With all these experiences under my belt — including a spray tan — what's left for 2012? Here are my resolutions: As always, I'm open to suggestions. Is there something in town you'd like me to explore in 2012? Let me know in comments or by email.

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Kristin Bull

4:07 pm on Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Thanks David -- we are working on a story about this for this week.   more ›

10 Most Popular Books at Rochester Hills Library in 2011

Digital and film versions of titles help boost their loaning popularity, including 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' and 'The Help.'

It’s interesting to think about which other patrons at the Rochester Hills Public Library have read the same copy of the book you checked out. Someone you know may have read the exact copy of the book days, if not years, before you. This following list shows which fiction books were checked out the most in 2011. “It’s an interesting mix. There are a couple of books that appeal mostly to women, some thrillers and a few children’s books,” the library's Adult Services Manager Sheila Konen said. The 10 most circulated fiction books at the Rochester Hills Public Library in 2011: Digital versions of books boost their appeal, Konen said. Digital books are nothing new at the library and the number of downloads to devices such as a Kindle or iPad …

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Top 10 Student Athletes of 2011

These kids have the medals, championships and collegiate scholarships to prove they're the best of the best.

Our top 10 athletes include students from the five major Rochester-area high schools – Rochester, Adams, Stoney Creek, Avondale and Lake Orion – and a national competitor in track and field from Carpenter Elementary School in Lake Orion. Here's the list, organized alphabetically by sport. Taylor Perry (senior, Rochester basketball) – Perry, a 4-year varsity basketball forward, aims to lead the Falcons to their first district championship since 1989.  The Falcons (3-1) currently sit on top of their division and have 10 returning players, including Perry’s fellow 4-year varsity guard Paris Pereira.  Perry averages about one slam dunk a game and will play basketball at Western Michigan University next season. Gabby Thivierge (junior, …

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Around Town

Around Town's Favorite Books of 2011

Long winter nights are the perfect time to curl up with a good book (or a Kindle). Here are some suggestions from Around Town Laura.

  As you may have guessed from my Around Town Summer Book Club series, I love to read. But just reading a book isn't enough for me. To capture it for all time (because my memory is a faulty thing), I record every book I read in a book journal. My book journal includes a brief summary— really brief, I try to do it in one sentence— my favorite quotes and a grade. Yes, you read that right. The OCD Gemini in me dictates a letter grade for every book. So as the year winds down, I'm sharing with you grade A books only.  These books did not necessarily come out in 2011, but that's when I read them. Enjoy! The holiday rush is behind us and winter stretches ahead. And so dear readers, I hope you too will find a perfect hiding spot and enjoy some …

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