STAMFORD, Conn. With 2012 staring us in the face, The Daily Stamford decided that now is a good time to look back at the year that was 2011.
The year started with plenty of shoveling and plowing after about 70 inches of snow bombarded the city in the first couple of weeks of the year. In a January story, Director of the Office of Operations Ernie Orgera said the snowfall record for a year was about 75 inches, which the city may have surpassed with the help of an October noreaster that brought a few more inches and plenty of power outages with it.
Stamford native Bobby Valentine took his talents to city government when Mayor Michael Pavia appointed him director of the Office of Public Safety, Health and Welfare in January. Valentines tenure was short-lived, however, because he returned to Major League Baseball and became the manager of the Boston Red Sox on Dec. 1.
On April 25, the public school system found out it would be without Superintendent Joshua Starr for the 2011-12 year after he was hired to lead Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland. The Board of Education is searching for his replacement, and Winifred Hamilton is serving in the role on an interim basis.
May started out with good news not just for Stamford, but also for the entire world, as Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan by U.S. forces. His death also was fitting in the same year we commemorated the 10th anniversary of 9/11, which bin Laden orchestrated.
The Stamford Police Department had a busy summer with four murders in June and July. Another murder took place in the first week of December when a 3-month-old baby was killed.
Tragedy struck the city Aug. 6 when Stamford native and U.S. Navy SEAL Brian Bill was killed in action when the helicopter he was in was shot down in Afghanistan. The community showed its support for Bills family by filling St. Cecilias Church and Newfield Avenue for the funeral and by attending a candlelight vigil put on by his high school classmates.
The city received good news Aug. 23 when investment bank UBS decided to keep offices in Stamford, ending a summer full of debate. And while the UBS news may have shook the business world, the Northeast shook the same day when an earthquake in Virginia was felt in the city.
The earthquake may not have done much damage to Stamford, but Hurricane Irene did not hold back, hammering the city at the end of August. The hurricane knocked down many trees, caused thousands of power outages, delayed the start of school and took the city about a week of around the clock work to return to normal.
At the end of October, Stamford learned that at least 450 jobs would arrive in September 2012 when the NBC Sports Group announced it will be moving into the old Clairol building. The NHL Network will be moving its offices to the location as well.
November started out like a dream come true for Stamfords Democrats and a nightmare for the citys Republicans as all six available seats on the Board of Education and Board of Finance went to Democratic candidates.
On Thanksgiving morning, Stamford High School defeated Westhill, 34-6, to win the City Championship and give the Black Knights their best record, 7-2, since 1995. It also marked the last game coached by Dick Cerone for the Vikings, who compiled a record of 17-44, including a 19-game losing streak to end his tenure as coach.
The year ended in tragedy for Stamford as a Shippan Avenue home caught fire early Christmas morning, claiming the lives of two adults and three kids. The homeowner, Madonna Badger, and her boyfriend survived the fire, but her parents and daughters died in the blaze.
Click here to follow Daily Voice and receive free news updates.
