Hopatcong's Top Trends in 2011

Spotlight hogging
The borough found itself in the middle of the statewide spotlight twice in 2011. First, when Gov. Chris Christie spoke at St. Jude's Church during one of his town hall-style visits, which was run-of-the-mill until a woman called him "hot and sexy." Then, months later, a bear found sleeping in a man's basement brought big-market TV stations back to the borough when the bear went on a run through the streets.

Volunteerism
If there's a single trend that persists throughout the years in Hopatcong, it's volunteerism. From the fire department to the ambulance squad to the many borough recreation programs, residents often donate their time to help each other. Take Diana Scotto and Kenneth Murison, who were named Hopatcong's seniors of the year for their volunteerism. Or the time the time the Girl Scouts pitched in for the animal pound or the Cub Scouts collected food for Thanksgiving. Speaking of which, who could forget when the West Side United Methodist Church donated 100 boxes of food to families for Thanksgiving?

Callin' it quits
Several people in high places said enough was enough in 2011. Hopatcong saw its police chief, captain and a detective retire. The borough administrator retired. And a 12-year council member decided to step down.

Breaking records
This trend belongs to Matt Tobin, and only Matt Tobin. The basketball star finished his career as Sussex County's all-time scoring leader with 2,350 points. First Tobin, who's playing at Division 2 East Stroudsburg University, broke school scoring record of 2,091. Then he Sparta graduate and NBA assistant coach Chris Jent's county mark of 2,287.

Paying homage
Hopatcong's 9/11 ceremony—featuring from the Twin Towers—highlighted a year filled with parades and marches and other ceremonies. Perhaps most poignant was when soldiers from U.S. Army Sgt. Michael D. Kirspel Jr.'s troop during Memorial Day. Kirspel was killed in Afghanistan in October 2011. Hopatcong also doled out several awards to borough leaders and volunteers.

Business shuffling
An unstable economy brought changes to Hopatcong's business landscape, which we detailed in Businesses That Came—And Went—In 2011. In short: hello, Sabretti's, QuickStop, Affordable Automotive, Thyme Out; goodbye: KaBob's, Quick Chek, Grafe Small Engines, Gellar's Automotive and Liberty Travel.

Got more trends for Hopatcong in 2011? Tell us in the comments.