Top 10 Favorite Photos

One of the things that our top executive editorial staff has required of its local Patch editors as the New Year approaches is to sift through the immense amount of material we have provided our communities and come up with the top 10 photos that, to us, signifies what makes Patch special.

Wait a minute!  There is so much going on. There is still so much more to cover, especially this time of year. Why would they want us to take the time to complete that project now?

But as I began to remember the scenes of the joy, the heroism, the kindness, the diligence, and the commitment of the people and programs my writers and I have shared with the community, I realized that a time for reflection can be a good thing. It can make us remember what made a story good, what garnered the most response from readers, and what we should we be aiming for in 2011.

So, here is a list of my top photos from Broadneck Patch in our short brief time covering this community (in no particular order). If you have other suggestions, please feel free to add them in the comments section.

As always, thank you for reading, and thanks to all of those who have assisted us this year as we covered the people, places, and programs that are making a difference in the lives of local residents.

1)  Climbing Mt. Everest - The theme of this year's BHS Bruins Marching Band show reached its climax as a member of the guard climbs up the "mountain" of woodwind players. Marching band parents always held their breath through each performance until the climb was completed successfully.

2)  Homecoming 2010 - The BHS homecoming parade through the streets of Cape St. Claire took me back to the olden days of my small hometown in Arkansas. Residents young and old delighted in the floats, musicians, and other performers, cheering on parade participants.

3)  The Chesapeake Academy 30th Anniversary Celebration - It was a joyful time for the entire school community at CA in October as they celebrated 30 years of teaching and nurturing students. A special moment came when one of the founders and former teachers Ethel Rew, now retired, greeted former students and colleagues.

4)  Indecent Exposure Arrest - Though not a particularly piece of good news, the photo of the arrest of a man charged with indecent exposure after he approached teen girls in their Cape St. Claire neighborhood was evidence of a spectacular response from the county police department. The man was caught within minutes of the first 9-1-1- call.

5)  Severn River Middle School Veterans Project - The rows and rows of photos of military personnel who are either currently serving or had served our country made an impact on local students just in time for Veterans Day. Teachers spent many hours putting together this touching tribute.

6)  BES Principal Eats Worms - One of my very favorite stories of the fall was when Broadneck Elementary School principal Allison Lee kept her promise to students and ate real worms after her students read over 100,000 hours in one week. Now that is a committed educator!

7)  Thanks from a Preschooler - Sometimes you never know when a story is going to touch your heart. I attended the Thanksgiving Feast of the Cape Kids Korner preschool and found a sweet group of Pilgrims and Native Americans. But when I read the thank-you notes that the children left for God on the altar, it made me realize that maybe kids get the whole "Thanksgiving" message a lot more than adults do.

8)  Myrtle Celebrates the Big 1-0-0 - Local Arnold resident Myrtle Berglund celebrated a special birthday with family and a lot of friends at the Arnold Senior Activity Center this fall. The photo I shot of her smiling out to the attendees spoke volumes about her values and her life outlook that has always been positive and energetic.

9)  Election Day 2010 - Diane Rey went here, there, and everywhere in the Broadneck region to provide Patch readers with adequate visuals of what was happening at our precincts. I chose one of her photos because of the line that captured a pretty hectic day for poll workers.

10)  Bruins Football 2010 - Here is one of Rebecca Cleary's great photos of a Bruins football game. In each of our game photos, you can see how much heart and grit these players had throughout the season and post-season.

If I  missed an obvious nominee, please let me know!

Everybody makes mistakes ... even us! If there's something in this article that you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, give Local Editor Laura Tayman a ring at 410-693-7840 or shoot her an e-mail at Laura.Tayman@patch.com.