Most Popular Stories of 2011 on Sammamish Patch

It's been a busy year in Sammamish, and as we pause to reflect on and celebrate our first full year on the Plateau, we want to share with you the 10 stories that were most read by Sammamish Patch readers.

1. In November, our Cork Dork columnist, Chris Nishiwaki, .

2. In September,  to the home of a Microsoft employee.

3. In July, we brought you , Rachel Beckwith, who died after a multiple-car freeway crash. Her legacy lives on in a big way through  she started before her death.

4. Sammamish residents . ‘Nuf said.

5. The original  that caused the death of Rachel.

6. In August, .

7. Chris Nishiwaki wrote , the vice president of Northwest operations for Ascentia Wine Estates, after his passing Sept. 11 from an apparent heart attack.

8. In July, three area teenagers were rushed to hospitals after a crash in Sammamish.

9. In August,  in which a 19-year-old Washington State Liquor Control Board employee purchased alcohol at nine businesses either in the city or on the Plateau.

10. In June, fire and utility crews  at a power substation in Redmond that belched thick, black smoke that could be seen from as far away as Seattle. The blaze involved 15,000 gallons of mineral oil.