Top 10 Most-Read Stories of 2011 on Maplewood-Brentwood Patch

Take a look below at the most-read news stories of 2011. Do any of the stories surprise you? As the year comes to a close, do you have anything else to say about any of these stories? Let us know in the comments section.

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10) (Dec. 9)

The Brentwood Board of Aldermen voted to fire former parks director Michele Frankowski after she had a heated argument with city administrator Bola Akande. The board was divided 4-4 in firing Frankowski, but Mayor Pat Kelly broke the tie, electing to terminate Frankowski's employment.

9) (Oct. 12)

Former Brentwood city administrator Chris Seemayer, who pled guilty to stealing nearly $30,000 from the city he ran for more than two decades, started collecting benefits from the city after his resignation in March.

8) (May 11)

One of Maplewood's newest restaurants drew a lot of attention on Patch. Since it opened in January, Water Street has gained a lot of buzz in the St. Louis foodie community.

7) (July 16)

An investigative story from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ended up setting up the community dialogue for the remainder of the year. The story angered plenty of Brentwood residents, but sparked a former elected official to in a Letter to the Editor, which remains the site's most popular opinion piece.

6) (Aug. 8)

People, apparently, really love chicken wings. Enough said.

5) (March 31)

Candidates seeking a seat on the Brentwood Board of Education met in a candidate forum in March to share their ideas with the public.

4) (Nov. 2)

This was a tough beginning for the Blue Devils this football postseason. Head coach Brandon Gregory was suspended without pay on Oct. 18 for an incident with a student, and is expected to return to the district on Jan. 3.

3) (March 20)

A tragedy on Bremerton Road drew the attention of many residents in Brentwood. I struggled with publishing this story, but with multiple police cars and SWAT vehicles blocking a road for six hours, I couldn't ignore what happened. I hope I made the right decision in informing the residents.

2) (Feb. 24)

It seems like ages ago when some Brentwood residents were outraged by the hiring of football coach Keith Herring. Herring took over the team amid controversy about the Brentwood School District's hiring process. Some residents felt their voices weren't heard through the hiring process, while district officials countered that they made the best choice for the job. Since then, Herring has been credited by most folks in Brentwood for turning the football program around. His team and in the postseason. Look for continued success from Herring when football returns next year.

1) (March 29)

When an at Walmart was brought to the attention of Maplewood City Council, council members opted to ban the practice in the city. It's not surprising that this story (which tallied 65 comments) remains the most read story on the site. Stories on Patch about the vote went viral through the guns rights communities.