The Best of Patch: January

At year's end it's nice to take a look back at where you came, which offers a good look at where you're going. At Patch, January marked our first full month serving the community. Although we were still newbies, there were some great stories to kick off 2011.

• Read the entire Menomonee Falls Year in Review series.

Menomonee Falls School District Superintendent Keith Marty announced Jan. 24 that he was leaving Menomonee Falls to serve as superintendent of a school district in Missouri.

Marty served the district for 22 years, 12 years as the Assistant Superintendent and 10 years as superintendant. Marty is now meeting a new set of challenges in the Parkway School District, which is a district of 17,500 students in the suburbs of St. Louis.

While other reporters left the School Board meeting early that night, Menomonee Falls Patch never leaves till the bell rings and we brought you that story as it broke.

Fortunately there were no injuries at this fire on Jan. 20. This story stands out becuase Patch was first to the scene when the incident occured, and stood red-faced and shivering to report updates in sub-zero temperatures. Updates came until my fingers were no longer capable of typing.

Menomonee Falls High School Principal Dr. Gary Kiltz brought a few proposals to the board to change the location of the graduation ceremony in 2012. The purpose was to avoid weather and seating conflicts. One of the ideas was to hold the ceremony at Miller Park. However, the idea didn't get a lot of traction and the ceremony will be held like it is every year.

Although a smaller scale Walmart won approval and construction is underway on Pilgrim Road and Main Street, the original Walmart proposal didn't get traction in the community. Gatlin Development Co., wanted to build a 250,000-square-foot store on 25 acres of vacant land near Lisbon and Pilgrim roads. Residents arrived in droves to voice their displeasure with the proposal.

A 1 1/2-year-old boy was transported to Children's Hospital for treatment of injuries Jan. 6 after being struck by a Dodge Sprinter van in the parking lot of Home Depot, N94W18375 Thunder Ridge Rd. The police and fire departments were dispatched to the scene at 5:52 p.m.