Hopkins readers have an eclectic taste when it comes to what they like to read on Patch. The only trend here is that people were really, really interested in a certain new restaurant that opened at the corner of 11th Avenue and Mainstreet. So as we enter 2012, here are the most-read stories of 2011. ‘Save The Date! Return of Christ, May 21st 2011.’ Downtown Hopkins’ Wild Boar Celebrates Opening Day Check Out the Food at the New Wild Boar Restaurant Ellison Foe Releases Graphic Anti-Islam Ad Hopkins Organization Brings ‘Hope’ to Families of Sick Children *** Be sure to check out the entire …

Some people enter their chosen field to change the world. I’d be lying if I told you that was my main motivation. Although I devoutly believe that journalism plays a vital role in society, I chose my career because it seemed an ideal way to sample the wealth of experiences the world has to offer. That decision has so far proved to be a good one. Wherever I’ve worked, my job has led me to interesting people and experiences I probably wouldn’t have otherwise encountered. The past year has been no different.  Here's a look at the stories I, personally, found most enjoyable to work on in 2011…

“Change” was the byword for Hopkins Public Schools in 2011: change in leadership, change in funding and even change in student demographics. School district leaders grappled with new challenges and took advantage of new opportunities. Here’s a look at some of the biggest changes the school district saw this year: Principal’s resignation leads to leadership shuffle:Patty Johnson, was all set to become principal of North Junior High when Hopkins High School Principal Willie Jett announced about a week after school ended that he’d accepted an assistant superintendent position at Saint Paul …

Hopkins justifiably has a reputation as a quiet community, but 2011 wasn’t without news on the law enforcement front. Here’s a look at the biggest crime stories of the year: “Man in Black” robs Hopkins U.S. Bank branch: An image of a masked robber pointing a gun at a local bank teller Dec. 5 brought home the fact that Hopkins was the latest community to be visited by an unknown man who’d hit several banks across the metro—most recently, the Franklin Bank in Minneapolis on Dec. 20. The robber is suspected of hitting at least a half dozen other banks around the Twin Cities. Authorities are …

2011 was a year good year for Hopkins High School sports. Basketball dominated the headlines, but the Royals showed remarkable success in every season—with just enough drama mixed in to remind us why we love high school sports so much. Here’s a look at the biggest sports stories of the year: Boys and girls basketball teams continue their reign: You could see it all in the three fingers that Hopkins boys basketball players held up as the clocked ticked down the final seconds of their championship-winning game: Three-peat, the first in the school’s history. The win capped a remarkable hoops …

With Hopkins undergoing so much change, it’s perhaps no surprise that the community’s political discussions tended to center on what type of vision residents have for the city. “Vision” also came into play as council members chose a new city head and as residents chose new city council members. Here’s a look at the biggest stories in Hopkins politics for 2011: Hopkins searches for the right kind of development: The building slowdown associated with the economic downturn has made many cities welcome any kind of development they can get. That wasn’t the case for Hopkins, which saw several …

The continuation of a building slump in many other communities didn’t stop several projects that are remaking the Hopkins landscape. True, the year brought with it new obstacles and challenges. But as 2011 draws to a close, residents can look forward to the imminent completion of plans that have long been on the drawing board. Here's a look at the biggest Hopkins development stories of 2011: New restaurants open: The downtown got a whole lot more flavor this year. Just weeks after 2011 kicked off, restaurateur Alex Chen opened Aji Japanese Restaurant. The eatery has a variety of Japanese …