Here They Are—The Top 20 Stories of 2011 on Caldwells Patch

The Caldwells and West Essex as a whole might seem like the sleepy suburbs to outsiders. But a look back at a year's worth of stories proves differently.

Who can forget the nine-month pregnant woman who waited five minutes before calling the police after filming a bear cooling off in her swimming pool? The video first appeared on Patch and was picked up by television news stations from New York to Philadelphia.

Remember the suspected Sunoco bandit who showed up at muddy and wet a few hours after he allegedly pulled off a strong arm robbery at a nearby gas station? 

Then of course there was the aftermath of Irene, which , has made a permanent mark on the residents of Fairfield—and its seems as though all of West Essex reached out to help.

Here's a look at the 20 most viewed stories on Caldwells Patch from 2011. Share what you think are the most memorable stories from the past year in the comments. And if you are in the mood to make some predictions (North Caldwell's , are you reading this?), tell us what you think will be the big stories of 2012.