The Top 11 Articles of 2011

It’s been a busy year for Culver City and for Culver City Patch. From Oscar winners and celebrity deaths to school board elections, crime and even Santa sightings, here are the Top 11 most-read articles that appeared on Culver City Patch in 2011.

1.
Colin Firth (The King's Speech) rightfully took home his well-deserved Academy Award as the stuttering, shaky, compassionate King George. Natalie Portman took home the award for Best Actress for her riveting performance as Nina in Black Swan. She was ecstatic, accepting the award teary-eyed, as she took the time to mention the unsung heroes that assisted her in the role that she knocked out of the park.

2.
NORAD has tracked Santa for more than 50 years, ever since a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. ad misprinted a telephone number for calling Santa. Instead of reaching the North Pole workshop the phone number put children through to NORAD’s director of operations, who had his staff check the radar for Santa’s progress.

3.
A 23-year-old Culver City woman was found dead inside a Nissan Sentra in the Hollywood Hills after she ingested a toxic gas that she had concocted using instructions from a suicide website. Ana Gutierrez reportedly made a deal with a man from a suicide website and he called 911 after regaining consciousness and seeing her dead.

4.
Zackariah Lehnen, a 31-year-old transient, was charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of Lucien Bergez and Erica Escobar, who were discovered in a Culver City home May 3.

5.
Authorities identified the man who apparently shot himself to death while behind the wheel of an SUV, sending the vehicle crashing into the back of a truck in West Los Angeles. Anthony Camacho, 20, of Culver City died at the crash site, according to Assistant Chief Ed Winter of the coroner’s office.

6.
Who will win the Culver City Board of Education election on Nov. 8? , incumbent , , and have answered questions at , held coffees, conducted fundraisers and prepared their campaign for Election Day. To get a little sneak peek into what will happen on Election Day, Patch would like to hear from Culver City voters.

7.
The election is officially over, but concerned voters around Culver City still don't know if their favorite candidate won a coveted spot on the Culver City Unified School District Board of Education. Though recent retiree and beloved teacher received the most votes, and remained close behind, fewer than 30 votes separated Chardiet from , making the election too close to call.

8.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a tsunami warning early Friday morning for California's coast north of Point Concepcion, calling for residents to move immediately inland or to higher ground. They placed Los Angeles, as well as the area from Santa Barbara to Mexico, under an advisory. According to NOAA's website, "Significant, widespread inundation is not expected for areas under an advisory."

9.
The southbound 405 Freeway will be closed overnight from the 101 Freeway to Getty Center Drive from Dec. 6-8 due to a freeway-widening project, according to Metro. The freeway will be widened near the Mulholland Bridge to support construction, stated a press release.

10.
I know for a fact that Nancy has—and always will—act in the best interest of the students. I know this as a former student of hers as well as through testimonials from family members and peers who just recently attended her class.  I believe even in a political minefield, Nancy's moral compass is true.

11.
Tributes from fellow celebrities and film critics are pouring in honoring Elizabeth Taylor, who died this morning at the age of 79. She had been admitted to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in February for symptoms related to congestive heart failure.

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