Stories to Make West Bloomfield Proud: 10 Inspirational Tales from 2012

Patch covered a lot of amazing and inspirational stories in 2012. Here's a look at our favorites.

The news doesn't have to be all bad. In 2012, Patch talked to some amazing people doing some amazing things for the Greater West Bloomfield area. Before we turn the final page on 2012, here's our favorite feel-good stories from the year. Junior Seif Saqallah, totally blind from birth, takes to the mat for the Lakers with passion and determination. A former social worker for the mentally ill, this West Bloomfield resident now provides peace of mind for local caregivers. Jewish Family Service program has helped at-risk youth since 2005, but faces difficulty due to government restructuring and economic hardship. Jewish Family Service program has helped at-risk youth since 2005, but faces difficulty recruiting men to help. Scott Grodman, 50, …

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The Year in Crime on West Bloomfield Patch

The beginning of a new year brings about a time of reflection. See the list we compiled of the biggest local crime stories of 2012.

By any measure, one story caught the attention of West Bloomfield Patch readers far more than any other we reported this year. Reports about the brutal death of Jonathan Hoffman, 17, of West Bloomfield and the connected arrest of his grandmother Sandra Layne, 74, broke Friday night, May 18. Later, we learned of the relationships between Hoffman, his friends and family — including Layne, whose relationship with the teen had been strained, according to attorneys. The tragedy also helped spur public outcry which led to the banning of K-2 in West Bloomfield, the synthetic drug of which attorneys said Hoffman had been tested positive on the day of his death. The most-popular stories of the year on West Bloomfield Patch, gauged by traffic, …

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Cooking For Special Diets

New Year is an Opportunity to Reflect on Lessons of Food, Life

We should face 2012 with perspective and intention, rather than self-defeating resolutions, advises Cooking for Special Diets columnist Alissa Malerman.

My dad once told me how he became successful at making resolutions. "I resolved years ago to stop making resolutions," he said. "And I've stuck to it ever since." As we all think back on the year that has passed, and look to the one ahead with great expectations, it's easy for the resolution wheels to start churning. If a resolution is (and it usually is) an unrealistic goal that will just self-explode in a month or so, it may not be the best way to approach the next 360 days. We should be facing the new year with perspective and intention and use that knowledge to drive us farther along the path we've already created for ourselves and not into a brick wall because we couldn't spend six days a week at the gym, eliminate carbs or run a …

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