Top 20 Mahwah Photos of 2012

It’s the age-old adage – a picture is worth a thousand words. After combing through some of the top Mahwah Patch news stories from the past year, Patch has put together this gallery of top photos that tell some of the biggest township news stories of 2012.

Click the links below to see the articles that correspond to the photos above:

Photo 1: Christie: 'I'll Listen' If Romney Calls About VP

In June, Gov. Chris Christie stopped in Mahwah for his 88th in a string of town hall meetings across the state. He talked taxes, “Corzine democrats,” and his then potential bid for Mitt Romney’s Vice Presidential running mate.

Photo 2: What Mahwah Looks Like After Sandy

Officials called it the worst natural disaster to hit the township.

Photo 3:

After the superstorm, residents dealt with long lines for gas to fuel both their cars and their generators.

Photo 4: Mahwah Woman Rescued From Car Dangling From Parking Garage’s Second Story

The woman was not injured after she lost control of her car and drove off the parking garage behind the Sheraton

Photo 5: Six Homes Demolished After Condo Complex Blaze [UPDATE]

The Society Hill condo fire in November did not injure any members of the six families it displaced.

Photo 6: PHOTOS: National Guard Chopper Touches Down In Mahwah

Helicopter landing was part of the township's annual Junior Police Academy

Photo 7: Neighbors Left 'In A State Of Shock' After Couple's Murder-Suicide

Several hours after emergency responders, police and SWAT units stormed a private, affluent community off of Route 202 to respond to a murder suicide in June, neighbors left a bouquet of six pink roses under the mailbox of 30 Polo Lane, where earlier in the day police say resident Harry Ellis, 82, shot and killed his 79-year-old wife, Barbara, and then himself.

Photo 8: Fire Company Dedicates September 11 Steel Memorial [PHOTOS]

Company requested a piece of steel from the World Trade Center in 2009

Photo 9: Bear Caught In Franklin Turnpike Tree Tranquilized

This May, a bear was captured in Ramsey after two reported bear sightings in Mahwah over the weekend

Photo 10: Single Mom Looks To Rebuild After Fire Destroys Home

The community collected clothing, diapers and other donations for a woman whose home was destroyed by a fire.

Photo 11: Future Problem Solvers Crowned International Champs

The Ramapo Ridge team competed against others from across the globe and earned first place.

Photo 12: PHOTOS: Mahwah's 2012 Graduates 'Filled With Thunderbird Pride And Spirit'

The Class of 2012 ended up being class with the most college-bound graduates in the school’s history

Photo 13: Ridge Graduates 'Vibrant' Class Of Eighth Graders

During the ceremony, district and school officials commended the character of the graduating students.

Photo 14: Students Ask For 'Justice' In Police Shootings Of Three Teens

In April, Ramapo College students created a 'Justice' message with their bodies to "literally make a statement."

Photo 15: Teachers 'Borderline Insulted' By Ongoing Contract Negotiations

Emotions ran high at a Mahwah Board of Education meeting in March at which teachers, board members and residents expressed frustrations over a still unsettled teacher contract. The contract was settled in May.

Photo 16: Mahwah Baseball Wins First State Championship Ever

The team celebrated its victory in June.

Photo 17: Ramapo Class To Study Crossroads' Impact

This year, students at Ramapo College chimed in on their evaluation of the environmental impact of the proposed Crossroads Town Center development. The class presented its findings during ongoing hearings on the development in the township.

Photo 18: Police ID Naked Mystery Man

After an investigation, Mahwah police identified a man who was found wandering through the woods in Mahwah naked and covered in mud this June

Photo 19: Couple Under Psychiatric Evaluation After Six-Hour Police Standoff

A SWAT team forcibly removed a Mahwah couple from its Ramapo Brae Lane condo after a standoff in May

Photo 20: Students In Mahwah March In Trayvon Martin ‘Justice’ Rally

About 70 students wearing hoodies marched through the Ramapo College campus in April in memory of Trayvon Martin. The march coincided with the widely reported arrest of George Zimmerman, who was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of the Florida teenager.

Have a question or news tip for Mahwah Patch? Contact editor Jessica Mazzola at Jessica.Mazzola@patch.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox every morning, sign up for our daily newsletter.