The Best of Patch: February

At year's end it's nice to take a look back at where you came, which offers a good look at where you're going. At Patch, February began with many changes in the political sphere and a massive snow storm. Take a look at some of the most popular stories throughout the month of February. 

• Read every installment of the Fox Point-Bayside Year in Review series

As Wisconsin began to face major political changes, local fire fighters and other public employees stood together against the budget repair bill, which would eliminate their right to collectively bargain.

“This is about breaking up unions. This is about politics. This is about taking away rights from people like our firefighters,” State Rep. David Cullen, D-Milwaukee, said. “I think the public needs to understand their governor is just not telling the truth.”

As the economy continues to shift, businesses continue to change and adapt as well as best they can. Some, simply can't survive. Fox Point lost its local Border's Bookstore in February. Later in 2011 we learned that the store would be , but many residents still shared their disappointment with losing their local book hub.

Throughout his too-short life, Joe Lubar was known for his independence and character. It turns out that even his parents did not know the depth of that character and the many lives he touched before he passed away from a skiing accident on Jan. 25. Read on to see just how far his reach went to helping others, being a true friend and a reliable brother.

Check out these photos featuring Fox Point and Bayside residents as they dig out from what some called "Snowmageddon."

After riding around for two hours with a Bayside plow driver, I learned that some people just don't appreciate the guys who clear the roads. I walked outside to the plow and the first thing the driver said to me was, "Your chariot awaits."

That's how Dave Steger, Bayside Department of Public Works employee, greeted me as I hopped aboard his snowplow to hit village streets following one of the biggest storms in a decade.

After officers pulled this woman over for speeding in Fox Point, she asked them, "Are we in Cudahay yet?" She then tried to remove her four-inch heels to perform the field sobriety tests, but like most things, the third time is the charm.

You can also find the rest of our month-by-month series taking a look back at 2011 here.