Man oh man, where did the time go? 2012 is nearly upon us and the apocalyptic time clock is ticking! Well if you believe the movie "2012" that is. We tend to be less dramatic around 
here of course (yeah right!), and I would simply like to share the top 10 videos on PortageLife of 2011!!!
Of course, this isn't the easiest task. There were over 200 videos posted throughout the year on PortageLife that were fun and have good information and pretty cool people as well! If you find yourself wanting to locate a particular video, just navigate to the Videos page, scroll down, and on the right side there is a place where you can search for around 700 videos of all types. Sports, business, community; you name it! It's all right there!
And if you have videos of anything that falls into the spectrum of good and positive stuff, let us know! It doesn't need to be "professional" or whatever that means with video cameras built into most phones these days. The content doesn't even need to be monumental. It could be your cousin getting married, your son winning an award, your Mom volunteering. Anything that has to do with Portage and that's positive, we want it! If you would like to contribute any video content, send an email to contribute@portagelife.com and we'll be happy to share your good stuff!
So anyways...here's the top 10 videos on PortageLife of 2011 (in no particular order)!
The Sunday Segment With Conner Sunday
This current, weekly news show is attracting the attention of many PortageLife readers and gives people a quick rundown of the local good news in the community. Our very own, Conner Sunday, is a fantastic anchor and a great smile to boot. Watch the latest episode and be sure to tune in to this ongoing series!
Mitch Daniels Visits ValpoLife.com/PortageLife.com
What? You didn't know? Yep, My Man Mitch stopped in at LIFE headquarters and cut to the chase about his role and how he communicates in a personal fashion. Watch his interview with our own, Chris Mahlmann!
Public Education Stakeholders Take to the Square
Even though this was perhaps a controversial topic (and still is), we at ValpoLife wanted to highlight the positive side of the story, getting concerns and opinions from parents who loved the experience of public education that they had and want their kids to have the same experience.
Mayor Velazquez's Charity Ball Brings Community Together to Serve
Mayor Velazquez has always been a huge supporter of ours and we will indeed miss her positive approach to life and government as the Mayor of Portage. Nonetheless, Mayor Velazquez had a huge heart for those of less privilege and would hold an annual Charity Ball raising support for non-profit organizations in Portage and in Porter County. About $10,000 was raised at the previous event and this video showcases those organizations receiving their awards!
Man on Fire
So you thought it would be cool to be on the set of a Hollywood production, huh? What if the director asked if they could set you on fire? Well, that's what Dave Fordham of Valparaiso, Indiana does. Watch as he works with Brad Cavanaugh of Air One Photography to get professional headshots for his resume. (Kids, do not try this at home...f'real.)
Welcome to County Line Orchard! Where Memories Are Planted
If you've never been to County Line Orchard, you're seriously missing out! This video highlights all the treats and activities that go on at County Line including tractor rides, apple picking, and just the whole experience of running around on the farm! Check it out!
Bryce Drew Takes Over Valparaiso University Men's Head Basketball Coach Position
Everyone knows basketball and Northwest Indiana go hand-in-hand so we had to feature Bryce Drew's press conference in accepting the head coaching position at Valparaiso University. If you haven't followed them closely, Bryce has already tacked an accolade on the board with a thrilling OT win on the road against Butler. The win marked the first at Hinkle Fieldhouse since 1988, the year his dad took over coaching at Valpo. If you want to watch his dad making his remarks at this same press conference, click here!
Fronius - Economic Leader Brings New Jobs to Portage
If the positive vibe of the economy of Portage could be summed up in one event for the entire year, it was the Fronius announcement. Fronius, a multi-platform, Austrian company decided to locate their US headquarters in Portage, Indiana bringing approximately 500 jobs by 2016. Fronius specializes in welding, inverters, and solar power unit production and will open up shop in the third quarter of 2012. Watch the announcement!
Get in the Game
If you haven't noticed, we like our sports around here. A lot. In fact we take some thousands of pictures of sports alone. If you play a sport in Portage, you're probably in one of them. So we decided, let's make a super sweet video out of all the week's sports and make it a weekly thing. Here's the latest Get in the Game and be sure to catch them all throughout the year capturing every sport and season!
The Good Life
And we just had to add an additional video to the bunch. Because if you're anything like me, you love humor. Some people excel at this. Others really excel at this. Former PortageLife news anchor Jake Sidwell was one of those exceptional ones and we look back at the genius of his news series. Alas, we must move on. We miss you, Jake! If you would like to follow Jake and his wit though, you can watch his videos on YouTube by clicking on this link or just search 'The Good Life' on ValpoLife and watch his videos of his tenure here.