Top Stories of 2013

With 2013 nearly in the rearview mirror, it’s time to take a look back at the year’s top stories.

Here’s Patch’s list of some of the big stories that took place in Bayside, Douglaston and Little Neck this year. If you believe that we’ve missed a major one, please let us know in the comment section.

1. Northeast Queens continues to be plagued by airplane noise, prompting state Sen. Tony Avella, D-Bayside, and state Assemblyman Edward Braunstein, D-Bayside, to hold a public meeting with the Federal Aviation Administration. As the year progresses, Bayside community activists say they are getting close to forming an FAA roundtable and Queens’ congressional delegation introduces a bill that would force the FAA to require that airlines meet Stage 4 noise standards.

2. Police arrest Councilman Dan Halloran, R-Whitestone, state Sen. Malcolm Smith, D-Jamaica, and Queens County Republican Party Vice Chairman Vince Tabone for their alleged involvement in a bribery scheme to rig the mayoral election by getting Smith on the GOP ballot.

3. Democrat Paul Vallone defeats Republican Dennis Saffran in the race for Halloran’s seat. Bill de Blasio bests Joe Lhota in the mayoral election and Melinda Katz wins the Queens borough president race.

4. Bayside’s Arvind Mahankali wins the Scripps National Spelling Bee by correctly spelling the word “knaidel.” He is later honored by a Rego Park deli that names its knaidel in his honor.

5. Community Board 11 and elected officials representing Bayside say they are opposed to a plan by the city’s School Construction Authority to build a new school on the Keil Bros. property. After CB 11 votes the proposal down, terse letters are exchanged by Jerry Iannece, the board’s chairman, and city Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott. The City Council goes on to approve the proposal for the school.