Top 7 Five Towns stories of the year

The past year had its share of moments for Five Towns residents from the heavy rains in March to the day-after Christmas storm that disrupted holiday plans.

This Top 7 is an editor's choice of the stories that were the most unique to the area and possibly had the most impact.

In chronological order:

January:

Top competitors

A quintet of of Five Towns students were named semifinalists in the Intel Science Talent Search competition, including Shira Shamir, Jennie Shapira and Eric Brooks from Hewlett High School and Paul Masih Das from Lawrence High School and Woodmere resident Sarah Ditchek, a student at North Shore Hebrew Academy in Great Neck. Brooks finished fifth overall in the prestigious competition.

March:

A heck of a storm

A nor'easter full of heavy winds and hard driving rain tore through the region and uprooted trees, downed power lines (more than 6,000 Long Island Power Authority customers in the Five towns lost power)and turned the weekend before St. Patrick's Day into a water logged mess.

May:

First pitch for Mets fan

After recovering from a liver transplant that she received in February after being driven to Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, by two Nassau County policeman through a snowstorm, Atlantic Beach resident Maryann "Mak" Steinbock through out the ceremonial first pitch at Citifield before a Mets game. Steinbock has been a fan since the team's inception in 1962.

September:

A possible new library place

Following several years of seeking a new site, the Peninsula Public Library and Temple Israel signed a letter of intent for the Lawrence-based temple to sell a little more than a half-acre of its land to PPl for a new library. Temple Israel's application for a subdivision variance, which it needs before it can sell the property, was filed with the Village of Lawrence on Dec. 23.

December:

School district troubles