The Year's Top 5 Stories: A Tragic Loss, Police Shooting & Baseball

It's that time of year again.

As 2012 draws to a close, Malden Patch will spend the last week before the holidays reviewing some of the year's top stories - five a day through Friday. 

While we employed no rigid statistical model in determining which stories made the cut, factors included an article's page views, its level of reader comments and general newsworthiness.

5. Minor League Baseball Stadium Proposed in Malden : The massive project just took another step forward last week, when Field of Dreams President Alex Bok signed a letter of intent with National Grid representatives last week. Though the plan saw some scheduling hurdles this year, officials hope the city will be home to the massive facility - and an associated economic shot in the arm - in spring 2015. 

4. Two Shot in Separate Incidents on one Saturday: While the city grappled with a number of shootings this year, this pair in August - one by Ryan's Family Amusements and another late night driveby incident near Ferryway School - galvanized both city politicians and Malden Patch readers.

The mayor offered a seven-point proposal to fight crime and held a public meeting ; city councillor D'Arcangelo organized a peace summit with the Malden Rotary club  and readers submitted comments and letters about gun violence in the city . 

3. Teenage Victim Shot on Bike Near Malden High:Students were placed on temporary lockdown at Malden High School after a teenager was shot on his bike in broad daylight just down the street. Another teenager, Tyrell Berberena, Jr., 17 of Malden, was arrested in connection with the attack . 

2. Beloved Malden High School Staffer Killed in Crash: Malden High School Student Supervisor Paul Famiglietti loved his students, and they loved him back - despite being on school vacation, kids quickly took to social media to organize impromptu candlelight vigils and other memorials to the popular staffer upon news of his passing. In fact, Famiglietti got so much attention on social media that the topic's hashtag - #RIPMrFam - became a trending topic on Twitter in the Greater Boston area. 

Though tragic, the genuinely moving response from Malden High students – along with the strength and compassion they displayed toward one another – made this one of the year's most compelling stories.

1. IN DETAIL: Our Timeline of the 500 Broadway Shoot-out : An armed bank robbery in Saugus led to a police chase in Malden, where police exchanged fire with suspects just outside of 500 Broadway. A subsequent manhunt recovered two accomplices in nearby residential complexes.

This story, aside from it's obvious newsworthiness, was also the site's most heavily trafficked article of the year.