BLM Protests, Coronavirus Deaths: Bayside 2020 Year In Review

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — If one thing could be said about 2020, it's that it was a year unlike any other.

The coronavirus pandemic dominated the headlines this year, but many other stories caught the attention of Patch readers.

From small business closures to tales of neighbors helping neighbors cope with the effects of the pandemic, Bayside saw a year of tragedy but also triumph.

As 2021 begins, Bayside-Douglaston Patch is taking a look back at the top stories of 2020.

Inside The Nursing Home With NY's Most Coronavirus Deaths

Among this year's most-read stories was Patch's examination of the Parker Jewish Institute on the border of Queens and Nassau Counties, which, at the time, had the most coronavirus-related deaths of any nursing home in the state of New York.

Relatives of nursing home residents told Patch that there were too few protective measures, not enough health care workers and little-to-no communication about what was going on inside the home.

Beset By Coronavirus, NYC Man Rides A Lonely Roller Coaster

Patch went beyond the numbers and profiled the life and death of Olan Montgomery, one of nine people who died of COVID-19 in a single day at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Northeast Queens.

Montgomery, an actor and artist, was one of just 20 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in New York City when he was diagnosed with the virus in early March.

Bayside's Bell Boulevard To Become Outdoor Dining Destination

Summertime brought outdoor dining to the streets of New York City, including Bell Boulevard and 41st Avenue, where the streets closed on weekends to enable restaurants to set up expansive outdoor dining setups.

"Between our customers and our restaurant owners, it's hard to tell who's happier!" Christine Silletti, executive director of the Bayside Village BID, said at the time.

Douglaston Fairway Closes, Turns Into Food Bazaar Supermarket

The economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic caused scores of chain stores and small businesses to shutter, but Bayside and Douglaston also saw the arrival of new businesses like the supermarket chain Food Bazaar and IHOP.

Food Bazaar bought the Douglaston Fairway after bankruptcy proceedings and a failed auction bid put Fairway's future in limbo.

Black Lives Matter Protesters March In Bayside

BLM Protesters Rally Outside Bayside Home Of NYPD Union Boss

Over the summer, protesters filled the streets of Bayside to protest the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police and to demand an end to police brutality. The demonstrations included a rally outside the Bayside home of Pat Lynch, head of the powerful NYPD union the Police Benevolent Association.

While Northeast Queens heard calls for justice for Black New Yorkers, other stories showed the violence and bigotry that also reared their heads.

One man, with blades strapped to his arm almost like Wolverine, threatened to kill Black Lives Matter protesters in Whitestone, and a public school teacher was investigated after a video captured her shouting a slur at a Bayside protester.

New Elementary School Opens In Bayside

This year also brought a new school to Bayside. P.S. 390Q, a 292-seat school for students in kindergarten through 5th grade, opened in the former home of St. Robert Bellarmine School just in time for the 2020-2021 school year, even as the coronavirus pandemic delayed construction work across New York City.

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