Local Stories You'll Most Likely See in 2013

Malverne-West Hempstead-Lynbrook Patch doesn’t have a crystal ball, we do know some of what lies ahead for our communities in 2013. Here are seven local issues you can definitely expect to see in the news this year:

7. New Restaurant Opening: In 2012, Antonio Bove, a long-time deli and restaurant owner in Malverne, received the necessary approvals to open up a new wine bar restaurant in the vacant building that had housed the Cork N' Board for decades. Construction is currently underway to redevelop the 243 Hempstead Ave. property to fit the new restaurant's look. Uva Rossa, as it will be called, will open in 2013.

6. Marian Delaney School: At the end of the 2012-2013 school year, Nassau BOCES will leave the school building on Eagle Avenue that it had been leasing from the West Hempstead school district. If officials do not find new tenants by late June 2013 for the former Marian Delaney School, the district stands to lose more than $500,000 in revenue. The board does have some leads, which they are currently pursuing.

5. Holiday Inn Home Demolitions: Although the Lynbrook village board denied a request from the Holiday Inn Express in 2012 to build a parking lot on residential property, the hotel owners have requested permits to demolish three homes on this site despite pleas from local residents to keep them intact. Although they have not knocked down the houses yet, this could change in 2013.

4. Vacant Feather Factory: The Lynbrook village board launched a study in 2012 to build a case for declaring the dilapidated, vacant Mangrove Feather Factory eminent domain. If the board does follow through with this course of action, it could open the way for new development to finally take place at that site.

2. School Board Investigation: In November, the Malverne Board of Education hired an impartial investigator to probe complaints filed by two central office employees against a sitting school board member. The investigation has only intensified strained relationships among some school board members and administrators, which reached a boiling point at the December 2012 meeting. No doubt, there will be more to this story in 2013.

1. Superintendent Search: The Lynbrook Board of Education tapped an outside firm to conduct a search for its new superintendent following the sudden death of the district's beloved Superintendent Santo Barbarino in late 2012. Although some residents have called for the board to appoint Interim Superintendent Melissa Burak to the position, the trustees are continuing to follow through with the search. 

What local stories are you most interested in following in 2013?