8 THE COURIER SUN • DECEMBER 25, 2014 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com s year in photos COMPILED BY COURIER STAFF January YEAR THE The Queens Courier is taking a look back at the year gone by, from the inauguration of a new mayor to the horrifying derailment of an F train under Queens Boulevard. The year THAT saw more political ups and downs,celebrations. tragedies and basketball Our high school teams were champions and WAS Queens was named the best place to visit in the nation. Looking forward to 2015, we wish our readers a very happy new year. Photo via NYC Mayor’s Offi ce Flickr De Blasio gets to work New York City’s 109th mayor, Bill de Blasio, was sworn in during a ceremony at his Brooklyn home just after midnight on Jan. 1 followed by a formal inauguration on the steps of City Hall later that day. Telling New Yorkers, “Our work begins today,” in his inauguration speech de Blasio pledged to expand the paid sick leave law, require big developers to build affordable housing, stem the tide of hospital closures, reform a broken stop-and-frisk policy, and provide universal, full-day pre-K and after-school programs for middle schoolers. THE COURIER/File photo Hercules shows his strength Snowfall in parts of the borough was reportedly as high as 11.5 inches during Hercules, the fi rst major snowstorm of 2014. The weather event was also the fi rst real test of the de Blasio administration, beginning on his second day in offi ce. The rest of the 2014 winter season would not only challenge New Yorkers’ patience, but also that of the new mayor as he faced criticism over school closings and snow removal. AVONTE SEARCH ENDS TRAGICALLY The search for 14-year-old Avonte Oquendo came to a devastating end four months after the autistic teen went missing from his Long Island City school when his remains were found washed up in College Point on Jan. 16. On Jan. 25, hundreds of mourners came out to say goodbye at the Rego Park resident’s funeral where he was remembered as a silent yet always smiling, courageous boy. The medical examiner later ruled the cause and manner of his death as undetermined. THE COURIER/Photo by Cristabelle Tumola
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