Staten Islanders once again buck the citywide trend at the voting booth, and big changes are in store for the island's waterfront. Borough reporter Amanda Farinacci looks back at the top Staten Island headlines of 2016.
Staten Island is often called a little slice of the country in a very big city, and that certainly seemed the case after Donald Trump was elected president.
While Hillary Clinton beat Trump 76 percent to 16 percent across the five boroughs, the brash businessman easily won Staten Island, mirroring his victories across small-town America.
"He's a true American. He loves this country," one woman said at a Trump watch party in the borough on election night.
The island is home to more Democrats than Republicans, but voters in the borough are more likely to vote off their party line than anyplace else in the city.
Meanwhile, work at the New York Wheel and its sister project, Empire Outlets, was in full swing in 2016. Enormous cranes signaled the beginning of work on retail space that will house about 100 stores and 60 food and beverage choices.
This year, massive parts for what's to become the world's largest observation wheel arrived in Brooklyn, which will make their home on the north shore waterfront.
"I think it's getting harder and harder to doubt that it's happening," said Rich Marin of the NY Wheel.
As construction explodes on the island's waterfront, so too does its heroin and prescription drug problem.
The Staten Island district attorney's office reports 85 overdose deaths so far this year.
The life-saving antidote naloxone was used 68 times in an effort to stem an epidemic that's ravaged the borough, especially the island's South Shore.
"My name's Joseph, I'm from Staten Island," said one Staten Islander. "I'm here because I have a drug problem with heroin."
Residents continued to struggle in 2016 with Hurricane Sandy rebuilding.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that his own end-of-year deadline for completed rebuilding will not be met.
Citing the complexities of raising homes to protect them from future floods, Build It Back announced it is $500 million over budget, forcing the city to spend, in some cases, nearly a million dollars per home.
And in happier news, Staten Island is home to three multi-million dollar lottery winners since the beginning of the year. Residents say there's something in the water.