Park Slope's 5 Biggest Stories of the Year

Dolphin Trapped in Gowanus Canal

The year started off with a tragic story when a dolphin mysteriously found its way in to the Gowanus canal on a Friday morning in January and was unable to swim back out.

The recommendation was to wait for the next high tide in the evening to see if the dolphin was able to find its way out. Unfortunately before high tide the dolphin was stuck between a rock and a pillar and died. The response sparked debate among readers.

Park Slope Couple Who Committed Suicide Were Radio Show Hosts and Life Coaches

Lynne Rosen and John Littig co-hosted the radio show “The Pursuit of Happiness” on WBAI-FM. They committed suicide together in their President Street apartment in the first weekend of June.

Lynne Rosen was 46 years old and John Liggit was 48. They lived in their apartment between Eighth Avenue and Prospect Park West and were found dead with plastic bags over their heads by their building’s superintendent on Monday, June 3 right before noon. The couple placed a tube inside their bags, which was connected to a canister of helium. They then opened the valve on the helium canister and gas filled the plastic bags.   

Memorial for Peter Steele, Type O Negative Front Man, in Prospect Park

A lone candle flickered at the foot of a tree on a dark, cold, and windy March night in Prospect Park. Hanging above the candle on a small branch, a plastic skeleton swayed back and forth with each gust, its purple eyes glared in the dark.

This small memorial in the park’s Long Meadow was for Brooklyn-born heavy metal singer and bassist Peter Steele—the front man and bassist for the metal outfit Type O Negative. Peter Steele, real name Peter Ratajczyk, was born in Red Hook and grew up in Bensonhurst. 

Car Strikes, Kills 12-Year-Old Boy in Park Slope

A 12-year-old boy was hit and killed by a car at Prospect Park West and 3rd Street in October. The investigators said that the child ran into Prospect Park West from the east side when he was struck by a white 2006 Chevrolet van heading southbound on Prospect Park West at 5:15 p.m. The boy, who police identified as Samuel Cohen-Eckstein, was brought to Methodist Hospital by EMS. He was pronounced DOA.

Park Slope Man Charged in Park Slope Gropings, Assault

Jesse Dailey -- the Park Slope man arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer after being questioned in a groping incident -- has been charged with three counts of sexual assault.

According to the NYPD, Dailey is charged with sexual assault in the groping of an 11-year-old girl Nov. 18 and the sexual assault of two other young girls in separate incidents dating back to September.