The year 1998 was filled with a diverse mix of dramatic moments in Farmingdale - from the awe-inspiring to the heartbreaking. The following are five key ones for which the year will be remembered:

A sore point of 1998 came in February, when Von Leesen's, the landmark restaurant and ice cream shop on Farmingdale's Main Street shut its doors and left town.

The eatery had been on Main Street since the early 1900s under various owners. It was a downtown favorite for generations of Farmingdale residents, and many expressed sadness about its departure.

At the time, co-owner of the establishment Andrea Donovan cited a decline in customers and high expenses as the reasons for the closing, and took the Von Leesen's name with her.

But the Main Street site did not remain vacant for long. The Bollinger family, owners of a thriving delicatessen on Main Street with the same name, re-opened the eatery, calling it, too, Bollingers. The family and their bright red and white storefront sign will carry the restaurant and home-made ice cream into 1999.

After a $3.6 million renovation and expansion, St. Kilian Roman Catholic Church of Farmingdale was rededicated on July 4 - 100 years to the day that the original church was dedicated.

The completion of the project, which was begun more than a year ago to accommodate a growing congregation, was a major milestone in the history of the parish of 6000.

The renovated structure, which holds 850 people for Mass - three times its original capacity - provides a central meeting place. Previously, due to a growing parish population, parishioners had met in multiple locations for Mass, such as the crypt in the basement of the historic church, and the basement of the 1928 St. Kilian School.

Just before the rededication, Deacon Herman Rodenburg said in an interview that the success of the project was attributable to the generous financial support and volunteerism of parishioners, and the leadership of the church's pastor, Rev. Msgr. Charles Swiger. "My feeling is that our church is a very unique one in the diocese," the deacon said. "People in this parish are all Farmingdalites, and they all seem to support their parish." Parish committee work - consisting of the Building and Grounds Committee, chaired by Daniel Looney, and the Capital Campaign Committee, chaired by Steve Wilson - was also key to the project, the deacon noted.

October brought a museum proposal that is expected to change the face of Farmingdale's Republic Airport.

Backed by the governor of the state of New York, a Monmouth, New Jersey-based museum presented to the Republic Airport Commission a proposal for a living aviation museum.

The museum would be located on at least three acres of the airport. It would house airworthy, historic aircraft, in which tourists and other visitors could take to the air for vintage flight experiences, according to Gary Lewi, a spokesperson for the museum, American Museum for Preservation of Historic Aircraft (AMPHA). Governor Pataki allocated $250,000 to build a 12,000-foot hangar for the museum, and made an appearance at the airport to announce the venture as a culturally and economically significant venture.

The AMPHA plans to create a marketing alliance with the Cradle of Aviation Museum at Mitchel Field to attract tourists. The governor's administration expects the tourist attraction to at least replicate the economic returns generated by a similar facility in Chino, CA, which pumps approximately $1.5 million into that economy. However, some residents surrounding Republic who have long followed issues concerning the airport's use, such as aircraft type, noise and flight patterns, expressed concerns with the plan following the announcement. They cited noise potential from the aircraft, raised questions about the planes' safety records, and cited a lack of specific information about possible flight patterns. In response to the safety concerns, airport officials said the aircraft will be required to adhere to strict Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety guidelines.

The development of the aviation museum plan and its effect on the greater Farmingdale area is certainly one to be watched closely in 1999.

Perhaps the most significant economic issue of 1998 for Farmingdale was the proposal of a Business Improvement District for Farmingdale, and its ultimate rejection by property owners within it.

The creation of the BID, which had been proposed by the Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce, was contingent on approval by property owners within it, according to state law authorizing the entities. The proposed BID was to encompass both sides of Main Street from Melville Road to Fulton Street and Conklin Street from Secatogue Avenue to the intersection of Fulton and Conklin. Its annual budget would have been derived from charging property owners within it an extra fee, or tax, based on property assessment. The first year budget was planned to be approximately $62,000, and would have been spent primarily on marketing and advertising Farmingdale's downtown retail district. Maintenance, sanitation, and administration costs were also included in the proposed budget.

The Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce worked on the proposal for 18 months, and spent $18,000 of the organization's money on the project. However, in the final weeks before the state-mandated voting period on the BID in August, opposition to it grew among property owners, and it was defeated.

In addition to passing the Farmingdale School District's 1998 approximate $75 million budget, taxpayers this year voted to approve a proposition to levy an additional $825,000 in taxes to fund the renovation/replacement of the school's tracks and fields.

Interestingly, the number of people who voted "no" for the proposition differed from the number who voted "no" for the budget by only one ballot. While 1,286 voted yes for the proposition, 1,021 voted against it. With low voter turnout, the budget, which raised the tax levy by an estimated 5 percent over the previous year, passed by less than 300 votes. The "yes" votes for the budget totalled 1,236, while 1,022 voted against it.