STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As we near the end of one of the wildest years in recent memory, we're asking readers to put a bow on 2016 by voting on our annual top story poll.

Two presidential candidate visits, a rising death count related to our borough's drug crisis, major progress on the New York Wheel and Empire Outlets, a method to reduce our deer population, and a number of controversies and crimes headline our list.

This year, we're letting readers pick three stories as the top ones of 2016.

Below is a recap of the Staten Island Advance/SILive editors' nominees for top story of 2016:

Home Depot worker's "America was never great" hat sparks controversy: In May, a social media image showing a Staten Island Home Depot worker in a white "America Was Never Great" hat dominated digital feeds on Twitter and Facebook. The worker, 22-year-old St. George resident Krystal Lake, told the Advance, "The point of the hat was to say America needs changing and improvement. I don't think it's a positive message to say, "Let's look to the past.'" She received a mixture of praise and sharp criticism.

City unveils plan to control deer population -- vasectomies: The debate on how to decrease Staten Island's intrusive deer population came to end this summer when the city went ahead with a $2 million plan to perform vasectomies on the borough's male deer. As of Nov. 19, more than 450 vasectomies had been performed on what's become a $3.3 million effort.

Island's drug crisis continues, killing at least 81: The borough's heroin epidemic continued, this time stronger in 2016, as authorities totaled a higher drug-related death count (81, as of late November) than the previous year's 69 fatalities. Heroin use was reported in public; hot spots were identified; emergency workers increased Naloxone use, many were saluted for their efforts and a South Shore addiction center opened its doors. You can read all of our drug crisis coverage here.

Blue ribbon campaign pops up across the Island; man caught tearing them down: A local effort to recognize the work of police went viral in front of our eyes, as homeowners across the Island tied blue ribbons to their properties for the NYPD. "All public servants who protect and serve our community put their lives at risk for everyone else's safety and they need to know we appreciate everything they do," said Carmen Shouldis. Multiple instances of backlash occurred, including one noteworthy moment involving a man recorded ripping down blue ribbons. He later apologized.

Presidential candidates visit Staten Island on the same day: Before he was President-elect Donald Trump, the Republican candidate (then the front-running GOP nominee) and Democrat opponent Hillary Clinton visited Staten Island. Trump and Clinton visited two borough hot spots, the Hilton Garden Inn and Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, respectively, on April 17. Trump's morning and Clinton's afternoon visits proved the Island was indeed "in play."

Trump's popularity on the Island spreads across the U.S. as he wins the election: The Trump "T," the Trump visit and Councilman Joe Borelli's close ties to the business mogul are just three Staten Island examples of pro-Trump fandom. The borough loved the GOP candidate, one whose family had business ties to the borough from decades ago. On Election Day, the Island overwhelmingly backed the Republican nominee with nearly 30,000 votes more than Clinton, 57 to 40 percent. The November voting numbers came several months after Island Republicans voted in favor of Trump with 82 percent on New York's primary day.

Fireworks prompt evacuation at the Staten Island Mall: On a weekend in August, two people allegedly set off fireworks in the Staten Island Mall, prompting a massive emergency response and evacuation, plus initial concerns that a shooting had occurred. No one has been arrested for the Aug. 13 incident in New Springville.

$165 million Mega Millions ticket sold at Willowbrook deli: Will the big winner please stand up? A Willowbrook deli in January announced that it sold a winning $165 million Mega Millions ticket, prompting plenty of interest among Islanders. We never learned who scored the life-changing jackpot, unfortunately, as the winner handed in his or her ticket anonymously. The ticket's holder became the 34th Staten Islander to become a millionaire since 2010, according an Advance analysis of lottery data.

Outerbridge cowboy has horses taken after riding over the bridge: Wearing a cowboy hat, 80-year-old Tod "Doc" Mishler rode across the Outerbridge Crossing with his two horses on a June day. The unique sight halted traffic and prompted a Port Authority police response to safely guide Mishler across. In the following days and weeks, Mishler's ("The Outerbridge Cowboy") arrival resulted in the confiscation of his horses and an arrest for animal cruelty charges. He later filed a $50 million lawsuit against various city agencies and the Richmond County district attorney.

Big Ang dies of cancer; fans mourn the reality TV star: Arguably one of Staten Island's most popular personalities, Angela "Big Ang" Raiola, the "Mob Wives" star and beloved-thoug- controversial community member, died in February. She was 55. Big Ang, a Ward Hill resident, lost her battle with stage 4 lung cancer. Hundreds of family members, friends and fans paid tribute to her.

Mom, children fatally stabbed at Ramada Inn: A Wednesday in February unfolded on Staten Island in horrific fashion as authorities found multiple children and their mother dead in the Ramada Inn. Michael Sykes, who eluded authorities for four days until his capture, was charged with the deaths of his 5-month-old daughter, girlfriend Rebecca Cutler, and another child. A 2-year-old girl named Miracle, Cutler's daughter, was stabbed but survived. Full coverage can be found here.

Following Ramada deaths, city scrambles to reduce homeless population in Staten Island hotels: The grisly scene at the Ramada prompted an examination of how the city handles the homeless. Cutler, who was homeless, and her daughters had been given housing at the Ramada by the city Department of Homeless Services in December 2015. The city had been providing homeless people shelters at various hotels on Staten Island. That effort came to an end around summertime. A new homeless shelter could be in the borough's future.

After months of studies, North Shore traffic plan revealed: Major projects -- the New York Wheel, Empire Outlets, Lighthouse Point, etc. -- are expected to transform the Island's North Shore, notably around the St. George area. During the planning and construction phases, questions remained unanswered about a traffic plan to keep vehicles flowing. The city unveiled its first 18 steps in November. You could see each step in the aforementioned link. For a more detailed summary that includes other possibilities, head here.

Winter Storm Jonas: 2 die shoveling snow as storm smacks Island: The biggest snowstorm of the year rocked Staten Island and the rest of the East Coast in January. Jonas, a record-setting blizzard, dropped nearly 27 inches in Central Park, the second most in New York City since 1869. The storm took 49 lives across the coast, including two on Staten Island.

New ferry to be named for Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis: The year began with a major announcement -- a Staten Island Ferry will honor the heroism of the late Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis. The first of three new vessels being added to the city's ferry fleet in the next four years will be named for the New Dorp native who died at age 24 while saving a Polish soldier in Afghanistan. The Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis is expected to begin service in early 2019.

Wheel and Outlet construction underway -- parking garage opens, pedestals and legs arrive: Plenty of progress occurred at the New York Wheel and Empire Outlets sites in St. George. As of this writing, a majority of the Wheel garage has opened, with 800 spots available for valet parking. The remaining 130 spaces are not yet available. The Wheel's legs and pedestals arrived this fall.

3 young Staten Islanders commit suicide in the span of a week: This summer, in the span of a week, three young Staten Islanders tragically took their lives, including the heartbreaking suicide of a 13-year-old West Brighton boy, Daniel Fernandez. The night before Fernandez died, Aracelis Abreu Leung was found unconscious in the back seat of a Buick SUV parked in the rear parking lot on Old Town Road in Dongan Hills. Joshua Milinazzo, of Bulls Head, was found floating in Raritan Bay off New Jersey. The 27-year-old father jumped off the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on Aug. 4, said New Jersey police.