One year ago, the pages of this newspaper were vastly different. The Town of Kearny had just filed a lawsuit against the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority to attempt to force it to shut down the Keegan Landfill.
We learned that back in 1992, Kearny Police Capt. Timothy Wagner was working with Tom Fraser to try to get the state to “stop dumping on Kearny.”
Registration for the Kearny Townwide Garage Sale was underway.
The Lyndhurst Municipal Alliance had just had an open house.
Jim Hague was writing about the beginning of the spring sports season with features on the Harrison and Belleville boys’ baseball teams.
The annual Project Graduation Volleyball Tournament was just around the corner.
W.H.A.T. was to perform “The Stinky Cheese Man.”
Police all over the area were targeting drivers who are still dumb enough text whilst driving.
Some things were intense. Others were relaxing and enjoyable. And yet so much of it seems so banal given what we’re now experiencing in this world.
But it all serves as a reminder that there’s an end of all of this. And when it does, we will be such a stronger, more caring community. We will have been made tougher and more compassionate for all that we’re going through now.
We are all #KearnyStrong, #HarrisonStrong, #EastNewarkStrong, #NAStrong, #LyndhurstStrong, #NutleyStrong and #BellevilleStrong. We have been tested like never before. But these communities always, always take care of each other.
The same will be said of this crisis. And when we look back on this 10, 15 years from now, may we always be able to say that we got through it because of our strength and will and desire to survive — and because we helped our neighbors, the elderly and all those who were in need.
Learn more about the writer ...
Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, a place where he has served on and off since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on Facebook Live, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to West Hudson to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.