The Kearny Town Council met last week, on Feb. 20, and the meeting was yet again raucous. And, depending on who one supports politically, there isn’t just one person to blame for what happened at that meeting.
One thing is clear, however, about what’s happening: it is out of hand, it is doing no good and it seems like it’s never going to end.
Video from the meeting is available online at www.kearnynj.org. Click on the menu in the upper corner of the site, then chose Mayor and Council, then Council Meeting Videos. It’s the first video (it is mislabeled as Feb. 21, though it actually took place Feb. 20.)
Rather than attempt to recap what occurred, we again invite our readers to watch it — and to make decisions for yourselves. In other news …
n The opening of a new station house at the Harrison PATH last week was a great event and another extraordinary reminder of the vision of two people no longer with us — the-late Mayor Raymond McDonough and the-late Peter Higgins.
If one were to take a ride down Frank E. Rodgers Boulevard in a time machine, and it were 2006, the sheer magnitude of how much growth there’s been would be tough to comprehend. But it’s real. And the two aforementioned men have left a legacy that will be hard to parallel, let alone ever surpass. If you haven’t taken a ride on PATH lately, you’ll certainly understand more next time you do — or by reading The Observer’s front-page story this week.
n Belleville Mayor Michael Melham continues to lead without fear. His decision to fly the Tibetan flag despite pleas from the Chinese Consulate to not do so was another great example of how to do things the right way.
n In North Arlington, Mayor Daniel H. Pronti and the Borough Council released a new app called “North Arlington Connect” last week. It’s available for iPhones and Androids and is a great example of the borough’s desire for full transparency. That transparency sure does reveal a lot of good.
n One year ago today, I woke up and a few hours later, was unable to speak for about an hour after suffering what’s known as a Transient Ischemic Attack. In layman’s terms, it was a minor stroke. One year later, I remain grateful for all of the remarkable support I’ve been given by so many of you. I sure am glad to still be here with you all today.
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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.