As we reach Christmas, here’s hoping for better days

It has been, to say the very least, a trying December, in this neck of the woods. There has been enough tragedy for a lifetime, frankly. 

The fire in Kearny that claimed two lives.

The fire in Lyndhurst that claimed one life.

The tragic loss of Brian Kolakowski.

Yet another fire in Lyndhurst this past weekend.

Drones, everywhere.

More than nine months on, Juan Barroso Jr. is somehow still suspended without pay from the Kearny Fire Department and there appears to have been little to no movement to end that abhorrent injustice.

There are certainly others things — perhaps you’ve even experienced one or more — that go unreported.

As December slowly moved along, it seemed like there would be very little to be grateful for as Christmas arrives. 

And yet, at times like these, people round here always find a way to rise and to make impossible situations much more tolerable.

Whether it’s the collection of toys for the underprivileged, food pantries, and any number of things that have happened here of late, we come to the absolute realization: We live in a special place.

Sure, there are charitable people around the world. But there is something about how people here band together in tough times. 

It just shines.

Indeed, for much of this month, it seemed like every day would bring something worse than the day before. 

But when all was said and done, our communities all became stronger and more vibrant.

We often read on social media how people proudly say they’re happy they moved away from here. Perhaps if they saw how things are behind the scenes, they’d think differently.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and best wishes — better days, God willing, are ahead.

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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served 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 social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, 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 Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.