COVID And Social Justice: Bergen County's Top Stories Of 2020

Montana Samuels
·3 min read

BERGEN COUNTY — In a year headlined in more ways than one by illness and death, finding the bright spots could be challenging.

With vaccines on the horizon for 2021 — and having already started in the last weeks of 2020 — there is skeptical optimism that hope is on the horizon, but before we transition into the new year, it’s worth revisiting the entirety of this one in Bergen County.

Even as over 2,000 people died from the coronavirus in Bergen County, teachers and school administrators were finding a way to adapt for their students, and residents were fighting for social justice in solidarity with those in Minnesota and Kentucky after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

Demonstrations carried on throughout the summer, as New Jersey residents protested school closings and reopenings, President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden and the continuation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement contracts in the county.

The latter was highlighted by a month-long hunger strike at the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, where protesters were eventually arrested after largely peaceful gatherings.

Of course, there was other news in 2020 aside from the coronavirus and protests, and Patch is looking back at some of the top stories from Bergen County.

Bergen County Academies Named America's Best Public School: Niche

  • Niche has named Hackensack's Bergen County Academies as the best public school in the country in their latest rankings.

Mondelez In Early Talks To Close Fair Lawn Plant In 2021

  • Rep. Josh Gottheimer and Fair Lawn Mayor Kurt Peluso say the closure of the plant could cost the community approximately 600 jobs.

$39M Mansion Is NJ's Most Expensive Listing: See Inside

  • Once the best home railroad money could buy, this 21-bedroom estate with a ballroom has been recently renovated, but the history is intact.

US Supreme Court Tosses Bridgegate Convictions

  • Convictions against two Chris Christie administration officials for their role in Bridgegate have been thrown out.

Photos Show Holy Name Coronavirus Patient's Final Moments

  • In a social media post, Teaneck's Holy Name Medical Center provided an intimate look at a New Jersey coronavirus patient's last moments.

4 Charged In Fair Lawn 'Pantsing' Posted To Social Media

  • The community is outraged after a 14-year-old person with autism allegedly had his pants removed on video, which was posted to social media.

Video Of Ridgewood Police Arresting Teen Sparks Outcry

  • According to Police Chief Jacqueline Luthcke, both officers seen on video were placed on administrative duty at the time.

Protester Arrested At Black Lives Matter March In Ridgewood

  • Video of a young woman being arrested during Saturday's Black Lives Matter protest in Ridgewood sparked an outcry.

Teaneck Remembers Phillip Pannell, Marches For George Floyd

  • Demonstrators in Teaneck gathered to march and protest the death of George Floyd, while remembering one of their own.

PHOTOS: First COVID Vaccines Administered At Teaneck's Holy Name

  • Ten employees were the first to receive the coronavirus vaccine at Holy Name Medical Center, once the epicenter of the pandemic.

Ridgewood's Valley Hospital Gets First Coronavirus Vaccines

  • "We are pleased to be able to begin to vaccinate our doctors, nurses, and other staff who continue to battle on the frontlines of the pandemic," officials said.

COVID Vaccine Marks A Special Anniversary At Bergen New Bridge

  • Transporter James Nettles celebrated his 41st anniversary with the company by becoming one of the first employees to receive the vaccine.

PHOTOS: Protests, Hunger Strike Continue At Bergen County Jail

  • Images from protests outside the Hackensack Jail as inside, ICE detainees were on the 23rd day of a hunger strike. Days later, police and protesters clashed as demonstrations continued.

Mahwah: NYSE Tests Alternate Data Center Ahead Of Transaction Tax

  • The proposed New Jersey Financial Transaction Tax ruffled the feathers of various exchanges, who are threatening to leave the state.

Proud Boys Attend Fair Lawn Pro-Trump Rally: Mayor

  • "The Proud Boys should never feel welcomed in our community," said Mayor Kurt Peluso, after affiliates were present at a Sunday rally.

Gottheimer, Pascrell Say Paramus Veterans Home CEO Must Resign

  • The congressmen are calling for swift action after details of a federal inspection into the home's coronavirus response were made public.

This article originally appeared on the Westwood-Hillsdale Patch