2022: The Year in Review

By Jordan Coll, Daniel Israel, and Gene Ritchings 2022 was the year that COVID-19 began to subside, at a rate outpaced by the desire of many to believe the pandemic was over. Despite a massive Omicron spike that began the year, and a smaller one in June, school districts, municipalities and businesses dispensed with mask mandates and mandatory vaccinations, and testing sites began to close. Applications to open cannabis dispensaries led to endless rounds of hearings. This was the year the Spotted Lanternfly found itself very unwelcome in Hudson County, and when environmental controversies flared over Liberty State Park, a proposed Turnpike Expansion, NY Waterway's impact on Weehawken, when towns examined the steps they've taken towards resiliency in the decade since Hurricane Sandy, and bikeways and EV charging stations became more common.