COVID, Murphy Vs. Vergano And More: Wayne's Top Stories Of 2020

WAYNE, NJ — 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 Wayne.

Even as over 1,200 people died from the coronavirus in Passaic County, the school district grappled with race and residents dealt with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Isaias in their own ways.

Students in the district created petitions for diversity within the schools, but also to change the Wayne Valley mascot, a movement that has gained steam, but also faced opposition.

The district also lost a long-time employee, who was memorialized with a scholarship this year.

And, of course, graduations in the township were quite the kerfuffle, with Wayne Mayor Christopher Vergano eventually being sued by Gov. Phil Murphy over it.

Patch is looking back at some of the top stories from Wayne in 2020.

St. Joseph's Staff In Wayne, Paterson On Why They Were Vaccinated

• In photos posted to Facebook, staff at the Wayne and Paterson hospitals shared why they decided to get the coronavirus vaccine.

NJ Man Makes 'Miracle' Coronavirus Recovery At Wayne Facility

• In May, Luis Martinez was on a ventilator after contracting COVID-19. Last week, he walked out of the Lakeview Rehabilitation & Care Center.

Wayne Family Trolls JCP&L With Yard Signs After Extended Outage

• The yard signs described how many in the area felt after days without power following Tropical Storm Isaias.

Murphy Sues Wayne Mayor; Court Injunction Cancels Graduation

• Gov. Phil Murphy has sued Wayne Township and Mayor Christopher Vergano to put a halt on the township sponsored graduations.

Longtime Wayne Schools Employee Memorialized With Scholarship

• Suzanne Koransky died on May 29 due to complications from the coronavirus. Now, her family has created a memorial scholarship in her honor.

Petition To Change Wayne Valley Mascot Gains Momentum

• Amanda Kiel, a Wayne student, believes language from Wayne Schools promoting tolerance and anti-racism messaging can't be taken seriously while the Indian mascot is still a part of the district. So she decided to do something about it.

Wayne Wawa Approved, Will Be First Location In Passaic County

• The Planning Board unanimously approved Wawa's proposal at a November meeting, clearing the way for Wayne to have Passaic County's first Wawa.

Wayne Police Chief Defends Department’s Coronavirus Response

• Police Chief Jack McNiff defended his department in a lengthy Instagram post. Dawn Kumar apologized, but said McNiff isn't above criticism.

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