Community News from Lodi, New Jersey • A8

OPINION COMMUNITY NEWS, THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2016 PAGE LL8 EDITORIAL Love will win out always i i ii 1 1 i urn idi BjT H(iU-JB CAN, NO THE ySA THEIR ACC0MPAWlN6IRIFK, i ar I on earth anp swim Lcjt HffiAl LETTERS TO THE EDITOR very ambitious year and there have been many changes within the organization. We have updated our membership form and have added many new categories for giving to the Friends. We have set up a new application that is available both in our newsletter and on its own form available at the library. We have updated our newsletter to reflect the happenings of the Friends and all the new programming that the Friends have sponsored. In October of 20 15, the Friends welcomed Miss New Jersey 2016 Lindsay Giannini who visited us to help celebrate the 150th anniversary of the novel, SEE LETTERS, NEXT PAGE has already raised $3.5 million, a number that is still climbing.

These are the acts that remind us how quickly we, as a people, can band together to help those in need, and a great relief to those of us desperate for a respite from political hand-wringing and finger-pointing devoid of substance or solution. To be sure, we have many questions. How can any individual perpetrate such an act of terror against innocent people? The answer seems to be getting more complex with each passing report adding another layer to the psychological profile of the perpetrator, whose name does not deserve to appear in this paper. The thing about answers is sometimes there is not one. There is no reasonable explanation because there is nothing reasonable about committing such a heinous act, although this may be little more than cold comfort to most of us.

We believe there is also a responsibility to help our friends and neighbors through these trying times. Be sure to check on the most important people in your life, have a conversation, share your fears and concerns and be a source of reassurance. To quote Dr. Martin Luther King "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." On an early Sunday morning, 49 people were killed inside a nightclub in Orlando, Fla.

and another 53 were injured in an act so repulsive and cowardly there are no words to sufficiently describe it. That is a total of 102 victims 102 people with parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and friends. The number of Americans directly affected by this single tragedy easily ranges within the thousands. But each and every one of us are, too the indirectly affected citizens of a country that has just witnessed a domestic attack. There are several appropriate responses to a national tragedy such as this -anger, sadness, fear, disgust, confusion, despair no one could be blamed for feeling helpless in the immediate aftermath, wondering if such a state of emotion will become the new normal.

Fear, in particular, is a powerful emotion. While it is necessary to our survival as a species, it can often be used to manipulate, divide and conquer. A fearful populace is one that is easily controlled. Instead, the time is now to unite and we have already seen several examples to follow. Vigils have been held from New York to California; there were lines around the block to donate blood necessary to save the still-living victims; a GoFundMe page dedicated to supporting victims of the shooting COMMUNITY NEWS Green Fair was a successful event TO THE EDITOR: Thank you to all members of the Fair Lawn Green Team and the Fair Lawn Environmental Commission for another successful Green Fair, which took place on March 9 at the George Frey Center.

This year, there were 26 exhibitors, including local Scouts, the Lyncrest School Environmental Club, the FLHS Environmental Club, Garretson Forge, a science experiment station for students, Solar City, LA Fitness, Shop RiteInserra, ez ride, Hack-ensack Riverkeeper, Valley Health System, Bergen Community College, Ramapo College, Food and Water Watch Fund, MEVO, National Center for Safe Routes to School, Green Wei, Bergen County Audubon Society, NJ Watershed Ambassadors, AmeriCorps and New Jersey Water. More than 100 people signed in at the fair, including a large number of families. The enthusiastic responses from the people who attended the fair, including the delight of the children, made the night very special. The Green Fair is a true group effort, and we'd like to thank everyone who worked so hard to make it a success, including Green Team and Environmental Commission members: Nancy Sperling, Michael Ciolino, Andrea Piazza, Pat LaRocco, Carol Wagner, Lisa Swain, Han Broekman, Kimi Wei, Ivan Wei, Mariola Lach, the Dabney Family and Caroline Newman. The terrific staff at the Recreation Center helped the night run so smoothly, thank you! Special thanks to Borough Manager Jim Van Kruiningen, Health Officer Carol Wagner, Superintendent of Paries and Recreation Jim Graff and their staffs.

Thank you to our sponsors, who supplied the following door prizes: -Applebee's Complimentary lunch or dinner for two. -Crunch gift certificate, plus one hour training. $100 gift certificate to Inserra ShopRite supermarkets $50 gift certificate to Shannon Rose Pub Shopping trolley from Whole Foods If you'd like to learn more about sustainability in our town, please contact the Green Team via the borough's web site. Joan Goldstein Wendy Dabney Green Team Busy year for the Friends of the Library TO THE EDITOR: The Friends of the Lodi Memorial Library have had a Letters to the Editor Policy Letters may be edited and may be published, reproduced or distributed In print, electronic or other forms. The views and opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are not necessarily those of Community News or its affiliates.

Submissions should be typed, double-spaced and signed and include a phone number for verification. Letters that cannot be verified or are anonymous will not be published. Not all letters will necessarily be published. Please email your letters to the editor to communitynewsinorthjersey.com, fax to 201-794-3259 or mail to 12-38 River Road, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410. The deadline for all letters is noon Thursday for the following week's edition.

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