Monday, November 9, 2026
type here...
Support Local News

RIDGE VIEW ECHO WRITER

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer

471 ARTICLES
Joe brings decades of journalism experience to the Ridge View Echo, covering everything from local school boards to the U.S. Supreme Court. A former National Law Journal editor and Columbia Law School press officer, he now enjoys telling community stories in Blairstown, where he lives with his wife, Rose, and their two dachshunds.
Community

Solar Power to Enlighten Hofman Library

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
Libraries enlighten the world, and the Catherine Dickson Hofman Branch of the Warren County Library System will soon be enlightening itself after solar panels...
Phalon's File

Pumped Over Gas Prices

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
So you’re pining for the days when gas was “cheap”? Well, pine no more, my friend. We’re enjoying some of the cheapest gas in history,...
Hardwick

Jacksic to Serve Another Term as Hardwick Mayor

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
Hardwick Township Committeeman Chris Jacksic was tapped to serve another term as mayor last week. Jacksic, a five-year veteran of the committee, has been mayor...
Meetings

Frelinghuysen Committee Moves Meetings to 7 p.m.

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
If you arrive at Wednesday’s Frelinghuysen Township Committee meeting at the familiar 6 p.m. starting time and there’s nobody there but you and the...
Municipal Actions

Frelinghuysen to Vote on Affordable Housing Obligations Thursday

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
The Frelinghuysen Township Committee is expected to formally accept its affordable housing obligation numbers at a special meeting Thursday afternoon. A resolution is scheduled to...
Government

Debra Shipps Returns as Mayor of Knowlton

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
Township Committee Member Debra Shipps was elected mayor of Knowlton by her committee colleagues at Monday’s reorganization meeting. Shipps served as mayor for 2024 and...
Government

Knowlton’s Frank Van Horn Begins His Next Chapter

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
Knowlton Township Mayor Frank Van Horn presided over his final committee meeting in December, as he retires after more than four decades in public...
Meetings

Kirk Perez Elected Frelinghuysen Mayor

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
Frelinghuysen Committeeman Kirk Perez was named mayor at the governing body’s reorganization New Year’s Day morning, and Debra Natyzak was elected deputy mayor.  Incoming committee members Brian James and David...
Phalon's File

The Trash After Christmas

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
The winds were lively this week. Power lines down, snowdrifts blocking streets. And in my part of the world, the gusts turned my garbage...
Meetings

Frelinghuysen Mayor Drylie Looks Back on 2025

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
From the If We Didn’t See It With Our Own Eyes Dept., Frelinghuysen Mayor Shannon Drylie reflected on her year in office and the...
Community Issues

Knowlton Has Shooting Ranges in Its Sights

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
The new year will bring new regulations for outdoor shooting ranges in Knowlton. Passed unanimously, if reluctantly by the Township Committee, the new rules would...
Public Safety + Services

Tabled Until January, Camp Weaqua Road Issue Makes Unsurprising Return in December

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
While the Frelinghuysen Township Committee had agreed last month to forgo discussions on Camp Weaqua Road until January, the issue was backed into the...
Holidays

Craft Market and Moravian Lights Brighten Hope

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
The folks in the Moravian village of Hope completed two weekends of holiday celebrations with the Annual Moravian Christmas Lantern Walking Tour this past...
North Warren Regional

Veterans Honored by North Warren Students

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
North Warren Regional High School last week honored more than 70 veterans, thanking them in person for their service to the United States. The Voices...
Historic Preservation

Vass Homestead Celebrates 213 Christmases in Hardwick

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
The doors of the historic Vass House were opened for visitors last weekend, as the Hardwick Historical Society hosted a Christmas Gathering for residents,...
Family Fun

Santa Sans Reindeer Flies Into Blairstown

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
Santa took flight from the North Pole to Blairstown Airport last week, but not with his reindeer. Instead of Dasher, Dancer, et al, the...
Municipal Actions

Rancor Over Rec Rocks Knowlton Committee

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
During a chaotic Township Committee meeting Monday, which included one committee member abruptly departing while announcing his resignation, a decision to eliminate the position...
Transportation

Amtrak Service to Blairstown Gets Another Boost

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
The restoration of passenger trains between Blairstown and New York City took a step closer with an $8.9-million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration...
Phalon's File

Leaving the Store Empty-Handed 

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
Christmas shopping wasn’t always this easy. Go online, place your order, go to the front door, and it’s waiting for you. Not unlike the...
Family Fun

Santa Arrives for Main Street Christmas

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer -
It was a two-dog night on Main Street Friday, and the air was as thick with anticipation as it was with the late Autumn...
1...345...31Page 4 of 31

Featured

About us

Ridge View Echo is your local independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan news source. We provide local news serving the Blairstown, Frelinghuysen, Hardwick, Knowlton and surrounding communities in northern Warren County, New Jersey.

Ridge View Echo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization.

Articles

The latest

Knowlton Elementary School Sees Strong ELA Scores; For Math, It’s Complicated

Knowlton
It’s test score presentation season, that time of year...

Beech Blight Aphids: The Bugs That “Boogie Woogie”

Notes From the Fallen Tree
Beech blight aphids are a type of woolly aphid...

After Second ICE Operation in Hackettstown, Local Groups Unite in Protest

Community Issues
About 50 protesters marched through downtown Hackettstown on Sunday,...
Make a Contribution

Sign up for free

Never miss a story. Receive breaking news, local alerts, and headlines in your inbox each week.

© 2026 Ridge View Echo. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
Development by WHY KYRA DESIGNS