Columns/Opinions

I have always enjoyed board games, but rarely do I have the opportunity to play them. Growing up, my parents weren’t big fans, and I could only rely on my brother and neighbors to play on a rainy day. I had to wait until college to find a group of friends who really enjoyed a good game of “Catan.” Now, my wife humors me on occasion, but playing a game is never her first, second, or third choice of activity when the kids finally fall asleep. And we rarely have the free time to host a game night. But now, at long last, I have two budding board game partners.

In the past six months, my threeyear- old boys have become obsessed with board games. They started with the basics, games like Hi-Ho Cherry O and Candyland. But the real fun started after Christmas, when I gave them Trouble. We weren’t sure if it would be too soon for them to understand a “real” game with more rules and (minimal) strategy, but they took right to it, especially Henry.

As the newest staff member at the West Essex Tribune, I’ve spent my first month learning as much as I could about Livingston, its history, and what makes this township special. Among the interesting tidbits I learned, I was shocked to discover that many celebrities were born and raised within Livingston’s borders. Sure, there are some A-listers everyone has heard of like Chelsea Handler, Jason Alexander, and Wendy Williams, but there are many more.

New York Times Bestselling author Harlan Coban graduated from Livingston High School, but he was not the only acclaimed writer to receive an LHS diploma.

Underground horror author Jack Ketchum was a pen name for Livingston’s Dallas William Mayr. Described by Stephen King as one of the scariest writers of all time, some of Ketchum’s notable credits include The Girl Next Door. Offspring, and Off Season.

While we are on the topic of applying to be a first responder in town, let us also give a shout out to the Livingston Fire Department (LFD) and the First Aid Squad (LFAS), both of which are volunteer organizations looking for new members.

Residents can go to livingstonfire.org to learn more about what it takes to join the LFD, which needs additional members in the next few years in order to remain a volunteer organization. A contact page is listed on the website for those with questions about what it takes to join the department.

For the First Aid Squad, any resident is able to join; in fact, LFAS will provide the training in first aid skills such as CPR. A brief questionnaire, available at lfas.org, is the first step in the process of joining the squad.

With several retirements so far this year, and more to come, the Livingston Police Department is currently accepting applications for entry-level police officer positions.

Three long-serving Livingston Police officers, Captain John Drumm, Sergeant Michael Herbert, and Officer Ralph Kolbusz, all retired from the department last month. Three more, including Captain Tom Smith, are expected to leave the department by May, as well.

With apologies to “Miss Rachel” and “Paw Patrol,” two of the few children’s shows I find somewhat tolerable, as well as “Sesame Street,” which my kids sadly don’t really care for, there is one program my three-year-old boys watch that stands head and shoulders above the rest. In a world of mind-numbing drivel (watch “Blippi” or “Cocomelon” at your own risk), “Bluey” is a beacon of light in the dark sea of children’s entertainment.

Anyone who has watched a few episodes of “Bluey” likely understands. For those who haven’t, I’ll try to explain: The seven-minute episodes follow a family of anthropomorphic heeler dogs living in Brisbane, Australia - Mom, Chilli; Dad, Bandit; and children, fouryear- old Bingo and six-year-old Bluey - through playtime, errands, housework, school, and vacations. The episodes are typically scored to classical music, including some of the most famous works in history and original compositions made for the show.

In recent months, and particularly during the past few weeks, Livingston has seen several vigils and protests that can very broadly be described as pro-Israel (asking for the safe return of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7,2023, praying for the Israeli Defense Forces, etc.) and pro-Palestine (calling for a cease fire, praying for thousands of victims in Gaza that have been caught in the crossfire of the Israel-Hamas war, etc.).

In covering these events, the Tribune has received some criticism from multiple perspectives of this complex situation. We have been accused of being sympathetic to one side of this issue, and then the other. Readers have said we have covered things both too much and too little. Any story we report, photos we share, or events we publicize is met with some level of controversy.

With the retirements of three long-serving Livingston Police Department officers last month, we would like to take a moment to express our gratitude for their service to this community.

We thank Captain John Drumm, Sergeant Michael Herbert, and Officer Ralph Kolbusz for their combined nine decades of experience working with the LPD. Each of them brought his own contributions to Livingston, and we wish them well in retirement.

Happy Lunar New Year

The Livingston Democratic County Committee has submitted three names for the pending vacancy on the Township Council. Laurence Bergmann, James McIlvaine, and Ketan Bhuptani have been nominated to fill Rosy Bagolie’s seat.

While the holiday season is the most common time for packages to be stolen – due to the uptick in deliveries and nature of what is being ordered – thefts do not stop when the calendar turns to a new year. To wit, a package was recently stolen off the front porch of a Mt. Pleasant Parkway home; the Livingston Detective Bureau continues to investigate the matter.

Package theft has, unfortunately, become a common nuisance in recent years as people more frequently than ever rely on home delivery.

At the end of December, an addendum to the Livingston Public Schools’ Final Equity Audit Report was released. The update followed up on two issues raised during the December 5 presentation of the report during a Board of Education meeting: special education, and retaliatory culture concerns. The report contained revealing and concerning information, showing that there is much for the district to improve upon when it comes to equity. Hopefully, it will be a useful tool to rectify these issues. To wit, Board members have already started discussing how to address the audit’s recommendations, and meetings are actively being held with administrators, advisors, and equity coaches on the topic.