Columns/Opinions

The Livingston High School Theater gave us the old “razzle dazzle” last week with its brilliant production of Chicago, Teen Edition.

The production captured the time and story with the highest talents and skills of music, dance, costumes, makeup and set, to name a few. From solos and duets to small and full ensembles, the cast and crew were flawless in execution and timing. It was delightful to see the pit band on a level atop the stage, and we were intrigued by the café-style table seating in front of the auditorium.

The leads, including Brooke Lelia as Velma, Jayden Declet as Roxie, and Jonah Ruderman as Billy Flynn, were phenomenal, as was the entire cast and ensemble members. We were also impressed that the production team and pit orchestra were composed primarily of students.

Last weekend, we were thrilled to have four sold out live performances of “The Aristocats Kids,” a one-act show based on the Disney film, presented by the Children’s Theatre of Livingston (CTL). We were, as always, impressed with the amount and spirit of teamwork CTL achieved throughout the show, both on stage and behind it.

CTL was founded over 15 years ago to bring opportunities to the youth in town to experience all levels of theater in a workshop setting, and is supported by the Township Council, Board of Education, Arts Council of Livingston, and Healthy Community Healthy Youth (HCHY). It is a wonderful example of what makes this community so special and interconnected, and we are excited each year to see it in action.

During the Monday, March 6, meeting of the Livingston Public Schools Board of Education, the preliminary budget for the 2023-24 academic year was presented and discussed. In all, it is expected to total more than $144 million, an estimated annual increase of $129 on the average home in Livingston. The main cost drivers, according to the district, were increases of over two percent to staff salary and health benefits, as well as general cost increases to supplies and technology.

Despite these increases, the tax impact is rising at a lower rate than previous years. According to the school district’s business administrator (who resigned from the district to pursue other opportunities at Monday’s meeting), that improvement was due to an increase in renewables, which allow the tax impact to be spread “amongst a larger pot of money.”

While the West Essex Tribune’s regular readership will not notice any changes to this week’s issue (other than a larger page count), some are picking up our paper for the first time. This week’s edition is what we in the Trib office call a “TMC,” which stands for Total Market Coverage. It is the first of four newspapers this year that we will send to every residence in Livingston, whether or not you subscribe. So for those who are new, allow us to tell you why this paper is worth reading as you wait for that bagel to finish toasting.

Mitch Singer of Springfield, Virginia, a former resident of Livingston and a

subscriber, wrote to the newspaper this week about a feature in the recent “Celebrate Livingston’s History” section.

“I loved the ‘Salute to the Greatest Generation’ article in last week’s issue,” Singer wrote. “My dad and his older brother were World War II veterans, so the piece immediately resonated with me. In particular, the story of S/Sgt. John F. Seiter.

“I brought this story to a longtime friend, Walter Hill of Arlington, Virginia, whom I worked with for 17 years at the Nuclear Energy Institute in Washington. Like Mr. Seiter, Walter’s father, the late Fred M. Hill, of Macon, Georgia, also served in the 94th Infantry Division. Mr. Hill was in the 302nd Infantry Regiment (Company I), while, as noted in the article, Mr. Seiter was in the 2nd Battalion, headquarters company in the 301st Infantry Regiment.

Beginning with the February 13 Township Council meeting, a new recording setup was installed in Town Hall, designed to improve livestreaming capabilities. There are now fixed cameras mounted throughout the room, and improved microphones are expected to arrive for installation in the coming weeks. An employee, situated in the back of the room, operates the cameras. The employee essentially serves as the “director” for the video that is streamed to the public and available to view on the Livingston Township, NJ, Facebook page.

Earlier this month, during its February 7 meeting, the Livingston Public Schools (LPS) Board of Education was presented with research from students and parents on equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in the schools. Lisa Steiger, the district’s assistant superintendent for equity, noted that district officials are working to build equity and inclusion through four main components: community and culture; curriculum; professional development; and student engagement. Steiger added that concerns raised by Livingston High School’s Black Student Union – that some students did not feel like they had a voice in the school – had shaped some of the changes that were presented to the Board.

It is officially the Year of the Rabbit, and after a few years of muted public celebrations due to the pandemic, we were thrilled to see people out in full force celebrating. Over the past decade or so, Lunar New Year has become ingrained in our community. From township events, to programs at the public library, to children sharing fun information about holiday traditions in school, we have continued to expand our calendar to include this unique cultural celebration. During the last weekend in January, Livingston’s annual Chinese Cultural Day celebration was held at Livingston High School, and a Year of the Rabbit celebration was held at Heritage Middle School. The events featured family-friendly activities, Chinese fare, and a spectacular, colorful performance of dance, song and more.

Last week, Livingston Township employees participated in National Wear Red Day. The annual event at Town Hall, done on the first Friday in February (American Heart Month), was part of the Go Red for Women initiative, a nationwide campaign that encourages women to make at least one change that will lower the risk of heart disease. While some risk factors for heart disease cannot be controlled, there are several changes you can make to help lower your risk, such as getting the recommended amount of physical activity each week; choosing to eat more nutritious foods (easier said than done on the weekend of the Super Bowl!); and quitting smoking.

Early Sunday morning, a person in a ski mask threw a Molotov cocktail at the front door of Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, in what was ultimately a failed arson attempt. We are relieved that there was no physical harm to people or property. Yet, there is undoubtedly untold emotional damage as a result of the crime.

As the synagogue’s rabbi, Marc Katz, said, while everything worked as it should in regard to security, that cannot protect the Jewish community from growing despondent about the hate some feel for them.

Don Ben-Shimon, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, noted that the incident occurred “amidst a climate of intimidation and intolerance, and a rising tide of anti-Jewish hate crimes and hate speech against Jews.”