Columns/Opinions

There are still a few weeks left to register for the Livingston Police Department’s Citizens’ Police Academy, a free 11-week program designed to provide participants a sense of the department and what it is like working in law enforcement.

Spots are limited, and we highly encourage anyone who is interested to apply before it is too late. This program is an excellent opportunity to see firsthand what goes into the job. For those of us who have never worked in the field, or had family or friends with jobs in law enforcement, this is an opportunity to get a small slice of what such a career entails. Doing so can offer participants a better understanding of how our local officers enforce the law and work to keep us safe on a daily basis.

After becoming a federal holiday last year, Juneteenth was observed last week, likely for the first time for millions of Americans. Juneteenth is a celebration of June 19, 1865, the date that a Union Army general arrived in Galveston, Texas to inform enslaved African Americans that the Civil War had ended, President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation, and they were free.

Though it has been celebrated across the country for more than 150 years, the bill designating the holiday wasn’t signed into law until last year. President Joe Biden approved the legislation on the week of Juneteenth in 2021; with limited time between the signing of the bill and the actual holiday in 2021, this is the first year that much of the country recognized Juneteenth, June 19, as a federal holiday. And with the date falling on Sunday, observation of the day was spread out.

It is a very special day for many of our Livingston families. Today, Thursday, June 23, students from Livingston High School’s Class of 2022 are attending their graduation ceremony and receiving their diplomas.

Those graduating this year have had a… unique… high school experience, to say the least. The middle years of high school for these students were undercut by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the end of their sophomore year and their junior year plagued by virtual learning and masking. It was not the ideal situation to form lasting memories, although surely there were still many. It was certainly a challenging time, and not how anyone envisioned their four years of high school going, but credit to the Class of 2022 for dealing with the hand they were dealt and making the most of it. We were proud to witness all of the incredible things this class managed to accomplish in spite of the unfortunate circumstances.

For the past several months, there has been an eyesore situated at the center of one of Livingston’s main hubs. At Northfield Center, along the intersection of Northfield Road and South Livingston Avenue, there is a vacant lot of dirt, rubble, and overgrowth. It is surrounded by a flimsy temporary fence and a tattered black cloth, intended to hide the view of the vacant site, that only adds to the ugliness of the area. It has been like this for a while, with no apparent changes on the horizon.

Lock Your Cars

Stop us if you have heard this before. Actually, no, don’t stop us, because this apparently needs to be stated again, and a little bit more bluntly for some people: Residents are leaving their cars unlocked, and their key fobs easily accessible to criminals, and as a result the township is dealing with a weekly barrage of vehicle thefts and burglaries.

Of course, there is a simple way to stop this crime spree. Just lock your doors! We promise it is not that difficult. We suspect, in the era of push-to-start ignitions, more people are leaving their fobs in their vehicles overnight. Perhaps some of it is even simple forgetfulness. Still, it is well worth the effort to break these habits if it may save yourself the trouble of reporting your stolen car.

The stories we feature each week in the West Essex Tribune cover a variety of topics, from hard news to light interviews and everything in between, but the one thing they all have in common is Livingston. In one way or another, everything that lines these pages is related to this community, whether we are highlighting the accomplishments of a resident or explaining what new ordinances were recently put on the books. It all ties back to this town, in some way, because that is what matters to those in the community who are reading it – their community.

Of course, there are issues that affect the larger world that also affect Livingston. In the months since Russia first attacked Ukraine, to name one example, we have written about the efforts undertaken in town to fundraise, collect goods, and otherwise offer support to Ukrainians who need it. Most stories like these can tie back to Livingston, in one way or another.

We were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Bunnie Ratner, who died at 85 years old last week. She was an enthusiastic and prolific volunteer in town, one that embodied the very best of Livingston.

It was Bunnie who took the lead for the township in planning its annual September 11, 2001 remembrance ceremony. She has said that, while she never intended to run the event for so many years, somebody needed to do it; and when called upon, she would always oblige out of respect for the residents this town lost.

She was also a proud supporter of the Tribune, greeting its employees when she saw them on a story, sending a note to the staff, and always calling to thank us for coverage of events with which she had been involved. (Editor’s note: A letter she wrote congratulating me on the birth of my sons two years ago still sits on my desk.)

Next Monday will mark an exciting return in Livingston. After three full calendar years, the Memorial Day Parade will once again proceed along Livingston Avenue. Its welcome arrival coincides with the return of several beloved spring and summer events. Last week saw the return of the Kiwanis Karnival, next month will be Summerfest, and Fourth of July should once again feature the ever-popular fireworks show.

Due to the COVID pandemic, there has not been a Memorial Day parade since 2019. There are three-year-old residents of this community who have never gotten the opportunity to experience one of the best annual events Livingston has to offer. We are thrilled that it is back. This will be the 70th Memorial Day parade held in Livingston; the first took place in 1950.

Memorial Day is approaching, and with it, our chance to remember those who gave their lives for our country, and thank those who have served it as part of our military. There is no simpler way to do that than to pick up a Buddy Poppy, which township veterans have been selling to raise money for their fellow vets.

At long last, we have a plastic bag ban in New Jersey. As of last Wednesday, May 4, the Garden State is home to one of the strongest bans in the nation, an effort to address plastic pollution in the state. The ban prohibits the use of single use plastic and paper bags, as well as Styrofoam containers and cups. Additional items that are more specific and challenging for businesses to replace – like prepackaged food service products and trays for butchered meat – will be exempt for an additional two years, until they are also banned in May of 2024.