Columns/Opinions

Since last fall, Livingston has dealt with some issues involving its drinking water wells. At that time, quarterly letters started being sent to residents explaining that certain township wells are above the limit of a recently-regulated contaminant.

This past Saturday, for the second consecutive year, a township-sanctioned Black Lives Matter banner was raised in Livingston. It will hang at the corner of South Livingston Avenue and Northfield Road for the duration of Black History Month. Its unveiling was one of several events scheduled by the Livingston Committee for Diversity and Inclusion to commemorate the month.

Additionally, LCDI member Simone Anthony-Brown is hosting an “African American Artist” series on the group’s Facebook page (Facebook.com/LCDINJ). The final two parts of this series will be held on the last two Mondays of the month, February 21 and 28, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Artists Sam Gilliam and Varnette Honeywood will be featured, while Synthia St. James was highlighted earlier this month.

At the February 1 Board of Education meeting, members discussed sending a letter to the state Department of Education, Governor Phil Murphy, and local legislators, concerning the potential for the district to have flexible remote learning days to help offset snow days and other emergency needs in a tight school calendar.

A state bill is in its very early stages, which, if drafted and passed, could give districts the ability to declare remote days (or provide the option to attend school remotely on a given day) at the discretion of the local Boards of Education and district superintendents.

While most of the Livingston Board was in support of sending the letter, member Sam Messer expressed concerns about students having fewer than 180 days of in-person instruction, saying that children learn best in school.

Over the past few years, stormwater management has been an urgent issue for residents in certain areas of town, though for others not living in flood-prone areas it may not be given much of a thought.

For many, this pressing concern is only top of mind when massive rainfall and weather events like last summer’s tropical storms Henri and Ida resulted in extensive flooding (melting snow also causes stormwater runoff). Such storms used to be few and far between, “thousand year storms” as they have been referred to. But as our climate continues to change, these storms, and the flooding that comes with them, will continue to occur with increasing regularity. Stormwater runoff also leads to pollution caused by carrying bacteria and chemicals into nearby waterways; it is directly contributing to contaminants in our drinking water.

Now back to the same message we’ve been putting on these pages for the last couple of years. We know you have heard this before, but anyone who read the front page of their Tribune last week, knows that there have been several car burglaries recently. Of course, if you looked at most issues of the paper, you would have seen the same – that is how bad the situation has become in recent years. Believe it or not, we still have to mention this because it’s still happening frequently.

Last week, Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill (S-2921/A-5554) into law that allows municipalities to designate certain outdoor areas in town in which people over 21 years old may consume alcoholic beverages.

We can see the appeal of this bill for cities like Hoboken and Jersey City, as well as along the boardwalks of our shore towns. But does this mean that we could soon see people strolling down Livingston’s residential streets with beer, wine, and liquor in hand? Almost certainly not, but it’s possible that we could see this applied to some of the community’s commercial downtown areas.

While there may not be an obvious open container area that would make sense in Livingston at the moment, as we mark certain areas for redevelopment and build within them, that could change. Hubs around Town Center and Northfield Center (the Northfield Road and South Livingston Avenue intersection) could theoretically be utilized in such a way.

Over the past few weeks, the Tribune has received a steady influx of calls from residents who have had issues receiving their mail. Some were simply calling because they were eager to get their copies of the paper as soon as possible (and we were happy to handdeliver them a copy!). Others said they had gone several days without a delivery of any mail whatsoever.

After looking into the matter ourselves, it appears the reason for the issues was exactly what one may have assumed, given the times. Livingston’s postal workers are dealing with staffing issues related to the highly-contagious omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During some recent Township Council meetings, there have been discussions concerning use of Livingston’s pickleball courts. Specifically, there are several intertwining issues that the town is trying to address at the behest of residents.

Those who live near the courts have complained about excessive noise, particularly during the early morning hours on weekends. The courts are also quite crowded, including many players who are not from Livingston, prohibiting access for some residents. Additionally, those who wish to enjoy non-competitive games with families or children have had difficulty doing so, as “round robin” tournaments regularly fill all available courts.

Last Friday, Livingston experienced its first significant snowfall of the season, and it surely will not be the last, so let us offer a friendly reminder to shovel your sidewalks.

After every major snowstorm, there are dozens of homeowners throughout town who do not clear their sidewalks. As a result, individuals trying to safely walk or jog around Livingston (including children walking to school) are put in unnecessarily dangerous situations, forced to walk in a lane of traffic on one of the town’s busiest roadways, for example.

We do understand that shoveling is difficult for some of our residents, but those residents still miraculously find a way to get their driveways cleared! Whether homeowners take care of the snow themselves, have friends or family lend a hand, or they pay someone to clear the area, the driveways get done, and so should the sidewalks.

Many years ago, when the Board of Education announced plans to close schools in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, we strenuously objected. We believed – and continue to do so – that our students could learn more about Dr. King and his ideals in school than they would having a day off.

But then, some time ago, one of our readers, Patricia Idrobo, came up with the idea of creating “A Day On, Not A Day Off.” She organized many community groups and mobilized a cadre of kids to go to the high school cafeteria to perform a variety of community services and it was a great success. The cafeteria was filled with tables at which people were working on behalf of others. It was a joy to see, and helped to demonstrate to our children the lessons Dr. King taught. At the end of the collection, there was also a brief educational component which helped to teach Dr. King’s ideals.