Columns/Opinions

Perhaps the phrase “the passing of an era” has been overused in the past; but, the loss of former township manager Charles (Chuck) J. Tahaney, this week certainly qualifies as the passing of an era.

Chuck, who was born and raised in Livingston, was only the second municipal manager in the town’s history. His family lived in the converted barracks on Berkeley Place, behind the old house that then served as the Township Hall. He was a of Livingston’s public schools before earning a bachelor of science degree in English with a minor in education from St. Peter’s College in Jersey City. He later earned a master of business administration degree from Seton Hall University. He was certified to teach secondary school and, although he never became a school teacher, that background was evident in the calm and personal way he ran the Township of Livingston.

We are currently in the midst of Black History Month, an annual observance each February. This year’s remembrance of the people and events of Black history feels particularly poignant, as this is the first one following the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, and the Black Lives Matter protests that followed in the summer of 2020 and beyond.

Last week, in a TV interview, Governor Phil Murphy indicated that teachers were “on deck” to be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccinations. Teachers are among the non-healthcare essential workers who were categorized into the 1B section of vaccination eligibility, only to have other categories ranked behind them hear their name called first, including millions of smokers. They’ve since been waiting for their turn, wondering when they would be able to teach inside their classroom with less fear of serious illness.

Mayor Shawn Klein, Deputy Mayor Ed Meinhardt, and the rest of the Township Council say they have been advocating at every level of government for teachers to be next to receive their vaccinations. Recent confirmation that teachers will, in fact, be next, is certainly great to hear. Of course, we have no idea when “next” will be. Will they be able to receive a dose in a matter of weeks or months?

Does Livingston need two pools?

That was the question Mayor Shawn Klein posed to his fellow Council members at last week’s meeting, asking them to be prepared to discuss the matter at the following meeting, which will be held on February 8.

Klein’s argument is that the town can no longer financially support two pools; dwindling attendance over the past few years (prior to the pandemic) appears to prove that demand is not what it used to be.

If the town wants to, can it still afford to pay to maintain both pools? We are sure that it is possible to do so, but we are less certain that it would be the best use of Livingston’s money and resources.

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This Sunday, January 31, is the deadline to get your dog or cat licensed for the year.

Licensing your dog is not just a good idea; it’s the law. The township requires that every dog, age seven months and older, be licensed and immunized against rabies. Licensing also enables dog owners to get a pass to the Livingston Dog Park. Those who do not obtain current licenses are subject to fines and possible court appearances.

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It is no secret that the Livingston Mall has seen better days. Just prior to the pandemic, Sears announced that it would be closing; Lord and Taylor closed more recently. Malls in general have been hurt in the past decade by a growing increase in online shopping. Something needed to be done to support Livingston’s single largest taxpayer, which is why we were thrilled to hear, late last year, that a committee had been formed to discuss what could be done to support the mall.

Last week, the 16-person committee announced the fruits of its initial work, recommending that the Township Council designate the mall district as an area in need of redevelopment. This is all preliminary, with many more steps to take, but we think this is a fantastic idea.

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A few weeks ago, we praised Livingston’s Board of Education for changing its meeting dates later this year, to avoid conflict with the Township Council meetings. Starting in the new academic year, the Board planned to hold its meetings on Thursdays. This was a great move for the members of the community, we said at the time.

What we did not say, however, was that Thursdays were not the best day for us at the Tribune. Since that is the day our weekly paper is delivered, it would mean that news from the Board meetings would be one week old by the time they reached the paper. It was not an ideal situation, but one we planned to make the best of, in one way or another.

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We also wish to remind residents that the world is not their trash can, specifically when it comes to discarded masks and gloves. The amount of PPE we have seen on the ground in the past year is disgusting and disheartening. We cannot imagine that so many residents would carelessly throw these items to the ground, for someone else to clean or simply remain as litter for years. As neighbors of ShopRite, we see it firsthand every day, and as the months have gone on, the masks and gloves have continued to be discarded pretty much everywhere but in the garbage.

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Last Thursday, Livingston Township officials hosted a vaccine forum, an online discussion that allowed residents to ask questions about the vaccination process. It was informative and conducted efficiently. Credit is due to all who spoke during the more than hour-long panel for answering many of the queries that concerned residents had about the COVID-19 vaccines, and the pandemic at large. In a time where misinformation about vaccines is running rampant, having our community leaders directly answer questions is a terrific way to combat distrust and confusion.

At last week’s organizational meeting of Livingston’s Board of Education, it was announced that, starting with the new academic year in September, meetings would move from the typical Monday evening slot to Thursdays. The reason for the move was to finally avoid the longstanding overlap with the Township Council meetings.

Previously (and still for the first half of this year), residents have had to choose which meeting they wished to attend between the Council and the school board, as they often were held simultaneously. For years, neither side would budge off their Monday meeting dates. The change was long overdue and we applaud the Board of Education for taking this action, which provides tangible benefit for the community.

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