Columns/Opinions

Thu
17
Sep
News Staff's picture

Give Back and Sigh Up

Give Back and Sign Up

As those of you who have checked your mailbox in recent weeks know, it’s that time of year when we are asked to contribute to an organization with members who work tirelessly to keep us safe: The Livingston First Aid Squad. It is important to realize that its active members are not paid. They are our neighbors and friends, who donate their time to be there for us during emergency medical situations, as well as provide many other supports and services to the community.

Livingston residents count on the LFAS in times of need but, unfortunately, when it comes to stepping up with monetary support, we have been falling short. Two years ago, less than 30 percent of the township donated. It is disappointing to think that so few of our residents support a service which could someday save their lives.

Thu
10
Sep
News Staff's picture

A Private Ceremony, Still Remembered

Tomorrow marks the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the fall of the World Trade Center, the crash of and the attack on the Pentagon.

This year in particular, in the absence of a public ceremony for the first time since those 2001 attacks, due to COVID-19 restrictions, we must do what we can to remember the moment and honor the seven Livingston residents we lost that day.

Luke A. Dudek.

Jeffrey Brian Gardner.

Donald Thomas Jones II.

Ming-Hao Liu.

Joseph P. McDonald.

John M. Pocher.

Kenneth Albert Zelman.

 

 

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

 

Thu
03
Sep
News Staff's picture

Get Your Flu Shot

Believe it or not, it is that time of year again. It may not seem it, but soon the leaves will start to change, the temperatures will drop, and everything from coffee to hand soap will have the faint smell of pumpkin spice. That’s right, we are talking about flu season.

While seasonal influenza viruses are detected year-round, they are most common in the fall and winter. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), everyone older than six months should get a flu vaccine every “flu season” to help prevent the contraction and spread of the virus.

 

 

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

 

Thu
03
Sep
News Staff's picture

Election Season

Every fall in which Livingston has a contested Board of Education or Township Council election, the West Essex Tribune provides the candidates the opportunity to share their thoughts in the paper, through a series of questions leading up to the November election. These questions are designed to help our readers get an idea of each candidate’s viewpoints, so that an educated choice can be made when voting.

Typically, the Tribune will send the candidates five questions to which they may respond, if they so choose, in each week leading up to the election, followed by the opportunity to make a general statement regarding their candidacy in the last issue before the first Tuesday in November.

 

 

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

 

Thu
27
Aug
News Staff's picture

All-Remote Learning

In the end, it appears we will end up where many expected us to start this new school year, after all.

Following Governor Phil Murphy’s announcement allowing all-remote learning to start the year for districts that can prove such a move is necessary, the Livingston Board of Education announced last week that the district will begin the 2020-21 school year doing just that. Livingston is not alone in this decision; according to Governor Murphy, as of Monday, 156 New Jersey school districts planned to start the year in all-remote fashion. The move is not surprising, as there is not a district in New Jersey that should have trouble justifying the risk schools pose in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We need look no further than Georgia’s schools to see how quickly the situation can unravel.

Thu
20
Aug
News Staff's picture

To the Editor: We Must Do Better

Dear Editor:

In last week’s “To the Editor,” our campaign was misquoted [in a letter] and I would like to address this misquote. The campaign’s original statement was reviewed and we see how it could have been better expressed. The quote “this campaign looks to not only provide a relatively great education for most of our students.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

Thu
20
Aug
News Staff's picture

Wear A Mask

This past Monday – five months into a pandemic the likes of which we haven’t seen in our lifetime – we were at a large, populated store in town (which we will decline to name) and saw something that took us aback.

There was a man, going about his shopping, walking through aisles, past people, reaching for items, without wearing a mask. This was not a case of a mask covering just his mouth, but not his nose (which we unfortunately see frequently), nor was the man holding his mask but not wearing it, thinking he has found a loophole of sorts to the mandate (yes, we have seen this too, believe it or not). No mask at all. A relic of a time that feels so long ago, February 2020.

Thu
13
Aug
News Staff's picture

Back to School?

Last week, the Livingston Board of Education revealed its hybrid plan to return to school on a limited basis this fall amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Students who do not opt for the full remote learning option would spend roughly half their time at school and attend the other half of classes at home through remote learning.

This is a plan designed to appease everyone, but in practice, it leaves many involved disappointed at best, and worried for their safety at worst. Students and teachers will still risk exposure. Parents will still need to find child care for their children. The logistical and financial issues are boundless.

 

 

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

 

Thu
06
Aug
News Staff's picture

The Answer is Clear

As a community, Livingston generally agrees on most issues. We all tend to unite around the common good, and when we disagree, typically, we respect the fact that we are all trying to make the decisions we feel are best for the whole. Yet, if there is one issue where factions of our community feel genuinely opposed to one another, it is what to do with our schools. Do we send our children and faculty back in to schools during a COVID-19 pandemic when the virus is known to spread significantly easier indoors? Or do we keep everyone at home, continuing a remote learning plan that, at best, had its share of pros and cons? There are no easy answers, and opinions on how to proceed run the gamut.

Thu
30
Jul
News Staff's picture

Conserve Water

Weeks of very hot weather, coupled with little rain, have taken their toll. Although we received some rain earlier this week, it’s not enough to make up for months of below-average precipitation.

Although, at the moment, our wells are still producing sufficient water to meet demand, this will soon change if we don’t get some significant rainfall. Officials hope to head off this scenario by asking residents to begin voluntarily conserving water, before greater restrictions have to be formally imposed.

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Columns/Opinions