Columns/Opinions

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 the township’s veterans have been selling to raise money for their fellow vets. They started distributing them, for donations, outside of ShopRite and Kings earlier this week and will continue to do so through the end of the month.

Now that spring has finally sprung, it is time for many residents to address what has become a growing issue in town over the past few years – sidewalks.

Cracked, uneven, overgrown and otherwise damaged sidewalks are unsafe. Depending on the level of damage, individuals might be likely to trip and fall due to the unevenness of the surface. We at the Tribune can attest to this, with staff members having had their fair share of tumbles. In some parts of town, we even choose to walk and run in the street over what could be considered a “sidewalk” in name only, and is actually closer to a pile of rubble. Students walking to school on these same roads are forced to do the same, making this a dangerous and pressing situation for our youth.

Last Saturday, April 22, was Earth Day, so let us take a moment to reflect on the gains we have made over the last fiveplus decades since that holiday began. We have done much as a society to accelerate environmental progress, yet there is still so much left to accomplish.

Celebrated around the globe, Earth Day was founded in 1970 as a day to provide education about, and demonstrate support for, environmental issues. When it comes to recognizing the need to care for our planet, humans have come a long way, but there’s still much more to be done.

While the November 7 election may seem a long way off, it is never too early to start planning a run for local office. To wit, Livingston Public Schools set a notice last month encouraging residents to run for Board of Education. One of the five Board seats will be up for a vote in this year’s election. It is currently held by Vineeta Khanna, who has not yet stated whether or not she will seek another three-year term on the Board.

Starting a few weeks ago, the Planning Board has resumed recording its meetings and sharing them online once they conclude. Specifically, they are available on the Livingston Township, NJ, YouTube page; the latest one was uploaded a little over an hour after the meeting had concluded. The meetings had previously been livestreamed since the start of the COVID pandemic in March of 2020 until the start of 2023.

While we wish that the meetings were once again shared live, as they occurred, this is still a good step toward equitable access, and we applaud the town for taking the action. We felt it was wrong to take this away from residents at the start of this year for no reason, and we are pleased to see that mistake rectified in relatively short order. Since the Township Council worked to improve the Town Hall’s recording setup for its meetings, and since the Planning Board meets within the same room, doing so could not have been easier.

There may still be a bit of a chill in the air, but spring has arrived, as evidenced by Livingston’s baseball and softball fields finally being put to good use.

Last week, the Livingston Lancers varsity baseball and softball teams opened their seasons. The varsity baseball team’s next game is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Friday at the Oval, against Caldwell High School. Varsity softball will play at the same time in Caldwell on Friday. The baseball team has also once again partnered with the Livingston Police Department for its annual Blue/Green Shield program; this season the department supplied the team with new jerseys, which include an LPD patch on the sleeve.

Of course, the rest of spring sports are in full swing, as well, including track, tennis, volleyball, lacrosse, and golf seasons. The Tribune plans to follow them all this spring, and we hope you’ll join us.

Dear Editor:

Why are Town Council meetings not on Zoom? They used to be on Zoom back when COVID was infecting more people.

Having Town Council meetings on Zoom would make them more accessible to residents. Not explaining why Zoom has been discontinued would be wrong.

Town Council members have repeatedly stated that “transparency” is one of their goals. Failing to explain why Town Council members have discontinued Zoom access is being the opposite of transparent.

I especially direct my question to Council members Bagolie, Klein, and Meinhardt, who won elections to the Council this past November. During the League of Women Voters’ debate last fall between candidates for the Council, these Council members supported Zoom access for Council meetings. Am I not remembering correctly what went on in that debate? That debate, itself, was on Zoom.

I am asking with this letter that Town Council meetings be put back on Zoom.

Dear Editor:

The Federal Trade Commission has reported that consumers lost $5.8 billion to fraudulent scams in 2021 and projected the 2022 loss will exceed that amount.

While younger people (ages 20-39) were the most likely to be scammed, seniors (those over 70) were the least likely, but they were, on average, hit for a higher loss amount.

The top scams were identity theft, imposter scams, bogus debt relief and fake business opportunities. Others include fake computer repairs, stock tips, very cheap products and services.

Just this past week I received a scammer call pretending to be my daughter, indicating she was about to be jailed for shoplifting unless some payment was immediately paid. Although I knew my daughter would not shoplift, I immediately called her and she said she was working and was not involved in a shoplifting event.

With the advent of warmer weather, we are seeing more people – especially children – out around town. That means it’s time to think about vehicle and roadway safety. This month, the state is conducting its “UDrive.UText.UPay” campaign, a federally-funded campaign to raise awareness and crack down on distracted driving. But it’s not just about avoiding traffic tickets; it is about personal responsibility and weighing the value of human life.

Distracted driving includes all situations in which drivers take their eyes off the road, take their hands off the wheel, or generally take their mind off driving. According to the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety (HTS), talking and texting on cell phones is the number one cause of distracted driving among drivers of all ages. Nine people in the United States are killed each day in crashes that involve a distracted driver, the CDC’s Transportation Safety division reports.

Earlier this month, the Township Council approved a $170,000 contract with Gold Type Business Machines for the purchase of license plate reader cameras (LPRs). These cameras will be installed at specific thruways leading out of Livingston, in an effort to help combat the rash of car thefts that have occurred in town in recent years. Auto theft is certainly an issue, with over 100 cars stolen in Livingston in the past three years (and it must be noted that most, but not all, of them were unlocked with the key fobs left in them).

Livingston Police Chief Gary Marshuetz has specifically cited these readers as a critical component in cracking down on these thefts. And when used properly, they can do just that. By tracking the stolen car through its plate number as it exits town, it is easier to locate the vehicle and suspects involved.