A Day On
Many years ago, when the Board of Education first announced plans to close schools in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, 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; 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 program, there was also a brief educational component which helped to teach Dr. King’s ideals.
That gathering has since become an annual tradition, and this year, the Day of Service will be held on Monday, January 20, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Livingston Senior/Community Center on Hillside Avenue. Dozens of organizations will be sharing their service projects at the event. There will be opportunities to donate food and care items, for those who wish to bring some. It is also, as the event flier says, “a day to come together in service to our community and reflect on Dr. King’s teachings of love, peace, and unity.”
Members of the Livingston Committee for Diversity and Inclusion (LCDI), the organizing group for the event, should be commended for their efforts. There is much good being done during the Day of Service and we should all be grateful for the hard work done by these volunteers. As officials from the LCDI have noted, the Day of Service was created to remind people that Dr. King’s dream of a better world lives on through collective community efforts. Setting aside time to volunteer for the MLK Day of Service offers an opportunity to connect with the community and pay tribute to Dr. King’s enduring legacy. Each act of kindness toward those in need within our broader community can have a significant impact.
Dr. King has said that life’s most persistent question is, “What are you doing for others?” So for those who have the day off in his honor, we hope you will instead make it a “day on” and participate.
Shovel Your Sidewalks
As we have experienced bitter cold for the past few weeks, it is only a matter of time before it is accompanied by the a major snow accumulation. To get ahead of a common refrain following those snowfalls, 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.
This isn’t just a request for decency, it’s the law. In the township’s code, it states, “it shall be the duty of the owner, occupant or tenant of any lot, parcel of land, or real property in the township abutting or bordering on the sidewalks of a public street in the township to remove or cause to be removed all snow and ice from the sidewalk area in front of or bordering his lands, within 12 hours of daylight after the snow has ceased to fall.”
We have suggested in the past that the township should look into starting a program to link those who cannot clear their walkways with residents willing to do so, either for a fee or out of the kindness of their hearts. We still believe this is an idea worth pursuing. Of course, we can also count on some local groups, like Livingston’s scouting troops, to lend a hand to a neighbor in need as well.
