Jitney Plan Advances, Bell Changes, Silent Auction Top This Week's News

August 7 is National Night Out and the is planning a big celebration for the town's residents.

National Night out is an annual event that is meant for community police to raise awareness about crime.  It has been held annually since 1984.

The pilot plan that will allow New York City commuters to take a jitney bus from the to the is moving forward according to officials.  It is expected to begin sometime after Labor Day and will run weekdays.  Parking at the Mall is free.

Residents would be charged a $2 fare per ride.  There are also plans to introduce a monthly pass at $70 a month.

National Night Out will feature two silent auctions. The proceeds will benefit 12 year-old Anthony Vallejo, who is battling acute lymphocytic leukemia and seven year-old Oliver Scheier, who suffers from a rare form of muscular dystrophy.

Among the activities happening at is another installment of Stuff The Bus With Food.  Stuff the Bus is a food drive where Livingston residents attempt to fill a school bus with food for the needy.

The bus will be making its way through town on August 7.  After a few key stops, the bus will park at the Oval for Livingston’s National Night Out Festivities and attendees are encouraged to bring a healthy food donation for the bus.

Traditionally, New Jersey has enjoyed a reputation for corruption, high taxes, and Jersey Shore culture. But now New Jersey also is garnering a reputation for something else: the state is a great place to raise a kid.

According to the latest Kids Count report that studies family health, financial factors, and educational achievement, New Jersey is the fourth best state in the nation to raise children, climbing up one spot from last year because of its gains in the classroom.

At the Livingston Board of Education meeting on June 4, the ratification of a new labor agreement with the Livingston Education Association was approved.  As a result of this new agreement, Livingston Public Schools will be able to address a long-term priority of the Strategic Plan to maximize our instructional time.

The Arts Council of Livingston will be holding it’s thirteenth annual “Art at the Oval,” on Sunday, October 7.  Art at the Oval is a juried, outdoor fine art and fine craft exhibit and sale with unique exhibits from many well-known area artists.   The event, which spans the picturesque Livingston Oval, is a well known tradition in town and draws artists from the entire tri-state area and beyond.