A Stroke of Luck

It was a stroke of good luck growing up that my sister and I competed with the Livingston swim team. We learned the importance of teamwork, each of us bringing our own gifts to the pool. We had fun and we learned that hard work pays off. We won a lot of ribbons and medals, but we took away life lessons that counted more than those awards: We learned the importance of teamwork, having fun and working hard in life.

I especially enjoyed Barbara Anderson's article last week on the summer team (. It reminded me of so much of my childhood and I loved the coach's quote about swimming on this team: “You never know where it will take you.”

It’s true. One of our friends made it to the Olympics. Another teammate, Bob Grady has enjoyed huge success in politics and business and will inducted into the LHS Hall of Fame this October. A lovely man named Fred Friess officiated the summer meets. He died the summer I was 13 and I remember attending his funeral with friends from the team. That’s many years ago, and I was surprised to read that the Aquajets honor his memory with the team’s highest honor of the season. I wonder when that began?

We hope you are clicking onto Patch daily for news of Livingston and receiving our daily or weekly newsletter. We run half a dozen stories a day of interest to Livingston residents, covering our town and people who live and work here.

Some of the top stories of the past week:

An education task force has been listening to the voices of school reform for New Jersey.

: Will Allison's detective thriller, family drama rings true thanks to an Essex County vehicle homicide expert.

: Livingston is seeking host families for this coming school year.

. Yes, Virginia: Livingston really did rule on the sale of trees in August.

. Police throw a party with crime prevention theme.

. Routine checks are aimed at making roads safer.

: The committee discusses hot topics with the town manager and senior program supervisor.

. Livingston municipal court handles five cases.

: Township Council holds a moment of silence for Andrew Jay Weiner, 39.

: Summer workshops help teachers learn new ways to bring technology into classrooms.

: National Council of Jewish Women helps kids get ready with backpacks, clothing and supplies.

: Landscapes by Michal Barkai exhibited in Livingston.

: Day Trip: 'Savage Beauty' at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

: A local teen, an avid fan, gets the "key" to Pottermore.

You can find all the news on top of the Livingston Patch site by clicking on the tab for News. You can browse by Arts, Government, Business, Police and Fire, School News, Sports, Announcements, Events and Local Voices -- blog posts written by Patch readers, to continue the conversations we are having in our homes with a broader audience. If you're interested in blogging, email marilyn.lehren@patch.com.

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Still trying to figure out what we’re all about? You can learn more about just what this and the challenges of the here. Last week was big for Patch. The sites have posted more than one million stories and Patch made the list of .

I'm unplugging for the week and Phil Hoops will be subbing as editor. I look forward to reading all his stories when I return.