News

The Livingston Township Council held its final regular meeting of the year on Monday, December 18. To start the meeting, each Council member thanked their respective spouses for helping them to serve in their positions.

“We couldn ’t do what we do for the community (without our spouses),” Mayor Michael Vieria said, “and this is our way of saying ‘thank you.’” Each spouse was given flowers and a gift card to their favorite restaurant.

Livingston Fire Department president Tom Cooney also addressed the Council. He has been working on creating a book documenting the history of the Department, and while digging through ledger books, he found the original 1938 rendering of Monument Park at the Oval. At the meeting, he gifted the Council the framed document, to be hung in Town Hall.

THANKING THEIR TEACHERS: Livingston High School’s National Merit Semifinalists presented books to their favorite teachers during the Tuesday, December 12, Board of Education meeting. Shown here are LHS student Samuel Liang and biology teacher Paul Raiz. Liang gave Raiz a copy of “When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi.

During its last meeting of2023, the Livingston Planning Board approved Devan Partners LLC’s site plan to convert the automotive repair facility at 505 South Livingston Avenue into a dental office. It also marked Peter Klein’s final meeting before retiring from the Planning Board at the end of the year. Klein had served as a Board member since 1996.

Four witnesses spoke at the applicant’s initial November 21 hearing, supporting requests for variances related to the building’s size, signage placement, and extension of back parking spaces. However, a vote was delayed so the applicant could address the Board’s concerns, including the lack of a garbage plan and front signage length.

A large coastal storm that dropped up to nine inches of rain on South Carolina barrelled up the east coast Sunday afternoon, December 17, into Monday, December 18, leaving significant flooding, damage and power outages in its wake. In Livingston, the storm dropped a total of 4.26 inches, according to reports.

Western Essex County was among the harder-hit areas. A total of 4.85 was recorded at Caldwell Airport, while Verona got 4.83 inches, Cedar Grove, 4.8 inches, and West Caldwell, 4.51 inches.

Most of Morris County received over four inches of rain, with Long Valley recording 5.88 inches, and Butler, five inches.

In contrast, much of Bergen, Camden, Cape May, and Ocean Counties recorded “only” two to three inches of rain, although Estell Manor in Atlantic County got 5.05 inches.

40 Incidents in Town

Livingston Police officers responded to multiple attempted residential burglaries and a pharmacy burglary in the past week.

Pharmacy Burglary

At 9 a.m. on Monday, December 18, Livingston officers responded to Livingston Pharmacy on East Mt. Pleasant Avenue on a report of a burglary at the store.

Officers arrived and were met by store staff, who said that when they entered the store, they found the front door ajar and medications and cash missing. The front door appeared to have been pried open and the store was ransacked. Medicine and cash were confirmed to have been stolen.

The Livingston Detective Bureau is investigating the matter.

Attempted Residential Burglaries At4:55 a.m. on Thursday, December 14, Livingston officers responded to an East Cedar Street residence on a report of several suspects attempting to enter the home.

Livingston’s Temple Beth Shalom was one of about a dozen synagogues that received a bomb threat this past Sunday, December 17. The threat was ultimately determined to be unfounded.

Specifically, at 8:39 a.m., Livingston Police was notified of an email that had been sent to Temple Beth Shalom claiming that there were multiple explosives in the building that would be going off in a few hours.

Livingston officers responded to the scene and evacuated the temple. A check of the building was performed with the assistance of the Essex County sheriff’s office Bomb and K-9 Unit, and the temple was found to be clear of any explosive devices.

Police determined that the email had been sent to numerous temples statewide and throughout the country – synagogues in more than a dozen states received a total of more than 200 threats – and no credible threat was found.

The Livingston Fire Department responded to a motor vehicle accident, a report of wires arcing, a power problem at Temple B’nai Abraham, and a washing machine issue. Fire officials also investigated several reports of gas and odors, all of which turned out to be unfounded.

Car Accident

On Thursday, December 7, firefighters went to the Container Store at 372 West Mt. Pleasant Avenue, at the Route 10 traffic circle, on a report of a car hitting a building.

Upon arrival, they found a vehicle had gone into a plate glass window there. Although the window sustained significant damage, there was no damage to the building, as determined by members of the Livingston Building Department. The vehicle was towed from the scene.

HEROES AND HEROINES: On Tuesday, December 12, JCC MetroWest held two events that allowed the public to hear real testimonies from survivors of the October 7 attack on Israel. Speakers included Ofir and Rony Kisin, Hila Fakliro, and Shani Teshuva, who each shared their stories from that date. Shown above are Rabbi Moshe Rudin of Congregation Adath Shalom, who moderated the afternoon session, along with Teshuva, Fakliro, and Ofir and Rony Kisin. The related story can be seen on page B- 4. Jerry Siskind Photo

At its conference meeting on Monday, December 11, the Livingston Township Council discussed potential cannabis business in town and provided an update on construction of the long-dormant new Department of Public Works building.

Cannabis

A report on potential cannabis retail in town is expected to be finalized soon. A draft of the plan currently exists and has been shared with the Council, but it is awaiting comments from Peter Klein, a cannabis committee member, to be completed. It was expected to be ready in time for Monday’s meeting. Instead, the Council just discussed the report in general terms.

The report recommends areas in town where retail cannabis would make sense, should the Council choose to approve it. Details were not shared during Monday’s meeting, but the locations would be areas of town that are already zoned for retail, while not being close to certain locations like schools and houses of worship.