News

The sun was shining Monday morning during Livingston's annual Memorial Day observance. Immediately following the ceremony was the parade, which was well attended due to the pleasant weather. Shown at top right are five of Livingston's own veterans, Tom Bucca, Charlie Quinn, Jerry Schmotolocha, Bill Brost, and Chuck Tahaney. At right, firefighters Michael Ciccone, Tim Boutilette, Brendan Hickey, and Jim Kedrie march down South Livingston Avenue.

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Essex County, in cooperation with LivingstonTownship,the North Jersey Transportation PlanningAuthority, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration, on Thursday, May 23, hosted a public information forum about a single lane roundabout that has been proposed for the intersection of Walnut Street and West Hobart Gap Road.The open house format program was held at the Livingston United Methodist Church, which is located at the intersection in question.

Essex County is receiving Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funds from the Federal Highway Administration through the Local Safety Program for the roundabout. Currently, through traffic at the intersection is controlled with the use of three-way stop signs.

Aformal presentation was given by William McGarrigel, vice president and general manager of transportation for Urban Engineers, the firm which designed the roundabout.

At its meeting on Tuesday, May 28, the Livingston Zoning Board of Adjustment approved five residential applications. An application for a retaining wall was withdrawn without prejudice, and an application for a commercial property was adjourned at the request of the applicant.

New Home on Tower Road

An application by Weikuang and Chenchi Lien to construct a single family home at 17 Tower Road (new address: 4 Beacon Avenue) was approved. When the application was heard in February, the applicants agreed to revise the plan to reduce the mass and height of the home.

In the new application, the size of the home was reduced from 4,456 to 3,912 square feet. Board chairman James Hochberg continued to question the mass of the house, saying he hoped it would be capped at 3,520 square feet, as is required for the zone. The existing home is 2,500 square feet.

Several break-ins were reported in the area of Bel Air during the early morning hours of Thursday, May 23.

At 3:42 a.m., a Thames Drive resident called the police to report that his RING security system detected a person trespassing in his driveway. One person was detected on the south side of the house near a Range Rover parked in the driveway. Video surveillance shows that the person realized there was a camera and left the area. Several police officers responded and began to canvas the area, but no suspect was found.

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The need for a municipal theater space and the possibility of a ban on plastic bags were both topics of discussion at the May 22 Township Council conference meeting.

Hugh Mahon, who taught art in the Livingston schools for many years before retiring, asked the Council to help find theater space for the community's theater, symphony and art groups. Mahon is active in many of the organizations, including the Livingston Arts Association and the Livingston Community Players (LCP). He said that the Livingston Symphony Orchestra, Camera Club, Children's Theater, and other groups have indicated a need for space.

Livingston Philanthropies, Inc.’s (LPI) long-time partnership with Livingston’s West Essex Tribune paid additional and continued dividends this week. Barry Shapiro, who is, like LPI’s founder and director, Jeff Friedman, a 1969 graduate of Livingston High School, had been reading at his home in Florida online Tribune pieces featuring LPI. LPI’s work inspired Shapiro to start his own “Studio on 60 Sock Drive” from his framing business in Vero Beach.
“This began because of your efforts,” Shapiro told Friedman. “I’d seen for several years the coat drives and admired what you’d done. After Trish Duffy passed, you had posted something about collecting shampoo and stuff like that,” he continued. “I thought, why not do something to help, and after looking into it, learned that socks are the number one requested item by homeless shelters.”

Livingston UNICO will hold its 33rd annual Dominick A. Crincoli Memorial Sports Awards Breakfast to honor two Livingston High School seniors with the Brian Piccolo Sportsmanship Award. The award is presented annually to two high school seniors, male and female, who best symbolize the character and ideals of Brian Piccolo. Piccolo was a starting fullback for the Chicago Bears who displayed the virtues of courage, teamwork, leadership and dedication both on the football field and in his personal fight against cancer.

UNICO will also present Sportsmanship Awards to six middle school students and the girls’ basketball team.

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Livingston’s 69th annual Memorial Day Parade will be held on Monday, May 27. The parade will begin at the Memorial Park Oval and will proceed up South Livingston Avenue, beginning near Town Hall and continuing to Congressional Parkway.

Veterans’ Ceremony

The program will kick off with a veterans’ceremony at 9:30 a.m. at the Oval in Memorial Park. The service will open with an invocation, followed by remarks from guest speakers.After the traditional laying of the wreaths at thewarmonument,a21gunsalutewill honor fallen veterans and a rendition of Taps will be played.

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On Wednesday, May 15, the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders issued a $1,186,010 contract to APS Contracting to fund Phase 1 of the redevelopment of Riker Hill Art Park. The 42-acre complex, which once housed a Nike missile base, has since been transformed into 38 artist studios for painting, fine metal jewelry, and ceramics.

With this redevelopment funding, county and Livingston township officials believe there are additional uses for the space, specifically passive and active recreational activities.

The resolution comes after the Township Council recently unanimously passed its own resolution supporting these activities at Riker Hill Art Park. Essex County executive Joe DiVincenzo also met with the Council to tour the area in December 2018, when he expressed his commitment to improving the park.

Dr. Matthew Block was unanimously approved as superintendent of schools at the school Board meeting on May 20. His contract will run from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2022.

The votes included an “Absolutely!” from Board president Buddy August, who participated electronically as he was unable to be present.

“We proudly appoint Dr. Matthew J. Block to lead our district and provide educational experiences for all Livingston students that will empower all to learn, create, contribute and grow,” president Konner said, referring to the district’s mission in her statement.

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