News

At the start of the Livingston Township Council conference meeting on Monday, April 8, Billy Fine of the Livingston Committee for Diversity and Inclusion, and veteran Ava Reinfeld, presented a proposal for the Council to approve a new holiday in town, Women’s Veterans Day.

The goal of the day, Fine said, would be to recognize the significant contribution of women in the military, educate the public about their sacrifices and contributions, and share information on how women have been overlooked for veterans’ health care and benefits (there are no mammogram machines in VA hospitals, for example).

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When Jeff Friedman’s friend, Denise Shannon, asked, “Are you still collecting toiletries and cosmetics?  If so, I'd like to send out an email requesting donations on your behalf,” he was thrilled.
Shannon is program coordinator at The Film Institute at Montclair State University, College of the Arts, where  Friedman had taught as a broadcasting adjunct professor for many years, and also  served as director of its television center. Montclair State is his alma mater, as well, and Friedman found it especially gratifying to work with friends and colleagues there.
“As this effort represents a major expansion for the Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI) Trish Duffy Toiletries & Cosmetics Challenge,” Friedman said, “I was thrilled.  Denise quietly commenced collecting for our major spring initiative.”

Livingston firefighters extinguished a brush fire on East Hobart Gap Road on Sunday, March 30.

At about 3:45 p.m., the Livingston Police Department received a report of an active brush fire, and alerted the Fire Department.

Firefighters determined that electrical power to the area had to be shut down before attempts could be made to extinguish the flames. Public Service Electric and Gas responded and shut down power in the area until the fire was doused. Traffic signals in the area were out while the power was off.

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Heritage Middle School will present The Lion King this weekend, with performances on Friday and Saturday, April 5 and 6, at 7 p.m., and on Sunday, April 7, at 2 p.m. Students are shown here during recent dress rehearsals. Above, Leah Waessa portrays Rafi ki and Aishanee Acharyya plays Nala. In the background are ensemble members Sia Bansal, Prisha Bhargava, Miriam Grodin, and Isabelle Ruppe.

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At the Monday, April 1, Board of Education meeting, there was a public hearing on the 2019-20 budget and Boardmembersdiscussedsomepolicy changes, among other topics.

Budget information was first presented at the March 11 Board meeting. According to Monday’s agenda, the 2019-20 budget proposes $125,819,978 in total expenditures, including $115,883,285 in the general fund, $1,791,343 in special revenues, and $8,145,350 in debt service.

Subtracting $10,092,324 in anticipated revenues brings the total to be raised through taxes to $115,727,654. $108,543,274 of that figure will be for the general fund, while the remaining $7,184,380 is for debt services.

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“U Drive. U Text. U Pay:”

A statewide crackdown on distracted driving is being held during the month of April, and Livingston is among the communities whose police officers are participating.

In Livingston, there will be increased patrols in town as part of the crackdown, noted Police Chief Gary Marshuetz. “Distracted driving is very dangerous. We are seeing an increase in motor vehicle collisions, our concern is increasing drastically along with it. We are urging drivers to pay attention while they’re driving and to avoid, at all costs, picking up devices and responding to people while driving. Keep your eyes on the road in front of you. This is not just limited to texting, but anything that takes your eyes off the roadway. If you take your eyes off the road for any reason, you’re decreasing your reaction time. You need to have your eyes on the road to increase your reaction time.”

A teenage girl was pulled from the waters of the Passaic River after a multi-jurisdictional response led to her rescue.

At about 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 2, Livingston Police received a call from a medical office on Regent Street reporting a 16-year-old female patient had fled the facility on foot. Staff members from the office followed the patient and notified police that she was approaching the Passaic River near 630 West Mt. Pleasant Avenue on the East Hanover border.

The girl entered the water and began to swim upstream but the current of the river and frigid water quickly took effect on the teen.

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A public forum on the Livingston Community Energy Aggregation (LCEA) program will be held on Thursday, April 25, in the council chambers at Town Hall. Residents will be able to hear presentations and participate in a question and answer session with their vendors. The presentation for Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) customers will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m., and the presentation for Jersey Central Power and Lighting (JCP&L) will follow from 8:30 to 10 p.m.

“Energy aggregation has allowed us to use our bulk purchasing power in a free-market bidding process to help our residents save money on their electric utility bills,” township manager Barry Lewis said. “We’ll also be achieving another goal – that of lowering our carbon footprint by utilizing a power supply that includes renewable energy content.”

As his Livingston-based charity continues to collect items for the homeless, Jeff “the Coat Guy” Friedman, founder and director of Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI), has announced that “ ‘Giving Season’ has officially moved to April.”
Friedman explains, “ ‘Giving Season’ is traditionally the period between Thanksgiving and Chanukah/Christmas. Many of us feel the charitable vibe. It’s the time of year when folks give of themselves with their time and money. Those living out on the streets, in shelters or way below the poverty line, are more than appreciative of whatever they receive along with the season’s good cheer.”
He continues, “But what happens to the same folks after New Year’s? Not too much. Their plight remains the same; it’s still cold outside during the night hours, they’re still hungry, and the very basics of life are financially out of reach. The same items we use in our everyday lives without a second thought.

Members of the Livingston Police Department (LPD) and players from the Livingston High School baseball program played in a softball game on the oval on Sunday, March 24, to kick off the third annual Blue-Green Shield Program. The game was organized by Officer Kevin Mullaney and Sergeant Andrew Ullman.

Each year, the community policing program pairs a player with a police officer to instill community pride and foster a good working relationship between youth and law enforcement officials.

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