News

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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Livingston Comes Together:

Many members of the Livingston community came together to stand in solidarity with the local Islamic community on Saturday night, March 23.

At the Knights of Columbus building on Eisenhower Parkway, where the meeting was held, a visitor could smell the aromas as potato samosas, chickpeas, tuna wraps, and chicken kebabs were unpacked and laid out on tables. One table was in the men’s section, one in the women’s section.

But the food would wait. Prayers and speeches were to be offered first.

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FIRE DEPARTMENT TRAINING DRILL: On Tuesday night, March 19, members of the Livingston Fire Department held a training exercise in “Enclosed Parking Garage Operations,” reviewing tactics and procedures for fighting vehicle fires in enclosed parking structures. The drill was conducted at Building 3 of the Park-Vue Heights residential complex located off Eisenhower Parkway. Shown here, Engine Company personnel stretch 300 feet of hose to extinguish a car fire at opposite end of parking garage entrance. “I would like to thank John and Steven Chicchino, the owners of Park-Vue Heights, for the opportunity to train in their occupied building and for their continued support of the Fire Department’s training needs,” said Fire Chief Chris Mullin. LFD Photos

The Livingston Board of Education unanimously approved a tentative school district budget for 2019-20 at its meeting on March 25.

The total school budget is $125,819,978, with $115,727,654 to be raised by taxes.

As was reported last week, the tax increase to an owner of an average home, assessed at $600,000, will be $89.

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Two men caught after abandoning their vehicle in Florham Park are facing charges related to the theft of thousands of dollars’ worth of items from the Livingston Mall, according to police. At about 1:03 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, Livingston Police Officer Dave Naylor was conducting a routine patrol on South Orange Avenue when he observed a vehicle travelling at a high rate of speed and running red lights.

Taylor saw the Mercedes SUVdrive over a concrete island and run a red light at South Orange Avenue and Eisenhower Parkway. The Mercedes then continued driving west at a high rate of speed, at which point Officer Naylor broadcast a description of the car and the direction of travel rather than attempt to pursue the vehicle.

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