News

Nearly a month after Livingston Philanthropies became an official non-profit corporation known as Livingston Philanthropies, Inc., a private, family-run charitable support fund aware of LPI’s endeavors over the past seven seasons immediately stepped up with an unrestricted monetary grant.
In making the announcement, LPI founder and director Jeff Friedman noted that the philanthropic family has asked to remain anonymous. “They feel that remaining anonymous allows them to support the efforts they really feel are making a true difference in peoples’ lives,” he explained.
The money will be used to purchase winter or family clothing items for the “poor, homeless and disenfranchised,” in keeping with LPI’s mission statement. The grant is also earmarked to offset the costs of initial and legally-required insurance coverage for LPI as a nonprofit organization, including the state-mandated application fee.

A retail vaping shop that has been planning to open a location on Mt. Pleasant Avenue in Livingston is facing an uphill battle after the Township Council introduced an amendment to its general zoning regulations at its June 18 regular meeting that would prohibit “vape shops” from operating in the township business districts.

The Council introduced the ordinance to amend uses to Article XI general zoning regulations for Livingston at Monday’s meeting. Specifically, the ordinance prohibits “any commercial establishment which has as its principal business the retail sale of or service of electronic smoking devices, liquid electronic smoking solutions, liquid electronic smoking solution containers or vapor products,” and “any commercial establishment engaged in the retail or wholesale sale of any drug paraphernalia as defined in Chapter 122 Drug Paraphernalia of the Code of the Township of Livingston.”

KEEPING COOL AT THE POOL: With the temperatures in the middle 90s on Monday, June 18, Livingston kids took to the water to cool off. Here, children have fun at Haines Memorial Pool.

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The Township of Livingston will hold an Electronics Recycling and Paper Shredding Event on Sunday, June 24. Livingston residents may take their electronics and confidential papers to the rear and side parking lots of the Senior/Community Center at 204 Hillside Avenue between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Under the Township’s recycling ordinance and New Jersey state law, it is mandatory to recycle electronic items. They cannot be placed at the curb for collection.

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Livingston volunteer firefighters, who responded to 19 calls this week, including a multi-car fire, have mailed their annual letters to solicit financial support from the community.

Multi-Car Fire

A general alarm was sounded Thursday afternoon, June 14, after primary electrical wires fell onto a line of parked cars and began arcing, causing the vehicles to ignite.

Firefighters responded at 1:42 p.m. to the medical office building at 201- 209 South Livingston Avenue, next door to the Livingston Department of Public Works Garage. High winds had uprooted a tree, and one of the tree’s branches knocked down two primary (13,600 volt) power lines onto four cars parked in a line. After a few minutes down, the wires arced blue-white and ignited, burning the four cars into metal hulks, and causing heat damage to a fifth car.

A husband and wife from Livingston were indicted earlier this month after allegedly stealing more than $100,000 from a stroke victim in the woman’s care, according to an announcement from New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.

“Elder abuse is a cruel and despicable crime targeting those unable to protect themselves,” Grewal said on the eve of World Elder Abuse Day, Friday, June 15. “World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is an opportunity for New Jersey to unite with communities around the world in denouncing the financial, physical, and emotional abuse or neglect of our vulnerable senior citizens, and to demonstrate our efforts to protect them from harm.”

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The Livingston Philanthropies, Inc., which runs a seasonal coat drive, collects travel-sized toiletries all year ’round for the homeless. The Tribune, located at 495 South Livingston Avenue (next to ShopRite), serves as a drop-off point for donations. Shown here, Judith Friedman of Livingston adds to the collection box, which is stored in editor Michael Izzo’s office. Livingston Philanthropies also collects cosmetics; baby diapers in sizes 4, 5 and 6; and men’s dresswear. In addition to the Tribune, donations may also be left at Ascend Physical Therapy in Montclair; and at the chiropractic offices of Dr. Gary Hecht in Springfield. Those unable to take donations to the Livingston Philanthropies’ drop-off points may e-mail founder and director Jeff Friedman at jftv1@verizon.net for private pick-up.

Editor’s Note: This week, Livingston Philanthropies founder and director Jeff Friedman of Livingston recounts, in his own words, the history and goals of his organization, which just recently achieved official non-profit status.
By Jeff Friedman
It’s my pleasure to welcome you to Livingston Philanthropies, your local charitable organization. Partnering with Livingston’s West Essex Tribune and now entering our eighth season of operation right here in town, our mission is “providing for the poor, homeless and disenfranchised.” These include families and individuals who are living well below the poverty line, just minutes away from cozy Livingston. Our state’s poorest.

Livingston High School held its senior prom on Friday, June 8.

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The Tribune was flooded with responses to last week’s editorial, asking for readers to submit the roadways and parts of Livingston on which they experienced the most traffic problems. It appears we struck a nerve with motorists and pedestrians looking for safer roadways and better traffic patterns.

Overall, readers were very constructive with their responses, many times offering solutions to what they considered “problem areas” in town.

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