News

A 26-year-old Scotch Plains man is facing several burglary and trespassing charges after he was caught in part due to a trail of tracks he left in the snow leading up to more than half a dozen homes in Livingston last Friday morning.

At about 5:50 a.m. on Friday, March 23, a homeowner on Amelia Avenue looked out his back window to discover an individual trying to enter the home through the back door, police said.

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There was little controversy at the Livingston Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting on March 27. The Board easily approved six residential applications, with only short discussions.

Stacey and Joseph Moore of 354 Beaufort Avenue came before the Board for a conditional variance to keep the existing home while constructing a second home in the back of the lot, 90 feet away.

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Jeff “the Coat Guy” Friedman, founder and director of the Livingston Philanthropies, has announced that the organization’s 2017-18 coat drive is winding down. Coats will be collected through the end of the month, and may be dropped at the offices of the West Essex Tribune through 4 p.m. on Friday, March 30.
“As our coat collection comes to an end, Livingston Philanthropies is announcing a renewed effort and request for hotel and travel-size toiletry items and cosmetics of all varieties,” Friedman said. “As it turns out, folks who travel seem to have lots of these at home, or they may specifically collect them for the Philanthropies during hotel stays and on cruises!”

During a busy week, members of the Livingston Fire Department extinguished a car fire; responded to several reports of natural gas odors; removed downed wires from a roadway; freed a passenger from a stalled elevator; assisted a homeowner with a flooded basement; and answered two mutual aid calls.

A general alarm was sounded on Friday, March 16, in response to a car on fire at the intersection of North Livingston Avenue and Route 280. Upon arrival, firefighters found the engine compartment completely engulfed in flames. The fire was extinguished without incident, with no injuries reported.

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SCHOOL DISTRICT RECOGNIZES HERITAGE STUDENT: Ethan Haber, 13, shown on the right, was honored Monday night at the Livingston Board of Education meeting for assisting a friend who had a medical emergency on the playground at Harrison School on Sunday, March 4. Presenting Ethan with a certificate, superintendent Chris Steffner said they were able to see what happened, afterward, on the school camera.

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At the Livingston Township Council Meeting on Monday, March 19, the 2018 municipal budget was introduced and an energy aggregator was chosen after months of deliberation.

At the conference meeting prior to the council meeting, Council members discussed the possibility of Livingston being eligible for disaster relief funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency following the March 7 winter storm, which dropped 15 to 18 inches of snow on the township. Township manager Barry Lewis said he will learn in the coming weeks if Livingston suffered enough damage to be deemed a disaster.

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The Livingston Board of Education, after comments from a dozen audience members, decided not to change how snow days will be recouped. Schools will be open on Monday, March 26, as indicated on the official school calendar, cutting into the spring break.

Three inclement weather days had been provided in the official 2017-18 academic calendar. Additional days, if needed, were to be taken from the spring break in the following order: Monday, March 26, Tuesday, March 27, and Wednesday, March 28.

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As employees of Livingston’s Department of Public Works continue to clean up debris from Winter Storm Quinn, the township reminds property owners they are responsible for trees or limbs that have fallen on their properties.

Township trees are located within the ten-foot right of way, the area beginning at the curb line and extending ten feet back toward the home. DPW will dispose of the trees and brush that have fallen in that area and into the street during the storm.

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By Jeff Friedman
Editor’s Note:
Livingston resident Jeff “the Coat Guy” Friedman, founder and director of Livingston Philanthropies, updates readers on the seasonal coat and toiletries drive.
Livingston’s continued generosity and the stalwart work of Livingston Philanthropies volunteers continued their work to provide for the poor, homeless and disenfranchised.
Volunteers were able to distribute toiletries gift bags at St. John’s Soup Kitchen and Women’s Center in Newark. That’s because a wonderful Livingston resident left brand new women’s evening bags at the offices of the West Essex Tribune, our partner.  They were a big hit at St. John’s.
Karen, my wife and toiletries gift bag maker, stuffed the bags with assorted toiletries and similar items. As always, while creating gift bags, the volume of toiletry and cosmetic items transform our house into a virtual olfactory garden show.