News

WINTER WONDERLAND: After a weekend snowstorm dropped some six inches of snow on Livingston, local children flocked to Hillside School for some sledding fun. Connie Lam Photos

The Roseland law firm of Mandelbaum Barrett kicked off its 2022 charitable giving with a winter gear drive and a $5,000 donation to Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. “LPI is one of our favorite local charities to support,” notes Lauren Lynch, the firm’s chief culture officer. In addition to the financial donation from the Mandelbaum Charitable Foundation, Mandelbaum Barrett attorneys and staff donated gently used and new hats, scarves, gloves and winter coats to the Livingston-based charity.

Each year in late January and early February, veterans’ organizations across the country pay tribute to the Four Chaplains, the four military chaplains aboard the U.S.S. Dorchester who, when the ship was torpedoed, sacrificed their lives so their fellow crew members could live.

Livingston resident Charles Quinn, a veteran of the Vietnam War and chaplain of Livingston’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, wrote to the Tribune this week about the Four Chaplains.

“On February 3, 1943, there was a great crash followed by a muffled explosion aboard the U.S.A.T. Dorchester,” Quinn noted. “The ship was sailing in the icy, U-boat infested waters of the North Atlantic, heading for Greenland. A torpedo had smashed on the starboard side, the right side, near the engine room.

During the Monday, January 24, meeting of the Livingston Township Council, members passed a housing ordinance that had been debated for much of 2021. The meeting was held virtually and may be viewed on the Livingston Township, NJ Facebook page.

The ordinance would amend chapter 170 of the code to establish a new inclusionary development zone, designated as the “R-5L Residence Overlay District” for lots 25 and 26 in tax block 6101. The proposed ordinance had been discussed during Council meetings for several months.

These lots are located on more than three acres of land along Passaic Avenue and Volker Lane. The purpose of this ordinance is to permit inclusionary multi-family residential development of not more than 72 units, including a 20 percent set-aside of affordable units in the district. Inclusionary zoning requires a given share of new construction to be affordable housing.

At the Livingston Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting on Tuesday, January 25, the Board elected their chairman, vice chairman, and recording secretary. The Board also set its meeting schedule for the year and reviewed eight applications.

The meeting was held on Zoom and may be viewed on the Livingston Township, NJ Facebook page.

Re-Organization

During the reorganization portion of the meeting, former vice chairman Tony Nardone renominated Jim Hochberg as chairman. Board member Edward Bier seconded the nomination and Hochberg was unanimously elected.

“I appreciate the opportunity to serve,” Hochberg said.

Nardone nominated board member Lauren Tabak Fass as vice chairman. Alternate board member Laurie Kahn seconded the nomination and Fass was unanimously elected.

Fass nominated Bier as recording secretary. Nardone seconded the nomination and Bier was unanimously elected.

SHEET OF ICE: Littell’s Pond, shown here on Tuesday, January 25, is frozen over after a week of artic temperatures. MI Photo

PICK UP HOUSES: The Camuso Holiday Display at Memorial Park closed for the season in early January. The “elves” have requested that those who have purchased a personalized gingerbread house please pick them up at the display site on the Oval through this Saturday, January 29. The gingerbread houses were created as part of a yearly fundraising effort for the Display.

Lance Rogers Photo

Continuing its partnership with Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI), the National Council of Jewish Women, Essex County Section’s Creative Hands Knitting Group recently dropped another large delivery of hand-knitted items to LPI “World Headquarters,” a.k.a. founder Jeff Friedman’s garage. Shown here, Friedman prepares a portion of the artisan-created hats, scarves, lap blankets and sweaters for babies and children for immediate delivery to LPI’s Newark distribution partners. “The timing was just perfect, considering the recent cold snap,” he commented. “The NCJW ladies rock!” For more information on LPI and how to help, visit njhomeless.org. or email Friedman at njhomeless@aol.com.

ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION CAUSES FIRE: A general alarm was sounded on Thursday, January 13, after a car caught fire at 200 South Orange Avenue. According to Livingston Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Francione, the car’s driver and passenger noticed smoke coming from the dashboard of the vehicle, and pulled over into the nearest driveway, which led to the Cooperman Barnabas Ambulatory Care Center. The two exited the car, and the interior burst into flames. The Livingston Fire Department was called, and a general alarm transmitted. The fire was extinguished without incident, and the vehicle was towed from the scene. No injuries were reported, although the car was totaled. Firefighters traced the cause to an electrical malfunction. CJM Photo

At Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, school superintendent Matthew Block explained that, while the region is still in the red, high risk zone, “our numbers are improving.”

Average staff absences have gone down from 172 a day the week of January 3, to 151 a day last week. As of Tuesday, the number was down to 97.

“We were able to stay open with all the absences because everyone who was here was doing double or triple or quadruple time,” he said.

Student attendance also improved. At the secondary schools, the absence rate decreased from 13.5 percent to nine percent to five percent. Similarly, the elementary absence rate went from 18.5 percent, to 10.5 percent, to 5.5 percent.

“In some ways,” Block added, “we proved that the spread in schools is less than in the community around it.”

He reiterated his thanks to the educational team for the “daunting” beginning to the year 2022.