News

RENOVATES GARDEN FOR SILVER AWARD: Amy Gu, a member of Girl Scout Troop 20290 in Livingston, recently completed a renovation of the “Heritage Courtyard” garden at Heritage Middle School as part of her Silver Award. The garden, originally created in 2004-06 by members of the school’s Garden Club and Student Council, consists primarily of lawn, bushes and a few trees, with a brick path that had become overgrown. Gu removed the grass from the path, and planted flower beds and wisteria for the arbor. The Silver Award is the second highest award available in Girl Scouting.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

As of Wednesday morning, August 11, the Livingston Health Department has reported that a total of 2,233 Livingston residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since the first case was recorded in mid-March of 2020. 88 of those residents have died as a result of the virus. Compared to the same time last week, there are 22 new cases, with no additional deaths. In the past month, there have been 84 cases.

The state currently lists no active cases within the township’s long term care (LTC) facilities.

All New Jersey students, educators, staff, and visitors will be required to wear masks inside of school buildings – regardless of vaccination status – for the start of the 2021-2022 academic year.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

Multiple car thefts and break-ins, nearly all among unlocked vehicles with the key inside, were reported last week, according to Livingston Police.

At 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 3, officers were notified that a Volvo SUV had been stolen from a driveway on Rockledge Drive. The vehicle had last been seen at about 7 p.m. the previous night. The vehicle was unlocked with the key inside.

A Volvo tracking app was used to locate the vehicle in Newark. Police found the Volvo parked and unoccupied. The vehicle was towed to Livingston police headquarters, where it was processed for evidence.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

Nearly 1,000 people attended a Sunday evening vigil for Shiv Kulkarni, a 14-year-old Livingston resident who died on July 29 while on holiday with his family in New York City.

Shiv was born on August 29, 2006, to Shilpa and Vishwas Kulkarni. He was a rising freshman at Livingston High School. He is survived by his parents and younger sister.

Shiv’s friends and family organized the August 8 candlelight vigil at the Livingston Oval. They were joined by over 900 people from and around the Livingston area in a display of support and community.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

Some of Livingston’s planned fall events have been cancelled due to the rise in cases as a result of the delta variant of COVID-19, according to township officials.

Mayor Shawn Klein said that the township’s Physician Advisory Board cited several factors as reasons for concern, including that the current wave of cases is expected to peak in October; children under 12 years old still not being able to receive a vaccine; and vaccine immunity potentially waning in elderly individuals.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

CANOE DONATED: On Saturday, July 31, the Livingston Trails and Greenways Committee dedicated two canoes, donated by Suraist Nithkasem, for public use on the Passaic River. The committee hopes to obtain a total of six canoes for residents and Livingston organizations to use for recreational and educational activities on the Passaic River. The committee plans to offer paddles on the river to residents, as well as the opportunity for youth groups to use the canoes. The committee is still looking for four more used canoes in good condition. To help or reach out with questions, email LivGreenTrails@gmail.com. Shown here, in font, are Marie Bond, Laura Siegel, Nithkasem, Paxton Nithkasem, and Council meber Rudy Fernandez. Shown here in the back row are Council member Michael Vieira, Mayor Shawn Klein, Ray Siegel, Anne Friedman, and Rich Cornell.

Several Girl Scouts in Livingston Cadette Troop 20290 are working on their Silver Award projects, and two – Helena Drakulich and Anita Joshi – have recently completed them. The Silver Award is the second-highest award a Girl Scout can achieve, along with the Bronze and Gold. To earn a Silver Award, a Scout must develop and carry out an estimated 50-hour sustainable Take Action Project that aligns with the scout’s interests and fills a community gap or need.

Supports Education At Turtle Back Zoo

Visitors to the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange this summer will find a series of new signs created by Livingston teen and Girl Scout Helena Drakulich. With a passion for animals, especially those who are endangered, she has spent the past year working with the zoo’s Education Team to craft signs for key exhibits that address frequently asked questions, or FAQs.

Twenty-five years ago, Livingston stopped for a few hours to “Experience the Spirit” of the Summer Olympics, which were taking place that year in Atlanta, Georgia.

As part of the 15,000 mile Olympic Torch Relay, Livingston had been selected as a lunch stop for Tuesday, June 18, 1996. Attendance at the local celebration was reported to be about 10,000.

Livingston schools had half day sessions so the children of the community could participate in Olympicstyle games behind the high school, as well as view the torch.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

Lisa Cherokee Raine Booker, who runs the baby department at the “Clothing Boutique” at Willing Heart Community Care Center (WHCCC) in Newark, receives six cases of 32 ounce Emfamil baby formula from Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI). “Thank you, Livingston, for the generous donations that empower vital purchases for hopelessly poor families,” commented LPI founder and director Jeff Friedman. “The reality is that August continues to be ‘needing season.’” said LPI founder Jeff Friedman, exacerbated by the scheduled ending of the federal eviction moratorium this month. “With rent and back rent due, millions of households – including hundreds here in Essex County – could face eviction, just as a surge in COVID cases from the highly contagious Delta variant may be prompting renewed calls for people to stay home and keep their distance. But we in Livingston can help.

As of Wednesday morning, July 28, the Livingston Health Department has reported that a total of 2,192 Livingston residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since the first case was recorded in mid-March of 2020. 88 of those residents have died as a result of the virus. Compared to the same time last week, there are 21 new cases, with no additional deaths. In the past month, there have been 53 cases.

Township manager Barry Lewis said that, due to the rise in cases and spread of the delta variant, public areas in township buildings once again require mask wearing.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/