News

The West Essex Tribune is celebrating more than six decades of showering the first baby of the new year with an assortment of gifts generously donated by our advertisers. The first baby of 2024 born to Livingstonparents will be named the winner of the Tribune’s 66th annual First Baby Contest.

The rules to determine the winner are the same each year: The first baby of2024 must be bom in a nearby hospital to parents who currently reside in Livingston. The exact time of the birth must be certified in writing by the attending physician.

Entries must be received in the West Essex Tribune office by noon on Tuesday, January 2. The winner will be announced in the January 4 edition of the newspaper.

The Tribune office will be closed on New Year’s Day; however, entries may be emailed to WETribune@gmail.com.

The Livingston Fire Department (LFD) presented a donation to the Burn Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center last week, at the Camuso Holiday Display. The funds were collected during the LFD’s Annual Fire Prevention Week open house. Kathe Conlon, director of community outreach of the Burn Foundation and liaison to the Camuso Committee, accepted the check next to the Fire Department’s antique 1954 Mack Engine, known as “Sweet Pea.” Shown here are LFD members Jim Kedrie, Tom Cooney, Ryan Cooney, and director Conlon. 

Livingston Police were busy this week, responding to two incidents of shoplifting at Nordstrom Rack; two burglaries into vehicles; a residential burglary and an attempted residential burglary; and a stolen vehicle.

Winchester Road Burglary

On Sunday, December 24, at 2:31 a.m., Livingston officers responded to a Winchester Road residence on a report of a burglary. The homeowners told the officers they returned home after being out for several hours and found the home had been burglarized. Entry had been made through a rear window, and the house had been ransacked. At press time, the homeowners are compiling a list of the items that were stolen. The Livingston Detective Bureau is investigating.

Attempted Burglary

Livingston Boy Scout Troop 12 member Maxwell Miller has recently earned the honor of Eagle Scout, which is the highest rank that the Boys Scouts of America offers. He celebrated his Eagle Court of Honor on Saturday, December 16. He is the son of Peter and Kelley Miller of Livingston.

He began his journey to Eagle as a Pack 16 Bear Scout in 2014. After completing the Boy Scout ranks, Miller was awarded the Arrow of Light and bridged over to Troop 12 in 2017. When he earned his first class rank, Miller became a troop guide; which he actively remains today.

Miller was trained at the Junior Leader Training Course at Camp NoBeBoSco, and has earned a total of 22 merit badges.

The Livingston Township Council held its final regular meeting of the year on Monday, December 18. To start the meeting, each Council member thanked their respective spouses for helping them to serve in their positions.

“We couldn ’t do what we do for the community (without our spouses),” Mayor Michael Vieria said, “and this is our way of saying ‘thank you.’” Each spouse was given flowers and a gift card to their favorite restaurant.

Livingston Fire Department president Tom Cooney also addressed the Council. He has been working on creating a book documenting the history of the Department, and while digging through ledger books, he found the original 1938 rendering of Monument Park at the Oval. At the meeting, he gifted the Council the framed document, to be hung in Town Hall.

THANKING THEIR TEACHERS: Livingston High School’s National Merit Semifinalists presented books to their favorite teachers during the Tuesday, December 12, Board of Education meeting. Shown here are LHS student Samuel Liang and biology teacher Paul Raiz. Liang gave Raiz a copy of “When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi.

During its last meeting of2023, the Livingston Planning Board approved Devan Partners LLC’s site plan to convert the automotive repair facility at 505 South Livingston Avenue into a dental office. It also marked Peter Klein’s final meeting before retiring from the Planning Board at the end of the year. Klein had served as a Board member since 1996.

Four witnesses spoke at the applicant’s initial November 21 hearing, supporting requests for variances related to the building’s size, signage placement, and extension of back parking spaces. However, a vote was delayed so the applicant could address the Board’s concerns, including the lack of a garbage plan and front signage length.

A large coastal storm that dropped up to nine inches of rain on South Carolina barrelled up the east coast Sunday afternoon, December 17, into Monday, December 18, leaving significant flooding, damage and power outages in its wake. In Livingston, the storm dropped a total of 4.26 inches, according to reports.

Western Essex County was among the harder-hit areas. A total of 4.85 was recorded at Caldwell Airport, while Verona got 4.83 inches, Cedar Grove, 4.8 inches, and West Caldwell, 4.51 inches.

Most of Morris County received over four inches of rain, with Long Valley recording 5.88 inches, and Butler, five inches.

In contrast, much of Bergen, Camden, Cape May, and Ocean Counties recorded “only” two to three inches of rain, although Estell Manor in Atlantic County got 5.05 inches.

40 Incidents in Town

Livingston Police officers responded to multiple attempted residential burglaries and a pharmacy burglary in the past week.

Pharmacy Burglary

At 9 a.m. on Monday, December 18, Livingston officers responded to Livingston Pharmacy on East Mt. Pleasant Avenue on a report of a burglary at the store.

Officers arrived and were met by store staff, who said that when they entered the store, they found the front door ajar and medications and cash missing. The front door appeared to have been pried open and the store was ransacked. Medicine and cash were confirmed to have been stolen.

The Livingston Detective Bureau is investigating the matter.

Attempted Residential Burglaries At4:55 a.m. on Thursday, December 14, Livingston officers responded to an East Cedar Street residence on a report of several suspects attempting to enter the home.

Livingston’s Temple Beth Shalom was one of about a dozen synagogues that received a bomb threat this past Sunday, December 17. The threat was ultimately determined to be unfounded.

Specifically, at 8:39 a.m., Livingston Police was notified of an email that had been sent to Temple Beth Shalom claiming that there were multiple explosives in the building that would be going off in a few hours.

Livingston officers responded to the scene and evacuated the temple. A check of the building was performed with the assistance of the Essex County sheriff’s office Bomb and K-9 Unit, and the temple was found to be clear of any explosive devices.

Police determined that the email had been sent to numerous temples statewide and throughout the country – synagogues in more than a dozen states received a total of more than 200 threats – and no credible threat was found.