News

At 1:24 p.m. on Friday, January 22, Livingston Police officers responded to a one-vehicle accident on Bonnyview Drive. Ariana Matthew, 19, of Livingston was operating a 2013 Honda when the vehicle struck a utility pole. The vehicle and pole were severely damaged. Matthew could not explain how the accident happened, but she may have been distracted by a dog that was in her car, police said. The driver and dog were not injured.

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On December 26, the Sheth family, longtime residents ofLivingston, delivered more than 500 pounds of food and nonperishable goods, along with a check for several thousands of dollars, to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey in Hillside.

After participating in a food drive several months earlier, the family decided to start their own, run by Ashka, a2015 graduate ofLivingston High School, and her mother, Avani. Ashka moved back home during the coronavirus pandemic and is working virtually for a law firm in Washington, D.C.

“It was great to see the FoodBank,” said Ashka, who had previously volunteered at one in D.C. “It’s huge; I was shocked! They have reopened and are accepting volunteers.”

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Livingston Public Schools superintendent Matthew Block announced that the district will move from three cohorts to two cohorts in the secondary schools as of Monday, February 1, the first day of the second semester. This will allow students who selected in-person hybrid instruction to be in school two to three times per week, depending on the week.

The decision was based on the numbers of students who indicated that they plan to return to in-person instruction. The district experienced a significant drop of in-person secondary students, from 74 percent on October 30 to 60 percent on December 23.

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LINE WORK: Hillside Avenue was closed between Belmont Drive and Manor Road on Friday, January 15 so that sewer and water lines could be connected to a new house on the west side of Hillside Avenue. Crew members are shown here working on the sewer connection, the white pipe about 13 feet below the road. Jerry Siskind Photo

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Livingston and Essex County officials, along with employees of Saint Barnabas Medical Center, addressed township residents’ questions, comments, and concerns regarding the COVID-19 vaccination process and the ongoing pandemic during an online panel discussion last Thursday, January 14. The forum may still be viewed on the Livingston Township, NJ Facebook page. The morning after it first posted, it had accumulated more than 2,700 views.

Panelists for the forum included Dr. Lincoln Miller, section chief of infectious disease at RWJBarnabas Health and Saint Barnabas Medical Center; Essex County health officer Maya Lordo; Livingston health officer Lou Anello, Livingston health educator Jessica Kelly, Livingston nursing supervisor Melissa Kimmel; Margie Heller, vice president of community health and strategic global partnerships at RWJBarnabas Health; Essex County officials, including commissioner Pat Sebold; and Mayor Shawn Klein and members of the Township Council.

A DAY ON: Members of the Township Council and the Livingston Committee for Diversity and Inclusion collected donations, including food, school supplies, cleaning supplies, and more in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Day of Service is meant to be “a day on, not a day off.”

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Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI) founder and director Jeff Friedman has noted that the non-profit organization’s “Personal Shopping/Shipping for the Homeless” initiative is continuing to thrive.
As an example, he notes that, after learning about the “Personal Shopping/Shipping for the Homeless” program, Robert Waldron, operations manager at Gilbane Building Company in Newark, decided to get involved.
“I know of LPI, as I lived in Living-ston for my entire life before moving to Roseland a few years ago,” Waldron said. “So every week I read the LPI articles in the West Essex Tribune.”
Waldron recounted, “The company I work for has been in Newark for about a year and half, and earlier this year we did something directly with St. John’s Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry in Newark (a long-time LPI distribution partner). When a few of us sat down a couple of weeks ago to review what we would do next, I suggested LPI.” 

As of Wednesday morning, January 13, the Livingston Health Department has reported that a total of 1,288 Livingston residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since the first case was recorded in mid-March. 82 of those residents have died as a result of the virus. Compared to the same time last week, there are 76 new cases, with no additional deaths. In the past month, there have been 274 cases.

More than 219,000 New Jersey residents have received their first vaccination dose, while more than 24,000 of those individuals have received their second dose as of Wednesday morning.

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The West Essex YMCA, currently located at 321 South Livingston Avenue, may move to a nearby location — right across the street — where it could build a new, larger facility. Currently, the property is the site of Grace Lutheran Church, which is expected to move if a deal is completed.

The general concept for the proposed new YMCA, as well as the location of the church property at 304 South Livingston Avenue, was expected to be presented to the neighboring properties during an informal community Zoom meeting this week after the press deadline. The YMCA was also discussed by the Township Council and township attorneys in closed session at Monday’s regular meeting.

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Julian Daren Steinberg, who was born to Jennifer and Ricky Steinberg of 315 Cider Mill Court, is the winner of the Tribune’s 63rd annual First Baby Contest.

The little boy was born on January 4 at 9 p.m. at New York Presbyterian Alexandra Cohen Hospital in Manhattan, weighing seven pounds, 13 ounces.

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