community news from Livingston

Giovanni Cocca, age 87, of Livingston, New Jersey, passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his loving family on Monday, February 1, 2021.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Philomena Church, Livingston, New Jersey, on Monday, February 8, followed by a private family committal at Gate of Heaven Cemetery East Hanover, New Jersey. Arrangements were by the Quinn-Hopping Funeral Home, Livingston, New Jersey.

Giovanni, the oldest of five children (Tommaso, Marco, Teodemo, and Pellegrino), was born in San Marco dei Cavoti (BN), Italy, to Angelantonio and Teresa (Borrillo) Cocca. He emigrated from Italy in 1963, settling first in Vauxhall, New Jersey, then in Orange and ultimately Livingston, where he and his family resided for 50 years.

We are currently in the midst of Black History Month, an annual observance each February. This year’s remembrance of the people and events of Black history feels particularly poignant, as this is the first one following the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, and the Black Lives Matter protests that followed in the summer of 2020 and beyond.

Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI), the charity founded by Living-ston resident Jeff Friedman to assist the “homeless, profoundly poor and disenfranchised” of Essex County, has been expanding its “Personal Shopping for the Homeless” initiative to meet the increasing need faced during the pandemic.
The initiative has grown thanks in large part to LPI’s partners, noted Friedman. These include the Livingston Lions Club, which, in association with Lions Clubs International, recently worked with LPI to deliver over 200 boxes of refrigerated food to one of LPI’s long-time distribution partners, the Bessie Green Community (BGC) in Newark. Of that shipment, 32 pound boxes were immediately distributed to multiple Newark agencies serving the homeless, poor, and at-risk families at the BGC. “You made a difference for many seniors and families,” said Brenda Scott, executive director of the BGC. “God bless you all.”

JV LANCERS DEFEAT BELLEVILLE: The Lancer junior varsity boys’ basketball team defeated Belleville, 41-27, in the LHS Fitness and Wellness Center on Wednesday, January 27.

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VARSITY BOYS’ BASKETBALL TEAM WINS: The Lancer varsity boys’ basketball team defeated Belleville, 50-31, in the LHS Fitness and Wellness Center on Wednesday, January 27.

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Last week, in a TV interview, Governor Phil Murphy indicated that teachers were “on deck” to be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccinations. Teachers are among the non-healthcare essential workers who were categorized into the 1B section of vaccination eligibility, only to have other categories ranked behind them hear their name called first, including millions of smokers. They’ve since been waiting for their turn, wondering when they would be able to teach inside their classroom with less fear of serious illness.

Mayor Shawn Klein, Deputy Mayor Ed Meinhardt, and the rest of the Township Council say they have been advocating at every level of government for teachers to be next to receive their vaccinations. Recent confirmation that teachers will, in fact, be next, is certainly great to hear. Of course, we have no idea when “next” will be. Will they be able to receive a dose in a matter of weeks or months?

Does Livingston need two pools?

That was the question Mayor Shawn Klein posed to his fellow Council members at last week’s meeting, asking them to be prepared to discuss the matter at the following meeting, which will be held on February 8.

Klein’s argument is that the town can no longer financially support two pools; dwindling attendance over the past few years (prior to the pandemic) appears to prove that demand is not what it used to be.

If the town wants to, can it still afford to pay to maintain both pools? We are sure that it is possible to do so, but we are less certain that it would be the best use of Livingston’s money and resources.

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DECISIVE WIN FOR HOCKEY TEAM: The Livingston High School varsity ice hockey team defeated Nutley, 10-1, on the Lancers’ home ice at Codey Arena on Saturday, January 30.

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A slow-moving but powerful nor’easter, believed to be the biggest snowstorm in five years, dropped nearly two feet of snow on Livingston between late Sunday afternoon and late Tuesday afternoon.

Chris Southworth, assistant superintendent ofLivingston’s Department ofPublic Works, reported a total of22 inches of snow as of mid-afternoon on Tuesday. Light snow continued to fall through late Tuesday afternoon, though there was little additional accumulation.

DPW crews, he said, had begun treating Livingston’s roadways at noon on Sunday, January 31.

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After conducting several investigations, the Livingston Police have charged multiple people in relation to auto thefts committed over the last few months.

On June 10, 2020, a MercedesBenz was stolen from a Ross Road home. The Mercedes was later recovered in Elizabeth and processed by Detective Michael Spano.

Fingerprint evidence led to the identification of a suspect, and cell phone records then placed the suspect at the scene when the vehicle was stolen. Almuta Thomas, 27, of Newark was charged with theft of a motor vehicle. He was already in the Essex County jail when served with his complaint.

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