community news from Livingston

LEAF COLLECTION BEGINS: The township’s annual leaf collection program began this week in Section 1, the area north of East and West Mt. Pleasant Avenues. Collection in Section 1 will continue through Sunday, November 10. Residents in Section 2, the area south of East and West Mt. Pleasant Avenues and north of East and West Northfield Roads, may continue putting out leaves through November 10 for collection between November 11 and 24. Shown above, DPW crews work on Blackstone Drive on Monday, November 4. NKP Photo

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Philmon Mehari Wins Individual Title:

This past Friday, November 1, the Lancer boys’ cross country team headed over to Brookdale Park in Bloomfield to compete in the Essex County championship. “Twenty-one complete teams were on the line competing for the county champions’title,” noted coach Jim Memory. “It was an ideal fall day for running as the gun went off and the 154 runners hit the trail for the 3.1 mile race. The field this day would be very competitive, and the Lancers knew it would be a real battle.”

The race went out fast, and the Lancers jockeyed the crowd for position. Leading the entire race out of the grassy field was Livingston High School’s Philmon Mehari. Mehari went through the mile in 4:48 with a small lead over his competition. By the two-mile mark, he opened up his lead to 15 seconds, passing the two-mile marker in 9:55.

“This Was a Nasty One:”

A strong overnight storm, with winds of up to 60 miles per hour, battered the state late Thursday, October 31, into Friday, November 1. Statewide, more than 14,000 homes and businesses were without power early Friday, and portions of major roads were closed due to either flooding or downed wires.

An Enhanced Fujita 1 (EF1) tornado was confirmed to have touched down in Harding Township, said Fire Chief Chris Mullin. An EF1 tornado, with maximum speeds of 100 miles per hour, also touched down in Madison, where a state of emergency was declared.

In Livingston, the winds did their share of damage as well. “This was a nasty one,” said Department of Public Works (DPW) superintendent Mike Anello. “I believe we may have gotten brushed by the tornado that hit Madison.We definitely had wind gusts that exceeded 60 miles per hour.”

The two incumbents for Livingston Township’s two local races both retained their positions, while a third candidate was elected to the Board of Education for the first time. Council member Michael Vieira won the race for the lone available seat, while Samantha Messer and Seth Cohen took the two open Board of Education positions.

With no major congressional races on the ballot, voter turnout was low in Livingston. Of the 22,954 eligible voters in town, 3,950 went to the polls on Tuesday, 17.21 percent of eligible voters. The numbers provided by the Livingston Township Clerk’s office were unofficial and did not include provisional, mail-in, or emergency ballots.

By comparison, last year, during a midterm election, 10,159 Livingston residents (45.48 percent of that year’s list of eligible voters) voted. In 2017, 6,514 people (29.37 percent) voted, while during the 2016 presidential election, 13,233 people (58.41 percent) voted.

An East Orange man was arrested last week after attempting to take money that was not his from an account at Chase Bank on West Mt. Pleasant Avenue.

At about 1:30 p.m. on Monday, November 4, a man entered Chase Bank and represented himself as an account holder, attempting to transfer $19,500 from one account to another. He presented an Illinois driver’s license bearing his photo and the real account holder’s personal information. In addition, he had a fake Social Security card and a credit card both in the account holder’s name.

Bank employees were suspicious and questioned the identification. The man left the bank without the identification only to return a short time later to claim the ID. Bank employees then contacted Livingston Police and responding officers located the suspect walking a short distance from the bank.

LFD BATTLES BLAZE: Livingston firefighters responded to East Northfield Road on Tuesday, November 5, and extinguished a house fire that appeared to have originated in a second floor bathroom. At about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5, Livingston Police officers dispatched the Livingston Fire Department to an East Northfield Road home for a report of a possible ceiling fan fire. Firefighters arrived to find smoke venting from the eaves of the home. Crews then advanced lines into the residence from the front door to find a working fire in the second floor master bathroom and attic. The fire was extinguished within 15 minutes, and no injuries were reported. The cause remained under investigation at press time. The westbound lanes of East Northfield Road were shut down for about a half hour as firefighters battled the blaze.

MI and Rob Munson Photos

With the weather getting colder, Livingston Philanthropies’ winter coat drive season is going into high gear. “With evening temperatures forecast to be dropping to the mid-20s on Friday and Saturday, it’s coat and winter accessories season once again,” noted Jeff Friedman, founder and director of Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI).
“It’s the same story every season – warm coats, jackets, hats, gloves and scarves are needed by the homeless and profoundly poor,” he continued. “Actually, with many experiencing cuts to benefits, it’s a worse situation this year and the need is more compelling than ever in 2019. It’s time to check closets, basements, attics and garages for unneeded and unused family coats. Most of us will find we have some to spare.”
“Fur Extravaganza” a Success

It was a tough week for gas lines in Livingston, with Livingston Fire Department volunteers responding to three gas lines struck by contractors and a fourth one leaking in a Mayhew Drive home.

On Wednesday, October 23, a contractor working at 36 Rainbow Ridge Drive struck a gas line. Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) personnel were called to the scene.

Later that day, fire officials investigated a strong odor of gas coming from a catch basin between 14 and 16 Cliffside Drive. PSE&G responded to the scene.

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TEAM IS UNDEFEATED: The Livingston High School girls’ junior varsity volleyball team finished its season on Monday, October 28, with an undefeated record of 22-0. The young team, made up of freshmen and sophomores, “never give up and always put their best efforts out there,” said coach Stephanie Fox. The team also won Livingston JV Volleyball Tournament Championship in September. Shown, Stella Ahn (4) and Rhea Matthews (11) get ready to switch into their positions. EL Photo

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Ronald F. Gasparinetti, 80, of Livingston, died on October 21.

Services were held at Shook’s Cedar Grove Funeral Home, followed by Mass at St. Lucy’s Church, Newark. Cremation was private.

Born in Newark to the late Louis and Rose Gasparinetti, Mr. Gasparinetti lived in Edison before settling in Livingston.

Prior to retiring, he was a detective with the Newark Police Department. For 12 years, he served as president of the Newark Policeman’s Benevolent Association. He taught in the police academy, led several associations, and received a number of professional awards.

In his youth, Mr. Gasparinetti played in several semi-pro football teams, including the Newark Bears and Jersey City Jays (later named the Jets).