latest news from Livingston

The Livingston Planning Board met remotely on Tuesday, January 18, for a workshop and conference session. The evening’s agenda included a “Complete Streets” presentation by Urban Cycling Solutions.

Hearing Scheduled

The Board reviewed a report by Beacon Planning and Consulting Services, LLC, which was retained to conduct a professional analysis of the land comprising 1, 2, and 17 Old Road and 397 West Mt. Pleasant Avenue, and a portion of the Old Road right-of-way, to determine whether it was in need of redevelopment. The parcel includes the property at the end of Old Road where it meets the Livingston traffic circle, the site of a former Masonic temple and, before that, Olivet Chapel. It also includes a parcel containing retail businesses.

It was announced this week that Ayan Varma Bhatnagar of Livingston Boy Scout Troop 12 earned the Eagle Scout rank on August 10, 2021. His Eagle Scout Court of Honor was held on October 23, 2021.

Bhatnagar began his Scouting journey in first grade in 2011, when he became a Tiger Cub with Den 1 of Pack 16, Livingston.

After earning the Arrow of Light Award in February of 2016, Bhatnagar continued his Scouting journey with Troop 12 Livingston. He was eager to bridge over into Troop 12 and join his older brother, Nishay, who became an Eagle Scout in 2016.

After earning the First Class rank in 2018, Bhatnagar served as Patrol Leader for three terms. He notes that he “enjoyed taking on the responsibility and committed to helping younger Scouts learn skills and advance in rank.”

The Livingston-based IndoBikers bicycling team recently concluded its 2021 season with record-breaking numbers. Team members rode their bikes in several charity events, including the local “Cycle for Survival” event and several events in South Jersey and New York City.

Team founder Ketan Bhuptani noted that several members set personal records, inspiring many new riders to join the team, which includes young adults, men, women and children.

Members Paul Mortizen and Abhishek Kohli rode for more than 3,000 miles. Accompanying them were Yash Chaudhary, who logged over 2,500 miles, and Bhuptani, who rode for over 2,000 miles.

Nilesh Pisal rode for more than 1,600 miles over the season, while Puneet Wishwas and Amnisha Parameshwar clocked over 600 miles each. Rachana Sheth-Anand and Rajat Ravindran set personal records with over 500 miles each.

The entire team, put together, rode over 17,000 miles and climbed close to 700,000 feet of elevation.

Joellen V. McGuire, 73, of Livingston, formerly of Middletown, Connecticut, died on Sunday, January 9.

Born in Pawtucket, she was the daughter of the late Henry and Josephine (Eastwood) McGuire.

Ms. McGuire graduated from Sacred Heart Academy and its school of nursing in Pawtucket. She worked as a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Pawtucket Memorial and later in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

She is survived by her son, Joseph O’Keefe (Erin) of New Jersey; her sister, Valerie McCormick of Rhode Island; her brother, Dennis (Jane) McGuire of Rhode Island; and three grandchildren.

Her funeral will be scheduled and announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to charities such as the Disabled American Veterans, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, or ASPCA would be appreciated.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the William W. Tripp Funeral Home, in Pawtucket.

Patricia B. Isaacs, a 70-year resident of Elmwood Drive in Livingston, died January 5 following a brief illness. She was 96 years old.

Mrs. Isaacs retired at age 85 as president of Hammill & Gillespie, Inc., a dealer in industrial clays and minerals, formerly based in Livingston.

Her husband of 36 years, Richard Isaacs, died in 1986. Her daughter, Dorna, died in 2015. She is survived by her son, Howard Isaacs, of Brooklyn.

Donations in her memory would be welcomed for charities funding glaucoma and macular degeneration research, and for animal rescue and welfare.

Food, clothing, toiletries and other necessities poured in to the collection center behind Town Hall on Monday afternoon during the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service that was carried out by the Livingston Committee for Diversity and Inclusion (LCDI).

In the morning, Simone Anthony-Brown led a youth-centered virtual activity to reflect on Dr. King and his message. She shared a book about the involvement of children in the civil rights movement in 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, and an art project highlighting Dr. King and his words. Both the reading and artwork can be viewed on the LCDI Facebook page, at https://www.facebook.com/ LCDINJ.

An anti-bullying poster contest was held by the Livingston Police Department, and the Livingston

League of Women Voters helped eligible individuals register to vote.

Over the past few weeks, the Tribune has received a steady influx of calls from residents who have had issues receiving their mail. Some were simply calling because they were eager to get their copies of the paper as soon as possible (and we were happy to handdeliver them a copy!). Others said they had gone several days without a delivery of any mail whatsoever.

After looking into the matter ourselves, it appears the reason for the issues was exactly what one may have assumed, given the times. Livingston’s postal workers are dealing with staffing issues related to the highly-contagious omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During some recent Township Council meetings, there have been discussions concerning use of Livingston’s pickleball courts. Specifically, there are several intertwining issues that the town is trying to address at the behest of residents.

Those who live near the courts have complained about excessive noise, particularly during the early morning hours on weekends. The courts are also quite crowded, including many players who are not from Livingston, prohibiting access for some residents. Additionally, those who wish to enjoy non-competitive games with families or children have had difficulty doing so, as “round robin” tournaments regularly fill all available courts.

In his report this week, Livingston Philanthropies Inc. founder and director Jeff Friedman notes, “Whether generous Livingston neighbors have made monetary contributions or purchased badly needed items online or in-person, the outcome remains the same: LPI, now in its 11th season of operation, continues to provide for the ‘homeless, profoundly poor and disenfranchised.’”
Since September, Livingston residents have donated cases of Enfamil baby formula; multiple pallets of fresh produce and non-perishable food items; clothing, nail clippers, and toiletries; men’s and women’s underwear, socks, and handbags; face masks; diapers, baby wipes, baby food, baby bottles, and baby clothes; gloves, hats, scarves, and mittens, both store-bought and hand-knitted; new stuffed animals for children; and, of course, coats.

A snowstorm, which struck in the early hours of Friday morning, January 7, dropped five inches of snow on Livingston.

Chris Southworth, superintendent of the Department of Public Works (DPW), called crews to report to work at 3:30 a.m. By 5:30 a.m., trucks were out salting the roadways. All township roads and parking lots, including the schools, were cleared by noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, Southworth said. Later in the day, crews resalted the cleared roads.

Because of the storm, Livingston Public Schools went to a virtual schedule for the day. Additionally, there was a delayed opening to enable teachers to prepare for the remote instruction.