latest news from Livingston

This week, Nicholas Percivale, a senior at Stevens Institute of Technology, began his part time job as a crossing guard for Livingston. His grandfather, Serkis Bagdat, has been a crossing guard in town for 16 years. Shown here on Tuesday, Bagdat trains his grandson during his first post. Isabelle Fusco Photo

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The Livingston Township Council introduced the final proposed ordinance of 2020 and kept open several hearings at its Monday, December 7, meeting. It may be viewed on the Livingston Township, NJ Facebook page.

At the start of the meeting, the Council held the second of two Community Development Block Grant hearings, which invite the public to offer ideas for grant proposals, which would be presented to the Essex County Division of Housing and Urban Development. For Livingston to qualify, the grants would have to involve aid for seniors or improving ADA accessibility in town. Last year, the township requested an additional bus. Applications for 2021 are due on January 8. There were no comments, and the hearing was closed.

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The Livingston Board of Education approved the appointments of Livingston High School principal Mark Stern as assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and innovation, and of Daniel Garcia as principal of Harrison School, at its meeting on December 7. Other personnel and business items were also approved.

Stern Will Be Acting Principal

Stern will officially begin in his new role as assistant superintendent on January 1, 2021. However, until a new principal is hired, his primary focus will remain at Livingston High School, serving as acting principal until a “thorough and thoughtful transition” can take place, according to a release from the district. The search for a new LHS principal will begin in the coming weeks.

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While the township’s agreement with Fair Share Housing Center (FSHC), which sets the amount of affordable housing needed in each municipality, had not yet been made public, a notice appearing in this edition of the Tribune, citing an upcoming meeting, has revealed certain details of the proposed agreement.

The Township Council reached an agreement at a special meeting in early December, but there have been no updates since. The agreement, and all of the included exhibits, is expected to become available to the public today, Thursday, December 10.

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The Camuso Holiday Display opened for the season on Monday evening, December 7. The display, a beloved holiday tradition, will remain open to the public, weather permitting, through January 2. Lights typically will be turned on at 5 p.m. and remain on until 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and unti110 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. On Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year ‘s Day, the lights will remain on until 11 p.m. Sheryl Star and Chief Elf Photos

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Elvira F. Del Guercio of Livingston died December 6. She was 98 years old.

Due to COVID-19, funeral services were held privately under the direction of Shook-Farmer Funeral Home, Roseland.

Born in Jersey City, Mrs. Del Guercio was raised in Newark, and settled in Livingston. Prior to her retirement, she was a job setter for Western Electric in Kearny for 42 years.

Predeceased by her husband, Thomas Del Guercio, and her siblings, Michael D’Ambrosio, Phyllis Caputo, LorraineAquino, andNorma Calabro, she is survived by many nieces, nephews, and extended relatives.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, stjude. org or the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, cfbnj.org.

Theodore (Ted) Pearlman, 74, of Freehold, formerly of Livingston, died December 2.

Dr. Pearlman was born in Brooklyn, New York, and resided in Newark and Union before moving to Livingston, where he raised his family. He had recently relocated to Freehold.

Dr. Pearlman was educated at Rutgers University and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), earning a bachelor’s degree and a doctor ofmedicine degree. He maintained an ophthalmological practice in Denville for over 40 years, and was a founding member of the Ridgedale Surgery Center. He served as the president of the Pocono Park condo association and was a member of the Temple B’nai Abraham Men’s Club.

When it comes to affordable housing, there are long stretches of time when we only hear about the negatives associated with it.

For example, the township has been involved in litigation over the appropriate amount of affordable housing in town for several years. It appears that Livingston and the Fair Share Housing Center have finally reached a tentative agreement on the town’s affordable housing obligation, pending a hearing in January. This would save the township from future unwanted development as a result of “builder’s remedy” lawsuits, where a developer cites the ability to create affordable housing as a way to force construction of a much larger project, and the township’s Council, Planning, and Zoning Boards lose control over what is built.

A new single family home at 11 Grand Terrace, created through a partnership between the township and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newark, was dedicated on Thursday, December 3. The event was held outdoors, with masks required and chairs placed at distances from each other. Township and Habitat officials, along with the new homeowner, spoke proudly about the project and the experience of working with each other.

Livingston initially authorized funding for the project in 2017, mayor Rudy Fernandez said. “It’s been important to the community and to us. We are committed to it... We gave it around $300,000 from our affordable housing trust. What do we get out of it? We get great new neighbors moving in!” Ground was broken in July, 2018.

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David Rosa II of Rahway, formerly of Livingston, passed away on Monday, November 23, at his home, as a result of a heart attack.

David, who was born January 11, 1979, was a stand-out athlete while at Livingston High School as a member of the track and field team. He was namedAthlete ofthe Year in his senior year, 1997. He broke many school records, some of which still stand to this day.

Upon graduation, he attended Fordham University on a track and field scholarship. At Fordham, he was a stand-out hurdler and won many awards and accolades. Due to his very successful years at Fordham, he was inducted to the very prestigious Fordham University Hall of Fame in 2019. David received his B.A. in history with two minors, in economics and music. He had just been accepted to the Rutgers University Graduate School Liberal Studies program, where he planned to continue his education to obtain his master’s degree.