Livingston community

FIELD HOCKEY TEAM SPLITS TWO: The Livingston High School varsity field hockey team split two recent games. The Lady Lancers lost to Mount Saint Dominic Academy, 1-0, on Monday, October 18, at home, but went on to score a 3-2 victory on the road against Pope John XXIII High School. Shown here, Lancer junior Daniella Krasney leads an offensive charge against Mount Saint Dominic. Don Schwartz Photo

Barbara “Bobbie” (Bach) Paskow, died on October 23. She was 88 years old and lived in Livingston for 50 years, before moving to Sunrise of West Essex in Fairfield.

Born in Newark, Mrs. Paskow was raised by Melvin and Tessie Bach in Maplewood.

She graduated from the University of Vermont, and was a classroom teacher and tutor of children with learning disabilities.

She was an actor and director with the Livingston Community Players, and played piano and directed shows at Spring Garden Day Camp. She also worked as a travel agent and editor.

Mrs. Paskow was predeceased by her husband, Joe Paskow, and her son, Dan. She is survived by her daughter, Jill (John Frezados), her daughter-in-law, Lecia; three grandchildren; and her sister, Karen Wolfe.

A funeral service was held on Tuesday, October 26, at the Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, with interment in the Mount Lebanon Cemetery, Woodbridge.

The Livingston Chinese Association (LCA) regularly organizes seminars on trending topics in the community. The organization recently held programs on Hurricane Ida insurance claims, and water treatment options.

Post-Hurricane Claims

The unprecedented flooding brought by Hurricane Ida affected many local families, many of whom had never had any insurance claims on their homes before. The LCA invited members and local Chinese residents to a September seminar with two experts from related industries: insurance agent Linjing Yang and licensed home inspector Mark Wang.

Yang covered topics on types of property insurance coverages, flood zones and flood insurance, typical process of home insurance claims. Wang, drawing on his expertise in residential structure and home inspection, elaborated on different techniques of waterproofing basements and other areas of the home.

Drinking Water Safety

Steven C. Cosmas, aged 73, of Livingston, passed peacefully, surrounded by his family, on October 20, 2021. He was a loving husband to Stella; devoted father to Corinna (and Al) and Alex (and Ana); and was a wonderful grandfather to Jackson, Lyla, Anderson and Ames.

Born in Cyprus in 1947, Steve came to the U.S. to study engineering at New York University and Columbia. He enjoyed a long career as a technical manager and software engineer at Bell Labs, and served on the faculty of Devry University in math and physics. He received numerous honors and awards for technical excellence, but was most celebrated for his humility and his kindness.

Many remember Steve as a Livingston youth soccer coach and, more recently, a member of the Living Tones choir. He was also an active member of the Saints Nicholas, Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Roseland.

Joseph Valentine Gelo, beloved husband, brother, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of October 22, 2021 at the age of 94.

Born November 18, 1926, Joseph was the son of Valentine and Rose Gelo of Brooklyn, New York. He attended Brooklyn Technical High School, where he developed an interest in aviation and aeronautics. While still in school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served during World War II. After his service, he decided to follow his family’s tradition of employment and began a long and successful career in the New York garment industry. He retired in 1995. He resided and raised his family in Livingston, New Jersey, for 57 years, before moving to Hackettstown in 2013.

Bernice J. Mitschele, age 96, passed away on Thursday, October 14, 2021, at her home in Spring Lake. Born in Newark and raised in Irvington, Bernice resided in Livingston for 45 years before settling in Spring Lake, where she had lived for the last 20 years.

Mrs. Mitschele was a communicant of St. Catharine’s Roman Catholic Church in Spring Lake. She loved to knit and would knit booties and hats for special newborn babies, and afghans for veterans. As an early member of the Rosary Society in Livingston, she crafted rosary beads for the Missions.

“B” was a competitive card player and also enjoyed afternoons playing mahjong and Rummikub with her friends. Trips to Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her sisters were highlights of her fall and spring seasons. Her favorite pastime was to be on her front porch, and she would passionately watch Yankee games.

She is predeceased by her beloved husband, Norman F. Mitschele, Sr., in 2005, and her two brothers and two sisters.

Marsha (née Krajcman) Buchwald, 68, of Livingston, NJ, passed away on April 6, 2021.

Marsha was born in Nahariya, Israel, on January 12, 1953, to Chaim and Pola Krajcman, who have predeceased her. She is survived by her sons, Adam and his wife Christina, of Arlington, Virginia; Steven and his wife, Sarah, of Brooklyn, New York; and two grandchildren, Derek and Hailey, her cherished pride and joy.

Marsha is also survived by her loving sisters, Roslyn “Shanna” Covello and her husband, Stephen, of Manalapan, New Jersey; Ruth Ringler and her husband, Larry, of Livingston, New Jersey; and many dear nieces and nephews.

Marsha was a stay-at-home mom for many years. When her sons were older, she worked at media monitoring company Burrelle’s and taught at Temple Beth Shalom. Her Jewish faith was her source of sustainment during many trying times.

While we are preparing to celebrate our second Halloween during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we can take comfort in knowing that this year’s festivities will look much more normal than they did in 2020. We should still take proper precautions and follow CDC guidelines, of course, but we expect the experience will be significantly less weird than it was a year ago – and hopefully, a whole lot more fun for all!

The excitement in Livingston will begin at 4 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, October 29, with Fright Night at the Senior/Community Center at 204 Hillside Avenue. This fun-filled family event will include a walk-through haunted trail, Trunk or Treat, and a costume contest parade featuring Halloween-themed prizes. There will also be DJ entertainment and a “flash mob” dance performance by Livingston Dance Academy dancers.

The Township Council will make appointments to Livingston’s many advisory committees at the annual organizational meeting on New Year’s Day, and now is the time to apply. The Council hopes to attract new residents – and those who have not previously been active in the community – to serve on any of its many committees.

Livingston’s volunteerism is a large part of what makes this community so special. This is your town; we strongly encourage all residents to take pride in it and become actively involved. There are so many ways to be an involved participant; and township committees are just one example of how to make a difference here in town.

An area behind Livingston High School may be home to a new field, according to information shared during the Tuesday, October 19, Board of Education meeting.

One of the areas identified by the Fields Committee as a potential turf field location is “the pit,” said business administrator Steven Robinson. The pit is located in the back area behind the LHS football field, between the field and Littel People’s Park.

If the Board is interested, he said, the district would develop bid documents to get an estimate of the cost, Robinson said.

There is no commitment, and he suggested that the project be placed in the 2022-23 school budget.

Funding for the field would come from the district’s capital reserve account, “which will allow this project to be completed at no cost to the taxpayers,” Robinson said.

Since there are currently worldwide supply chain delays, the timeline for completion is unclear.