Livingston community

Salvatore Costanza, age 54, of Livingston, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on Friday, April 30, 2021. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Philomena Roman Catholic Church, Livingston, on Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Entombment followed at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, East Hanover, New Jersey. The family received their friends at Quinn-Hopping Funeral Home of Livingston on Tuesday May 4, 2021.

Salvatore was a business agent for Local 68 in West Caldwell, New Jersey, for the last 19 years. He was a graduate of New Jersey Institute of Technology with a B.S. in architecture.

Salvatore was predeceased by his dear mother, Concetta Costanza. He is survived by his beloved wife, Maria Cristina Patino; his loving daughter, Christina E. Costanza; his dear father Vincenzo Costanza; his loving brother, Joseph, and his wife Denise Costanza; and his cherished nieces, Brianna, Isabella, and Melissa. Salvatore is also survived by many loving cousins and friends.

JAKE CUP LOSS: The Livingston High School boys’ varsity lacrosse team was defeated by Millburn, 17-6, in the Jake Cup game played on Saturday, May 1, on the LHS turf. Shown here, Lancer senior captain Jack Schreiber, #28, curls toward the net against the Millers. Converging on the play is sophomore attackman Ari Roitman, #31. Don Schwartz Photo

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

The Livingston High School boys’ varsity tennis team defeated Pascack Hills and Christian Brothers Academy in the 15th annual Lancer Tennis Showdown. Prior to the tournament, long-time Lancer tennis supporter and Big L Club Executive Board member Stu Bodow served out the first ball at the first home match.

Following the Lancer Showdown, Livingston faced Chatham on Saturday, May 1, in the first round of the Newark Academy Tennis Invitational.

Livingston 3, Pascack Hills 2

Arthur Phillip Davidson, 86, died April 27.

He grew up in Hillside and attended Florida Southern University. A military veteran of the Korean War, he raised his family in Livingston, and owned businesses in Newark.

Mr. Davidson was the husband of Lynda; the father of Rick and the late Jeffrey; and the father-in-law of Mary Beth Davidson, Nancy Stearns and Donna Davidson. He is also survived by eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The telephone was the first public utility in Livingston. The first two phones were installed in 1905, one in Amos W. Harrison’s general store and post office.

CHANGING THE FACE OF NORTHFIELD: Demolition continued this week along Northfield Road at the South Livingston Avenue intersection. Last week, the Northfield Baptist Church was knocked down, and on this past Tuesday, neighboring structures, including the former Infinity clothing store building, shown below, were also torn down. MI Photos

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

Now that all residents over 16 years old are eligible to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations (and with the Pfizer vaccine expected to be authorized for 12 to 15 year olds next week), we wanted to again take a moment to strongly urge all who have yet to do so to seek out a shot. Unfortunately, as eligibility has expanded, the nation’s number of daily shots given has begun to dip, indicating that demand for the shots is beginning to wane, despite there being tens of millions of unvaccinated Americans.

At a meeting last week, the Township Council discussed three ordinances designed to accommodate affordable housing in town. Township manager Barry Lewis explained that the Fair Share Housing Center had pushed for Livingston to create about 600 affordable housing units in its latest round, but the town was able to negotiate that down to about a third of the request. As a result, Livingston must now make space for roughly 1,000 new units, as apartment complexes that are built typically accommodate 20 percent affordable housing.

Understandably, residents of the districts that will be affected by these ordinances were unhappy. The Council listened to all of their concerns, and did not take action that evening. These ordinances will be discussed at future meetings, and additional ones are expected to be introduced, as well.

Long-time Livingston resident Marion Lichtenstein visited Living-ston Philanthropies Inc., (LPI) World Headquarters (LPI founder Jeff Friedman’s garage) to make a generous contribution in person. 
The two first met in 1967 when Friedman, a Livingston High School junior, worked at Livingston’s Fellman Footwear, a then-popular business located on South Livingston Avenue. “Mrs. Lichtenstein brought her kids in often for size checks and new Buster Browns,” Friedman said. “Now, some 54 years later, Mrs. Lichtenstein has been reading about LPI in the Tribune and knew it was the same guy from the shoe store. I remembered her well, too.”

CHURCH DEMOLISHED: Northfield Baptist Church was demolished on Monday, April 26. By Wednesday, April 28, the entire structure had been knocked down. In its place is expected to be a mixed-use residential and retail development. Shown on the bottom left is the church in its original form, in 2016, when it was put up for sale. MI Photo

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

Sanskriti of New Jersey celebrated Dakshin Mahotsav (“Grand Festivals of South India”), which coincides with New Year in many of the country’s southern states.

The celebration on April 17 virtually showcased the cultural diversities of the region. It included music and dance performances, a fashion show featuring Kanchipuram saris woven from pure mulberry silk, and Rangoli decorative art patterns that signify happiness and positivity and welcome visitors to the home.

The origins of the various new year traditions were explained by Satyanarayana Murthy, a retired Indian Air Force officer.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/