Livingston community

The Township Council will make appointments to Livingston’s many advisory committees at the township’s annual organizational meeting on New Year’s Day, and 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.

As we pass by Election Day without an official winner of the presidency, due to the influx of mail-in ballots as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the Donald Trump and Joe Biden rallies that took place at the Oval last Sunday.

Regardless of where one stands on the political spectrum, it is safe to say that, in recent years, there have been increasingly few people who fall in “the middle.” With so much strife in 2020, from the pandemic to social unrest, and countless other issues, it is hard to not have strong political opinions these days. As a result, our country feels as divided as it has been in decades. It can be hard to “look past” the politics of friends, families, and neighbors of late.

Mary A. Barras (née Flahive) passed away peacefully on Monday, November 2, 2020 at Morristown Medical Center. She was 86 years old.

On February 27, 1934, Mary was born on her family farm in Glenderry, just west of Ballyheigue, in County Kerry, Ireland to her parents, John and Bridget Flahive. After receiving an education, Mary spent her teenage years working at a convent in Tralee, Ireland. Mary left the emerald isle and immigrated to Newark, New Jersey on August 11, 1951, where she met the love of her life, George Barras.

She often told loving stories of going to dances in Newark and frequenting McGovern’s Tavern with her future husband. George and Mary were married at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark on November 10, 1956. After leaving Newark, George and Mary first moved to East Orange, before settling down in Livingston in 1967, where they raised their daughters and lived for the past 53 years.

FOOTBALL TEAM FALLS TO WEST ORANGE: The Livingston High School varsity football team was defeated by West Orange, 34-7, on Friday evening, October 30.

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Amemorial Mass will be held at St. Mary’s Church in Nutley on Saturday, November 7, at 10:30 a.m., for Gloria Jannuzzelli.

Ms. Jannuzzelli, formerly of Livingston, died on April 1 at age 87. Her ashes were interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington.

JV LANCERS SHUT OUT BELLEVILLE: The Livingston High School boys’ junior varsity soccer team defeated Belleville, 3-0, on Tuesday, October 27, on the Oval library field.

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Supporters of Donald Trump and Joe Biden both held rallies at the same time on the Oval on Sunday, November 1, two days before Election Day.

Republicans and Democrats from Livingston planned their rallies together; the Biden rally was initially scheduled to take place a few days later. Saying that every American has the right to freedom of speech, organizers agreed to hold their rallies simultaneously, on opposite sides of the entrance to the Oval.

“Together, as one community, we can set an example of civility in an ever polarizing world,” read a joint statement issued by both groups. “Let this day be a constructive day that we can all use as a step forward in improving the country for which we all share the goal of wanting to make it a better place.”

BELCUORES HONORED FOR HEROISM: Senior Lancer girls’ soccer captain Lauren Belcuore was presented a Joint Legislative Resolution by State SenatorAnthony M. Bucco (shown here), Assemblywoman Aura K. Dunn and Assemblyman Brian Bergen prior to the Lancers’ “Play For Pink” game.

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As of press time, Wednesday morning, November 4, Vineeta Khanna has tallied the most votes for the open Livingston Public Schools Board of Education seat, according to preliminary results of this year’s General Election. Khanna leads challengers Jenissa Arnette, James Calderon, and Bridgette Nevola for the single open seat on the Board.

With 11,582 votes cast, according to the Essex County clerk’s office, Khanna received 3,792 votes (32.74 percent). Arnette is the closest challenger with 3,232 votes (27.91 percent), followedbyNevola with 2,656 votes (22.93 percent) and Calderon with 1,902 votes (16.4 percent).

Due to the election being all paper ballots as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, final tallies were not available before press time. Results are preliminary and come from the county clerk’s office. The Tribune will update these results if these change in the coming days.

On Monday, November 2, the Livingston Township Council held a special meeting to approve a settlement agreement with Fair Share Housing Corporation concerning the town’s affordable housing obligations. The meeting was held virtually and may be viewed on the Livingston Township, NJ Facebook page.

The document has to be signed after it has been approved, at which point it will become a public document. That was not confirmed to have happened before the Tribune’s print deadline, as the FSHC also has to sign the document.

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