Livingston community

The Class of 2020 will have a single, in-person ceremony with no family present, according to an announcement during the Monday, June 15, virtual Board of Education meeting.

During the livestreamed meeting, Livingston Public Schools superintendent Matthew Block also expressed frustration about the guidelines the district has received from the governor’s office about education matters. He said that information frequently comes late and often changes.

The high school administrative team has been looking at scenarios for in-person, virtual, and even carbased graduation ceremonies since it became clear that remote learning would last longer than a few weeks, he said.

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At the Monday, June 15, Livingston Township Council meeting, township manager Barry Lewis briefed the Council on the 2020 budget before members voted to pass it. Also discussed were the openings of camps and pools, as well as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which are all discussed in articles elsewhere in this edition of the Tribune. The meeting was livestreamed on the Livingston Township, NJ Facebook page.

At the start of the meeting, the Council showed a promotional video, encouraging residents to shop and dine locally as businesses begin to reopen. The video may be seen on the Livingston Township, NJ Facebook page at the start of the meeting video.

Shirley Ann Ferguson, 89, a long-time resident of Livingston, New Jersey, passed away peacefully in her sleep at home on Saturday, June 6, 2020. Shirley was the loving wife of George A. Ferguson, Jr.

Born in Franklin, Shirley grew up in Sparta. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Sparta, and graduated from Newton High School in 1948. In 1951 Shirley graduated as a registered nurse (RN) from Mountainside Hospital School of Nursing.

In 1956 Shirley and George settled in Livingston to raise their family. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church of Livingston and, through the years, made many friends and was active in the various activities supported by the church’s women’s group. She enjoyed road trips with her

She enjoyed road trips with her family to Ortley Beach, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Minnesota. Fun trips with the Livingston AARP and Senior Groups, and regularly exercising with the Healthy Bones were favorites too.

Jonathan Bruce Kiselik died on June 9 at age 56. He grew up in Livingston and later lived in Glen Ridge and Lincoln Park. He leaves his parents, Teri and Paul Kiselik of Livingston; a brother, Daniel (Alice) of Baltimore, Maryland; his nephews, James and Andrew; and so many long-standing friends. To quote one, “The enduring nature of true friendships, like that with Jon, is their ability to persist in spite of age and wear, and, after death, that their memories serve as guideposts for life’s passion, perseverance, and unpredictability.” Jon loved people and they responded to his kindness and warmth.

Margaret D. Giordano of Cedar Grove, formerly of Whiting, New Jersey, passed away on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at age 99.

Born on January 7, 1921, in Orange, New Jersey to C. Elmer and Ella (Arale) Klein, Margaret, along with her sister, Betty, grew up in the Orange Valley. Upon leaving school, she worked at one of the small leather factories in the area. With the outbreak of World War II, Marge changed jobs, making bomb sites for planes. She married Bob Giordano

She married Bob Giordano in 1943, accompanying him to California prior to his deployment to the Pacific Theater of operations. Bob left for the South Pacific, eventually landing on Iwo Jima, and Margaret returned to the Orange Valley and later secured a job with Monroe Industries as a technician.

Next week, Livingston High School’s Class of 2020 will attend their virtual graduation (a programming note: so as not to “spoil” the speeches for those who got their copy of the Tribune prior to the ceremony, our special graduation section will run in two weeks, on Thursday, July 2). In all likelihood, that cyber ceremony will be supplemented by a still-in-development inperson celebration a few weeks later.

Surely, none of these students expected their graduation to be quite like this as they’ve thought about the day through the years (if they did, we have some follow up questions). But this was the hand the Class of 2020 was dealt. And in no way does the strangeness of this moment minimize their amazing accomplishment, the capstone on an incredible education.

By Jeff Friedman
Editor’s Note: This week, Jeff Friedman, founder and director of Living-ston Philanthropies, Inc., reflects on the plight of the homeless with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.
    •    •    •
In my role as director of Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI), I continue to interact with our long-time distribution associates during the pandemic. It’s a fact that conditions are just horrible for the homeless and profoundly poor. It is even worse than before the emergency – much worse.

More than a hundred people joined the “Black Lives Matter Protest Against Racism and Oppression” at the Livingston Town Center on Sunday afternoon.

Lauren Posklensky, Livingston High School class of 2016, and Nicolas Ramirez, class of 2020, organized the event, along with LHS graduates Dev Rathod (class of 2018) and Alex Herbst (class of 2016).

“We aim not only to mourn the deaths of Black citizens as the result of police brutality and racism, but to petition for specific and immediate change in Livingston to ensure a better future,” said Posklensky.

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As of Wednesday morning, June 10, the Essex County health department has reported that a total of 491 Livingston residents have tested positive for COVID-19. 64 of those residents have died as a result of the virus.

On Friday, June 5, Governor Phil Murphy extended the public health emergency in New Jersey an additional 30 days.

“We will continue our path forward, while remaining vigilant and prepared to act should there be a new outbreak of COVID-19,” Governor Murphy said.

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Livingston High School’s Class of 2020 will have an in-person graduation after all. Details were still being discussed as of press time Wednesday, but the news was confirmed following Governor Phil Murphy’s Tuesday declaration allowing outdoor gatherings of up to 500 people beginning July 3.

On Tuesday night, following Governor Murphy’s announcement, principal Mark Stern sent a letter to the Class of 2020 and their families, inviting them to take a survey to determine what they would like to do for an in-person graduation. The administration will be accepting feedback from the surveys through 3 p.m. on Thursday.

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