Livingston New Jersey news

Robert S. Fershing, 79, of Livingston, passed away at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center on November 30, 2021, following a long illness.

Bob grew up in Newark and Maplewood and graduated from Columbia High School in 1960 and Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1966. He worked for Phoenix Mutual Insurance Company for many years.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Susan (nee Heilig); and his brother, Albert Fershing of Watchung, and his wife, Jane, and their four daughters and their families.

Bob and Sue were active volunteers for the Township of Livingston and especially loved delivering Motor Meals for over ten years. They were also active volunteers with AFS USA and hosted many foreign exchange students over a 35 year period.

Long-time Livingston resident Barbara H. Grady passed away peacefully in her sleep at Sibley Hospital in Washington, D.C., on December 30, according to her children. She was 97.

Mrs. Grady and her husband, the late John H. Grady, Jr., a former member of the Livingston Township Council and two-term mayor, had lived in Livingston for 43 years.

The Gradys raised five children, all of whom attended Livingston High School, and all of whom went on to receive college and advanced degrees.

Barbara H. Grady was a teacher, high school guidance counselor, and law school dean of students. Born in 1924 in Youngstown, Ohio, Mrs. Grady, the youngest of three daughters, excelled in school, graduating valedictorian from Rayen High School and at the top of her class from Seton Hill College in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

At 4:08 p.m. on Monday, January 3, a North Drive, Livingston, resident received a RING camera activation notice about movement in the driveway of his home. Upon checking the video, he saw that someone had attempted to steal an Audi that had been parked in his driveway. The Audi was locked, and after trying the door, the suspect ran back to a gray Mercedes sedan which was waiting at the curb. The incident was not reported to the Livingston Police Department until 5:25 p.m.

A second car theft attempt report was called in by a Rosewood Court resident at 5:41p.m. The resident stated that at about 4:37 p.m., he started his car in an open garage to allow it to warm up. He then saw a matte gray four door car pull up in front of his house and saw his car being backed out of the garage.

While Livingston Public Schools opened to students on Tuesday, January 4, superintendent of schools Matthew Block called the staffing situation “tenuous” at the January 4 Board of Education meeting. He referred to transportation, food service, and instructional staff.

“I’m hopeful that we can stay open,” he said, adding that faculty, “in the face of a significant shortage of staff, continue to take extra duties to keep the schools open.”

He specifically cited the school nurses who are working “above and beyond their regular job after the break,” due to the return from the winter break and the increase in COVID cases.

“Our school nurses literally worked from 6 a.m. yesterday [Monday, January 3] to 1 a.m. this morning contact tracing as much as possible and continued at that same pace today,” he said. “We have deployed a number of our office staff, administrators, directors and supervisors to assist them.”

The 2021-22 Livingston High School Ice Hockey team started its season at 9-0, one of the best starts in the program’s long history. Playing in the very competitive New Jersey Interscholastic Ice Hockey League’s (NJIIHL) McInnis Division, the team’s current record stands at 11-1.

The Lancers are ranked number 11 in the state in a category encompassing both public and private schools, and are number two among just public schools in the state. With recent wins over 15th-ranked Middletown South, 12th-ranked Westfield, and ninthranked Morris Knolls, the Lancers look to join the top ten ice hockey rankings and become the number one public school in the state.

The Livingston High School girls’ indoor track and field team has opened its season on a high note, with recordbreaking performances in the Essex County Relay championship.

“The work ethic of the team has been on display since the season began,” noted coach Dave Czeizinger. “Outdoor workouts had instilled focus and confidence as they grew stronger and prepared for competition. An early season outdoor event was up first, giving many athletes a taste of track for the first time, and others a chance to step back on a track and renew that fire of competition.”

On Tuesday, December 28, the team participated in the Coach Glynn Holiday Carnival and on Thursday, December 30, in the Essex County Relay championship. Both events were held at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island, one of the premier indoor tracks in the nation. These events marked the Lancers’ first appearance in Ocean Breeze since 2019.

Coach Glynn Carnival

After 41 years serving the town of Livingston – and, for the last 19 years, Millburn as well – Lou Anello retired, as of January 1, as the director of health and health officer of the township.

Anello had initially been planning to retire in October 2020, but postponed it because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I didn’t want to leave the township or the department dealing with COVID,” he said.

“Unfortunately, COVID is not locked down, it isn’t going anywhere real quick. So, I put my papers in for January 2022, not realizing that it would be as bad as it is now. But there had to be a time for me to leave.”

The steadfast efforts to turn Asian American curriculum bills into state law by two local groups, the Livingston Multicultural Parents Association and the Livingston AAPI Youth Alliance, is bearing fruit.

A bill that will require public schools to teach the history and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) was recently approved by both houses of the state legislature.

A6100 passed the Assembly by a vote of 74-2 on December 20; S4021 had been approved by the state Senate by 34-2 earlier in the month. The bill now heads to Governor Phil Murphy, who is expected to sign it into law before the current legislative session ends on January 11.

“New Jersey is on its way to becoming the second state in the country to mandate AAPI content in K-12 school curricula,” said Lynn Lin, a leader of the Parents Association. “The bills passed with bipartisan support.”

The Livingston Township Council held its annual organizational meeting on Sunday, January 2. The meeting, typically held at the Senior/Community Center, was instead held virtually this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Still, hundreds of volunteers were appointed to the township’s various committees and boards, the new mayor and deputy mayor were selected.

Ed Meinhardt was sworn in as mayor for 2022. He was previously the mayor of Livingston in 2018.

“It is an honor and pleasure to become mayor for a second term of our town,” Meinhardt said. “I am energized and ready to begin again the important work we have been tasked, by you, our residents.”

Meinhardt noted that there has been nothing ordinary about the past two years, but said he looked forward to seeing residents at meetings in person as soon as it is safe to do so.