Livingston New Jersey news

Yet another unlocked car has been stolen in the township, reported Livingston Police this week.

An unlocked BMW was reported stolen from the driveway of a Rumson Road home on Sunday evening, August 22, between 6 and 7 p.m. The stolen vehicle was recovered in Elizabeth the following morning. At press time, the investigation is ongoing.

Lock It Or Lose It!

Recently the Livingston Police Department has initiated the “Lock It or Lose It” campaign. The crime prevention initiative is designed to help residents remember to secure their vehicles and the personal items located within those vehicles. In addition to its announcement in the Tribune, notice of the campaign has been posted on the Livingston Police Department’s social media page, and a mobile sign board has been put out into the community to help spread the word.

Tropical Storm Henri dropped nearly ten inches on parts of New Jersey – but only 5½ on Livingston – as it swept through the state late Saturday, August 21, and all day Sunday, August 22.

Although by Sunday night it had weakened to a tropical depression, Henri spurred a few last rainfalls, some heavy, into Monday afternoon.

The storm dumped record amounts of rain in a short amount of time overnight, triggering in low-lying areas floodwaters that continued to rise Monday morning. Middlesex County saw significant flooding and damage, with more than 150 people needing to be rescued by boat in the town of Helmetta alone. Oakland in Bergen County received the most rain, 9.22 inches.

Ellen (Lieber) Eisen, a lifelong resident of Livingston, New Jersey, passed away Sunday, August 22, at her home in Livingston after a fierce battle with cancer. She was 56.

Ellen was born in the Bronx on November 28, 1964, the first of two children of Murray and Ruth Anne Lieber. Shortly after she was born, Murray and Ruth Anne moved to Livingston, where Ellen lived for her entire life. She graduated from Livingston High School in 1982, and attended Boston University, where she earned a bachelor of science in marketing in 1986. Following college, Ellen worked in the fashion industry for a few firms, including the Dana Buchman division of Liz Claiborne.

FOOTBALL TEAM WORKING HARD: The Livingston High School football team is continuing to work hard under head coach James Matsakis and staff. The preparation continues for a home scrimmage this Friday, August 27, at 10 a.m. The Lancers host Millburn in the season opener on Thursday, September 2. Shown above, quarterback Brandon Kenney hands off to running back Jaylen Dixon during a sweep play. Don Schwartz Photo

Fall registration for Girls on the Run in Livingston, a program for girls in third, fourth and fifth grades, is now open.

The program will meet Tuesdays and Fridays from 3:45 to 5 p.m. at the Livingston Oval, for eight weeks beginning September 21.

Girls on the Run is also seeking a junior coach to assist the head coaches at the Livingston site; the previous junior coach has left for college.

“Serving as a junior coach is a fun and rewarding way for 16 to 18 year old high school girls to grow their leadership skills and make a difference in the lives of girls throughout their community,” explained Randi Cohen, one of the Livingston coaches. “They get to participate in a program that provides training, experience, and service credits, impact younger girls, and be part of a positive community.”

With schools opening next week, it is a good time to consider what more we can do to keep our children safe. Back-to-school season means increased automobile and pedestrian traffic. According to AAA, nearly one-fifth of all traffic fatalities are child pedestrians under the age of 15, and more school-aged pedestrians are killed between the hours of 3 and 4 p.m. – once school ends – than any other time of the day.

With these frightening statistics in mind, we implore drivers to slow down and remain alert behind the wheel. That means keeping speeds low in areas where children are most likely to be present, such as schools, playgrounds, and recreation areas. It also means driving distraction-free. Glancing away from the road for even just two seconds doubles the chance of being involved in a crash.

Summer is almost over already? Really? Well, it is if you go by the school calendar. Believe it or not, next Wednesday, September 1, is the first day of classes for Livingston Public School students. Yes, it is that time of year that harried parents cherish and children looking to squeeze every inch out of their summer vacation dreads: Back to school.

Yet, this year, we suspect, will feel better than most for students not ready to say farewell to summer. That is because, for the first time since the 2018-19 academic year, students have a chance at a fully in-person school year.

Livingston Public Schools superintendent Matthew Block called the opening of schools in September “a mindful normal” during the August 11 Board of Education meeting.

“We are still in the midst of a pandemic, while working to provide as normal a school experience as possible during the 2021-22 school year, after more than a year of disruption,” he said. “We are on target with full days of school, including lunch, beginning the first day, September 1.”

Lunch will include pre-ordered hot and cold lunches, and some grab and go items; tents will provide outdoor space in September and October; and subscription bussing has returned.

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The sundial at the center of Livingston’s September 11, 2001, Living Memorial Garden has been removed several times in recent weeks. Bunnie Ratner, chairperson of the annual September 11, 2001 ceremony at the garden discovered the sundial on the ground at the gardens. She said it has happened three times this summer, including twice in the last two weeks.

“It had never been broken in the prior 18 years,” Ratner said.

The sundial is placed on top of a piece of steel that was part of the World Trade Center on the day the towers were attacked. Ratner added that she does not believe the sundial had been intentionally destroyed.

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The Livingston Board of Education approved numerous items at its August 11 meeting, and discussed several matters pertinent to the opening of school.

The Board did not discuss Board size or committee structure that night. However, Board size will be on the agenda at a Board meeting on Wednesday, September 1, at 7 p.m. It is expected to be one of two items on the agenda that evening, according to Board president Samantha Messer.

The Board has been exploring the possibility of changing its size from five to seven or nine members, and whether to put the matter out to voters in November, for many months.

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