Livingston New Jersey news

A few weeks ago, we praised Livingston’s Board of Education for changing its meeting dates later this year, to avoid conflict with the Township Council meetings. Starting in the new academic year, the Board planned to hold its meetings on Thursdays. This was a great move for the members of the community, we said at the time.

What we did not say, however, was that Thursdays were not the best day for us at the Tribune. Since that is the day our weekly paper is delivered, it would mean that news from the Board meetings would be one week old by the time they reached the paper. It was not an ideal situation, but one we planned to make the best of, in one way or another.

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The Lancer junior varsity girls’ basketball team and the Caldwell Chiefs competed in a pre-season scrimmage on Thursday evening, January 21, in the LHS Fitness and Wellness Center. Shown here, Lancer forward Christine Belcuore drives the right lane to score for the Lancers. Don Schwartz Photo

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On December 26, the Sheth family, longtime residents ofLivingston, delivered more than 500 pounds of food and nonperishable goods, along with a check for several thousands of dollars, to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey in Hillside.

After participating in a food drive several months earlier, the family decided to start their own, run by Ashka, a2015 graduate ofLivingston High School, and her mother, Avani. Ashka moved back home during the coronavirus pandemic and is working virtually for a law firm in Washington, D.C.

“It was great to see the FoodBank,” said Ashka, who had previously volunteered at one in D.C. “It’s huge; I was shocked! They have reopened and are accepting volunteers.”

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Livingston Public Schools superintendent Matthew Block announced that the district will move from three cohorts to two cohorts in the secondary schools as of Monday, February 1, the first day of the second semester. This will allow students who selected in-person hybrid instruction to be in school two to three times per week, depending on the week.

The decision was based on the numbers of students who indicated that they plan to return to in-person instruction. The district experienced a significant drop of in-person secondary students, from 74 percent on October 30 to 60 percent on December 23.

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LANCERS WIN ON ICE: The Livingston High School ice hockey team defeated Verona/Glen Ridge, 6-1, at the CodeyArena on Monday evening, January 18. The Lancer goals were scored by Cade Prendergast, Austin Vecchio, Danny Grossbad, Michael Mumm (who scored two) and Lenny Kanchik. The victory evened the Lancer NJIIHL McInnis Division record to 1-1-1. Shown above, Lancer goalie Zack Turbin, #1, makes a point blank save against the charging Verona/Glen Ridge wing. At right, Lancer Tyler Schultz, #3, carries the puck out of the defensive zone.

Don Schwartz Photos

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LINE WORK: Hillside Avenue was closed between Belmont Drive and Manor Road on Friday, January 15 so that sewer and water lines could be connected to a new house on the west side of Hillside Avenue. Crew members are shown here working on the sewer connection, the white pipe about 13 feet below the road. Jerry Siskind Photo

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Livingston and Essex County officials, along with employees of Saint Barnabas Medical Center, addressed township residents’ questions, comments, and concerns regarding the COVID-19 vaccination process and the ongoing pandemic during an online panel discussion last Thursday, January 14. The forum may still be viewed on the Livingston Township, NJ Facebook page. The morning after it first posted, it had accumulated more than 2,700 views.

Panelists for the forum included Dr. Lincoln Miller, section chief of infectious disease at RWJBarnabas Health and Saint Barnabas Medical Center; Essex County health officer Maya Lordo; Livingston health officer Lou Anello, Livingston health educator Jessica Kelly, Livingston nursing supervisor Melissa Kimmel; Margie Heller, vice president of community health and strategic global partnerships at RWJBarnabas Health; Essex County officials, including commissioner Pat Sebold; and Mayor Shawn Klein and members of the Township Council.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic forcing academic institutions across the country to send students home, many spring sports seasons came to an abrupt end. For the first time in many years, spring studentathletes found themselves displaced from their sports and their teammates for the foreseeable future.

For Muhlenberg sophomore women’s lacrosse player Emily Gaffney of Livingston, a spring season without lacrosse was not an option.

She discovered ReLax Collections, a nonprofit foundedby William Dadouris, a men’s lacrosse player and 2020 graduate of Moravian College. Dadouris founded ReLax Collections as a high school student in 2014, and has since collected over $1,500,000 worth of new and used lacrosse equipment to support over 35 teams across the United States and in 16 other countries as they “grow the game.”

A DAY ON: Members of the Township Council and the Livingston Committee for Diversity and Inclusion collected donations, including food, school supplies, cleaning supplies, and more in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Day of Service is meant to be “a day on, not a day off.”

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Ruth Namer died on January 8, 2021 at the age of 96.

She was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 24, 1924. In 1985, she moved to Coconut Creek, Florida, and lived at Wynmoore. She moved to Livingston five years ago to be with her family.

Ruth was the beloved wife of the late Isaac Namer; loving mother to Jeffrey and Brandi Namer and Helene and Lenny Kesselman; adoring Nana of Martin Kesselman, Jennifer and Joe Godsy, Amanda and Joe Ballance; and loving Great-Nana to Ellie and Brayden Kesselman, Bryce and Brielle Ballance, and Whitney and Talia Godsy.

She will be forever in our hearts and memories.