Livingston New Jersey news

At the Monday, August 17, meeting of the Livingston Township Council, members discussed the response to tropical storm Isaias, which left many residents without power for several days. Four ordinances were also proposed and several resolutions were passed during the meeting, which was once again held online and may be viewed at the Livingston Township, NJ Facebook page.

At the start of the meeting, the Council moved to a closed session to discuss matters on the agenda. Later in the meeting, during public comment, Justin Alpert of 56 Amherst Place questioned the abundance of closed session items, specifically asking for broad details about the potential tax deal with Saint Barnabas Medical Center and why discussions about a social justice committee must be held behind closed doors.

Township clean-up efforts in the wake of Tropical Storm Isaias last Tuesday, August 4, began in earnest on Monday, August 10, said Mike Anello, superintendent of Public Works.

Anello explained that in the days immediately after the storm, Department of Public Works (DPW) crews focused on clearing trees that had come down, and cleaning up “hot spots” where power lines were down so Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) could access the areas to make repairs.

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Five hens now call an old playground in Livingston their home, after Ivan Bolanos and his daughter, Dana, built a chicken coop using parts of the old set, during the COVID-19 quarantine this spring.

Confined at home, Dana was able to fulfill her childhood dream for a pet that would be hers alone – since Timmy, the family dog, is, well, a shared family pet. Her parents charged her with looking into what she wanted and how she would take care of it.

The 15-year-old researched everything she could find about chickens, from what they eat to which breeds are good for the local weather, and presented the information to her parents.

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The Livingston Public Schools reopening plan for the upcoming academic year was the sole item on the agenda at the Board of Education meeting on Monday, August 10.

Following a presentation of the plan, which had been released last week, both the Board and community members (most if not all of whom were parents of current students) made comments and asked questions about the plan, which is described in a separate article in this week’s Tribune.

The nearly four-hour meeting was held virtually via Zoom and shown live on Facebook. At one point, superintendent Matthew Block said that 600 people were watching.

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As the new school year is set to begin amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, families will need to choose whether their children will begin the school year fully or partially remote, according to the district.

The selection needs to be made by Monday, August 17, and there will likely be a process in place to later change the initial choice. The first day of school is Tuesday, September 8.

Students in the all-virtual model will receive both synchronous lessons delivered by the teacher, and asynchronous online lessons. They will be able to connect with their classmates remotely.

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In local baseball action, the U-15 Livingston Giants defeated Muggero of Bergen County , 2-1, and the Rising Stars in the finals to capture the Inter-County Tournament. The games were played at the Brendan P. Tevlin Field in Livingston on Saturday and Sunday, August 8 and 9. Shown above, Giants catcher Myles Seid sets the target for a swinging strike against leadoff hitter Harrison Certo of Muggero. At right, Giants hurler Gavin Krauland, #22, brings it to the plate against the U-15 Muggero team. Don Schwartz Photos

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The Township Golf Tournament Committee has announced that its annual Golf Outing will be held at the Cedar Hill Country Club in Livingston on Monday, August 31, with a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for low score foursome and closest to the pin for men and women. Chairman Pat Ippolito has noted that all proceeds from the day will be donated to Livingston Neighbors Helping Neighbors (LNHN). Stacey Rubinstein, chairwoman of LNHN, said she is “thrilled that LNHN, which also runs CHOW, our local food bank, will be able to expand the help given to the needy members of the community.” The total cost for the day includes lunch, cocktail hour, dinner and tee-off. Shown here making plans for the Golf Outing are, rear, committee members Mike Duffy, Gerry Spiesbach, Andrea Ubaldi, Jody Lanzet, and Bob Bucich; and seated, Chuck Tahaney and Pat Ippolito, with Stacey Rubinstein of Livingston Neighbors Helping Neighbors.

THE LIVINGSTON TEMPLE SOFTBALL LEAGUE is underway with a ten-game season. The Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center defeated Temple Ner Tamed, 20-16 and 19-9, to sweep a doubleheader played at the Oval on Sunday, August 9. Shown at left, Ner Tamed pitcher Steve Goodman delivers a floater during fifth inning action. Above, Suburban Torah batter David Engelhurst, #11, drives the ball to right field for a single. Catcher Karl Bergman and home plate umpire Joe Ascenzo follow the flight of the ball. Don Schwartz Photos

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Ruth Joanne Cross (née Chatterton), age 97, of Livingston, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on Monday, August 3, 2020. She was born June 18, 1923 in Brooklyn, NY. Ruth was kind, generous, loving and cared deeply about the welfare of her family, friends and neighbors. A private graveside service was held at Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Augusta, Maine.

Ruth proudly served her country during World War II as a WAVE in the U.S. Navy. For over two decades, she worked with the North Jersey Blood Center as a phlebotomist. She was also a nurse’s aide and a certified home nurse.

Earlier in her career, she was the executive secretary to the director of the Livingston Public Library for 13 years. While at this position, Ruth was chosen to be the hospitality chairwoman for the New Jersey Library Association.

Mary Jane Mackaravitz (“Mary Mack”), 91 years old, passed away on Tuesday, August 11, 2020.

Mary was born in Pittston, Pennsylvania in 1928 and lived in Livingston, New Jersey, for almost 50 years.

She retired from the City of East Orange after 15 years as a Police Violations Officer. She was an active member of Saint Philomena Church. In her retirement, she was President of the Livingston Thursday Seniors for almost 25 years; a member of the AARP Livingston Chapter; the American Legion; the Old Guard; and the Oak Leaf Club.

Mary was predeceased by her husband, Clement, and her son, Robert. She is survived by her son, Michael; her daughter-in-law, Sharon; and her three grandchildren, Melissa, Robert Jr. and Kyle. She cherished her three greatgrandchildren, Joshua, Skyler, and Ever Leena.