Livingston news

The Livingston Board of Education’s meeting on Tuesday, July 28, focused on the district’s reopening plan, what it may consist of, and when it will be announced.

While the state is requiring districts to announce their plans four weeks before the start of school, superintendent Matthew Block said he is hoping to do so sooner, most likely at the next school Board meeting on Wednesday, August 5.

Reopening Survey

Tuesday night, preliminary results from the district’s survey about reopening that had been sent to parents and staff were released at the meeting.

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Bridgette Nevola has announced her intention to run for the open seat in the upcoming Livingston Public Schools Board of Education election this November. Below, the 22-year Livingston resident has submitted a statement upon entering the race:

The Zoning Board of Adjustment held its regular meeting online on Tuesday, July 28. During the fourplus hour meeting, the Board heard five applications. Several will continue at future meetings in August and September.

JD Fitness Application

The Board continued hearing the application by Fitness Institute, LLC and Properties 143 LLC to renovate the existing structure and construct a second floor at 203 Hillside Avenue. The building sits on a half-acre across the street from the Livingston Senior/Community Center and on the corner of Essex Court, a residential enclave. The building had previously been a medical office, a pre-existing nonconforming use.

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FOOTBALL, PHASE ONE: With pandemic-related restrictions beginning to ease, the Livingston High School football team has started practicing for the fall season. The team is engaging in a four-part phase one session, before moving into phase two. Shown above, the Lancers get into shape during an early morning practice; at left, school district nurse Paochu Tseng administers a temperature check to team member Nick Endl prior to football practice entry.

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B. Ruth Soffen (née Kerman), 105, of Livingston died on March 22. She was born and raised in Brooklyn and had also resided in Queens, Cliffside Park, North Bergen, and South Orange.

Mrs. Soffen graduated from New Utrecht High School in 1932. After working in the private sector, she attained a civilian position with the federal government in 1942.

She married Norman Soffen in 1952, and they founded Soffen Furniture Company in Union City in 1958, relocating to West New York in 1972.

Mrs. Soffen is included in a book, “We the Resilient: Wisdom for America from Women Born Before Suffrage” published in 2017. The South Orange Village President and State of New Jersey issued proclamations for her 102nd birthday, and April 17 was proclaimed B.Ruth Soffen Day in the Township of Livingston on her 104th and 105th birthdays.

PHASE ONE SOCCER PRACTICE: With pandemic restrictions easing slowly, the Livingston High School boys’ soccer team has begun practice with a four-session phase one before moving into phase two. Shown here, Zachary Feldman, Noah Fisher and Jared Fiske work the ball during a dribbling drill; below, head soccer coach Roger Rubinetti conducts a temperature check on sophomore Matthew Kaye. Don Schwartz Photos

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Ayan Bhatnagar, a Life Scout (the second highest rank) with Boy Scout Troop 12 in Livingston, is collecting donations for the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter as part of his Eagle Scout Project.

Items listed below can be dropped off at 5 Yale Court, between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., by the front door. Donations will be accepted through Thursday, August 20.

“Any donations are appreciated,” said Ayan, a rising sophomore at Livingston High School. “The shelter is a no-kill shelter and relies solely on donations.”

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Fred Yoskowitz, 86, of Wellington, Florida, died on April 18. Born in Asbury Park, he was a longtime resident of Livingston and a member of Temple Beth Shalom.

Mr. Yoskowitz was the originator of American Elgen Co. and Capital Hardware.

He is survived by his wife, Beverly; his son, Jerome Yoskowitz; his daughter, Francine Abraham; three stepchildren, Scott Steingart, Mark Steingart, and Dacie Lang; two sisters, Evelyn Grossman and Linda Kohler; a brother, Joseph Yoskowitz; and nine grandchildren.

Lillian Ostrin, a long-time Livingston resident, died peacefully at home on July 24. She was 94. Lillian was born Lillian Shulman in New York City in 1925, the daughter of immigrants. Her family moved to New Jersey when she was a toddler and she grew up in Irvington and Newark, graduating from Weequahic High School. She put herself through Rutgers University night school, intending to be a teacher upon graduation. However, she discovered it wasn’t a profession she enjoyed. She returned to school to earn a graduate degree and become a school psychologist, studying part-time when her children were young.

Weeks of very hot weather, coupled with little rain, have taken their toll. Although we received some rain earlier this week, it’s not enough to make up for months of below-average precipitation.

Although, at the moment, our wells are still producing sufficient water to meet demand, this will soon change if we don’t get some significant rainfall. Officials hope to head off this scenario by asking residents to begin voluntarily conserving water, before greater restrictions have to be formally imposed.