Livingston Tribune

Livingston won the Essex County championship at the 2024 Essex County Mock Trial tournament, held over six weeks in January and February. The team will advance to the regional tournament to be held in New Brunswick at the end of February.

The Essex County tournament is sponsored by the Essex County Bar Association and the Essex Vicinage (part of the New Jersey state court system) and consists of 22 teams from public and private high schools in the county. Teams from Millbum, Montclair, West Orange, and other schools participated this year.

Livingston prevailed over Verona in the final round of the tournament at a trial presided over by New Jersey Supreme Court justices Ann Patterson and Michael Noreiga. Patterson has served on the New Jersey Supreme Court since 2011 and was previously the Deputy Attorney General for the State of New Jersey. Noreiga was appointed in 2023 by Governor Phil Murphy and is the first former public defender to serve on the Court.

LIVINGSTON WRESTLERS IN DISTRICT 10 TOURNAMENT: The Livingston High School wrestling team competed at the NJSIAA District 10 tournament on Saturday, February 17, in Nutley. Three wrestlers placed in the tournament earning the opportunity to advance to the Region tournament this Friday and Saturday in West Orange. The three wrestlers will need to place in the top four at their respective weight classes, to advance on to the NJSIAA State Tournament in Atlantic City from February 29 through March 1 at Boardwalk Hall. Shown here, are Joseph Jean Marie, who placed first in the 165 pound weight class; Alexander Diorio, who also placed first in his weight class at 157 pounds; and Chris Taddeo, who placed third at 138 pounds. 

The Livingston School district will open schools for a single session day on Friday, April 5, said superintendent of schools Matthew Block, in a letter sent last Thursday to the LPS community.

Due to a calculation error, this year’s Livingston Public School calendar only built in one, rather than two snow days, Block explained. With two snow days already used, the district will have to make up the one day of school to meet the State-required 180 days of school for students.

When all snow days are used, the calendar, which was approved two years ago, states that the district will begin adding days beginning with the Friday of spring break, and work backward through the spring break week as needed.

April 5 will be an early dismissal day, said Block. He acknowledged that many families have plans for the spring break, and that there will likely be an elevated absence rate that day of both students and staff.

Peter William Berenbak of Livingston died of complications from Parkinson’s Disease on January 22 in Livingston. He was a few months shy of his 80th birthday.

Before retiring from Lexis Nexis Martindale-Hubble in 2015, he spent almost 20 years as a law firm marketing specialist. Prior to working with legal publications, he worked as a teacher as well as having a long career in media. He served in multiple roles for various radio and newspaper companies, most notably the Daily Record in Morristown. He worked as a reporter, sales executive, and contributing writer. It was there that he met his wife, Susan, to whom he was married for nearly 50 years.

Born in Brooklyn in 1944, Mr, Berenbak settled in New Jersey, graduating from Bayley Ellard High School and receiving a bachelor’s degree from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.

Sanford Muni Holover, 88, of Livingston, died on Wednesday, February 14.

Mr. Holover was born in Newark. He was a part of the Military Police for the US Army and then was an auctioneer and appraiser for the Aaltens Gallery in South Orange. He is a past member of Temple Beth Shalom in Livingston.

He was the husband of Nina for over 60 years. He fathered three children, Erick, Ian, and Dr. Spencer Holover, and grandfather of two.

A funeral service was held on Thursday, February 15, at Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel in Livingston. Burial followed at Mount Lebanon Cemetery in Iselin.

While we are on the topic of applying to be a first responder in town, let us also give a shout out to the Livingston Fire Department (LFD) and the First Aid Squad (LFAS), both of which are volunteer organizations looking for new members.

Residents can go to livingstonfire.org to learn more about what it takes to join the LFD, which needs additional members in the next few years in order to remain a volunteer organization. A contact page is listed on the website for those with questions about what it takes to join the department.

For the First Aid Squad, any resident is able to join; in fact, LFAS will provide the training in first aid skills such as CPR. A brief questionnaire, available at lfas.org, is the first step in the process of joining the squad.

With several retirements so far this year, and more to come, the Livingston Police Department is currently accepting applications for entry-level police officer positions.

Three long-serving Livingston Police officers, Captain John Drumm, Sergeant Michael Herbert, and Officer Ralph Kolbusz, all retired from the department last month. Three more, including Captain Tom Smith, are expected to leave the department by May, as well.

LANCERS FALL TO HORNETS: The Livingston High School Lancers girls varsity basketball team travelled to Morris County to play the Hanover Park Hornets on President’s Day, Monday, February 19. The Hornets defeated the Lancers, 38-26, in the county border match up. Livingston was led by Lyla Feldman’s 11 points and Jordan Fersko’s 6 rebounds. Shown here, clockwise from top left: Lancer guard Jordan Fersko, #23, beats the Hanover Park defender to score; Lancer forward Aubrey Cohen, #3, scores despite being triple teamed by the Hornets; and Lancer forward Mia Viola, #11, sets to pass to a cutting teammate against the Hornets.

VARSITY BOYS’ BASKETBALL FALLS TO RAIDERS: The Livingston High School Lancers were defeated by the Scotch Plains Raiders, 56-44, on Thursday, February 15, in the Auxiliary Gym. Livingston guard Zach Smith scored 17 points and Lancer center Ryan Sayle pulled down five rebounds. The Lancer record stands at 13-13. Above, Livingston center Ryan Sayle drives the baseline against the Raiders. At left, Lancer guard Zach Smith scores on a sideline jumper against the Raiders.

Marianna Sarkis Bentley died on January 28, at 48 years old.

Mrs. Bentley was bomonFebruary 16,1975, inBrooklyn,New York, to Eshmail and Lucy Sarkis. She grew up in Staten Island with her younger siblings. She attended Columbia University, graduating with a degree in English in 1997. She continued her education at Brooklyn Law School, from which she graduated in 2002.

After graduation, she served as a securities attorney at Hogan and Hartson (now Hogan Lovells) and later at Bloomberg Law, where she was the author of many significant articles on U.S. security regulations.

In February 2006, she married James Bentley. Together, they welcomed their two daughters, Caroline in 2008, and Jacqueline in 2010. She left her career to stay home and raise her daughters.