Livingston Tribune

Helen L. Kessler of Verona, formerly of Livingston, died on July 19. She was 93 years old.

Mrs. Kessler, the daughter of Leo and Goldie Berman, was born and raised in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. She graduated from Samuel J. Tilden High School and from secretarial school.

Predeceased by her husband of 66 years, Jack Kessler, and by her sister, Marian, Mrs. Kessler is survived by her children, Andrew (Jane), Marty (Barbara), and Ginny (Jeffrey); seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

A private funeral was held on Tuesday, July 21,

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the March of Dimes (marchofdimes.org), Girls, Inc. (girlsinc.org), or Temple B’nai Abraham (tbanj.org/donate-templefimds/).

Scrap newspaper, magazines, and other paper for recycling should be placed at the curb for pickup in brown paper bags, tied with string, or in a returnable rigid container such as a plastic crate or box, but never in plastic bags.

The Yankees defeated the Red Sox in the 11 year old division of the Livingston Little League. Shown here, clockwise from top left: Red Sox pitcher Ryan Ferdinand brings it to the plate against the Yankees; Yankee winning pitcher Evan Herman readies to deliver a fastball against the Red Sox on the Lou Krutoy Field diamond, while umpire Tom Gangi focuses on the pitch to make the call; and Yankee catcher Zach Zaslow holds the fastball thrown into the set target as Red Sox batter Isaac Rubinstein makes a big swing at the ball. Don Schwartz Photos

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Although the exact logistics of academics and sports for the coming school year are still in question, the Livingston High School football team has begun practice for the 2020 season. Shown here, clockwise from top left: leading the 2020 team will be senior captains Tom Gangi, Anthony Barbella, and Connor Wood, shown here, along with Sam Danchak and Chris Zeppieri; Lancer linemen work on set position and first step release during a recent practice; head football coach Bob Breschard disinfects the practice equipment prior to use on the turf; David Cotugno sets to pass during the quarterback accuracy drill. Don Schwartz Photos

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Fred E. Widmann, recently of Livingston, died on Tuesday, July 28. He was 97 years old.

Born in Irvington, Mr. Widmann graduated from Hillside High School in 1939. He moved to Chatham Township in 1970 and, in 2013, to Care One Assisted Living in Livingston.

After serving in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, Mr. Widmann worked for Western Electric and then for NJ Bell Telephone for 38 years, retiring in 1984. He was a long-time member of the Telephone Pioneers ofAmerica and active in the amateur radio community.

He was predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Jeanne, in 2017, and by his brother, Elmer, in 2009. He is survived by his six children: Wayne (Cheryl) of Jackson, Michigan; Tom of Bradenton, Florida; Nancy Duffy of Basking Ridge; Roy of Garfield, Arkansas; Carolyn Greendonner of Bradenton, Florida; and Heidi (Chris) of Summit; five grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.

John Patrick Soley, 88, of Livingston, died at home on Sunday, August 2.

Born in Orange, Mr. Soley had resided in Livingston with his wife, Dorothy, for the past 60 years.

He worked for many years as a salesman for Cleveland Cotton Products (CCP) before his retirement.

Mr. Soley was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and a coach for youth sports teams, including coaching basketball for Mount Saint Dominic’s Academy and various CYO (Christian Youth Organization) teams, and Livingston Little League, and Babe Ruth League baseball teams.

He was active in many civic organizations, including the Livingston Old Guard, St. Philomena’s Church, and the Our Lady of the Valley Alumni Association.

As a community, Livingston generally agrees on most issues. We all tend to unite around the common good, and when we disagree, typically, we respect the fact that we are all trying to make the decisions we feel are best for the whole. Yet, if there is one issue where factions of our community feel genuinely opposed to one another, it is what to do with our schools. Do we send our children and faculty back in to schools during a COVID-19 pandemic when the virus is known to spread significantly easier indoors? Or do we keep everyone at home, continuing a remote learning plan that, at best, had its share of pros and cons? There are no easy answers, and opinions on how to proceed run the gamut.

Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. has announced a new partnership with Bimbo Bakeries, headquartered in Wayne. “Generous Livingston residents have kept the donations flowing, so I have kept the food purchases flowing,” said Jeff Friedman, founder and director of the Livingston-based charity. “Now, I’m pleased to announce a partnership with Bimbo Bakeries in Wayne. This is huge development for LPI, our Newark distribution partners, and most importantly, disenfranchised populations.”

To the Editor:
Neglect of Public Safety
Dear Editor:
As the father of two young children who enjoy going for walks, I have struggled navigating the sidewalks in town since I moved back in 2018. Frequently, I am forced to push my children’s stroller in the street with oncoming traffic. At first, I thought the town would issue citations and have the problems fixed. I was wrong. I have learned over the last two years that sidewalk ordinances are systematically not enforced; I was even told so by the former code enforcement official.
The Council is fully aware of the situation; their lack of action put our families in this dangerous situation. I have brought the issue up to our town manager and Council, but most members (excluding Michael Vieira, who is very responsive and in favor of sidewalk reform) have chosen to ignore our residents’ safety and have failed to properly address the situation.

During a relatively quiet week in which most of its calls were false alarms, Livingston Fire Department volunteers responded to two incidents of downed wires, investigated a burning odor, and freed a man trapped in an elevator.

On Wednesday, July 22, fi re-officials went to 44 South Ashby Avenue, where a large tree had fallen into the roadway, blocking Hillside Terrace and getting stuck in telecommunication wires. Firefighters secured the scene while Department of Public Works personnel removed the tree.

On Monday, July 27, fi refi ghters were asked by Livingston police to check a downed street light in the parking lot of the Bank of America at 554 South Livingston Avenue. The firefighters found the wires were still live, and Public Service Electric and Gas was notifi ed. Firefi ghters secured the scene until PSE&G could cut power to the light.

As of Tuesday afternoon, July 28, the Essex County health department has reported that a total of 511 Livingston residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since the first case was recorded in mid-March. 68 of those residents have died as a result of the virus.

Compared to the same time last week, that is 10 more cases, and no additional deaths. While this marks the highest weekly surge in several weeks, numbers have moved up and down, around 500 cases and the high 60s for deaths, as individuals have been recategorized into their hometowns. The outbreak in Livingston has, generally, leveled off and been relatively flat for the past few weeks. However, cases appear to be slowly rising, which is consistent with the statewide trends.