West Essex Tribune

Harold “Jack” Klarman, 92, of Longwood, Florida, formerly of Livingston, passed away December 19, 2018.

Jack was born August 18, 1926 in the Bronx, graduated from Morris High School, and was an Army veteran who served in World War II. He moved with his wife, Jackie, and his daughters in 1956 to Livingston, where he lived until 1996, when he moved to Longwood.

Jack was the founder and owner of J. Klarman Electrical Contractors for 50 years, serving Livingston and surrounding towns before he retired in 1996.

He continued to visit Livingston every summer where he had many friends and family members. Jack enjoyed traveling, swimming, line dancing, and tai chi, but most of all he enjoyed being with family, friends and neighbors.

The Livingston High School swim team competed in the Super Essex Conference (SEC) Championships, held at the New Jersey Institute of Technology on Monday, January 21. The boys’team finished in fourth place, with the girls finishing in eighth place. Two Lady Lancers, Isabella Chen and Alessia DiBlasi, won first place medals in their events.

For the boys, Brandon Kim finished in third place in both the 50 meter freestyle and the 100 meter freestyle, and he was a part of the 200 meter medley relay and the 400 meter freestyle relay, which also finished in third place. Dylan Belluardo, who was also a part of those relays, finished in third place in the 100 meter butterfly. Also contributing in the relays were Aaron Teng; Ben Ma in the medley; and Andrew Li and Ken Lok in the 400 meter freestyle relay.

Over the past two months, there has been much discussion throughout town about a swastika that appeared on a student desk at Heritage Middle School.

The symbol was discovered in late November, and upon learning of it from a concerned community member and a parent, an article about the matter was published in the Tribune in late December. A single Letter to the Editor, written by Claudia and Brandon Minde in response to that article, followed a month later (though it was referred to as “another letter” when discussed at Monday’s Board of Education meeting). The letter noted the rise in bias-motivated incidents in northern New Jersey, and detailed the importance of students learning how to handle acts of bigotry that they may encounter later in life, by addressing it in school now.

Opinion

Monday night’s Township Council meeting was well-attended for several reasons, mostly due to the influx of first responders on hand to honor Livingston’s living legend, Charlie Schilling. Others, however, were there to find out who would be named our next Council member among Scott Goldman, Laurie Kahn, and Michael Vieira. Unfortunately, they left with no answers.

In a statement to the Tribune on Tuesday, the Council said they have chosen to send the decision back to the Livingston Democratic Committee, where 52 township residents will vote on the selection.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

The Livingston High School girls’ varsity basketball team defeated Science Park, 45-25, and CedarGrove, 34-26, to improve its record to 12 wins against two losses. The Lancers lead the Independence Division of the Super Essex Conference with a 9-0 record. Shown here, Lancer guard Sara Cullen, #3, jumps to score against the Panthers of Cedar Grove. The Lancers won the battle for first place, 34-26.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

Sergeant Mike Safris, Chief of the Essex County sheriff’s office deputy division, Sergeant Deborah Shumaker, Sergeant Andrew Ullman, and Officer Kevin Mullaney ate falafel at Jerusalem Restaurant earlier this month to commemorate David “Dugo” Leitner and the death march he survived on January 18, 1945 in Auschwitz-Birkenau. The officers learned of his story while visiting “The Testimony House” in Israel while participating in the 2017 Police Unity Tour. Leitner eats falafel every January 18 to celebrate his survival, and others join him in solidarity as part of the “Operation Dugo” movement.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

As one last “thank you” for his decades of service to the community, former Livingston Fire Chief Charlie Schilling was honored by the Township Council prior to his retirement at the end of January.

“I play baseball on your street with my kids,” mayor Al Anthony said, referencing Meadowbrook Road’s honorary name of Schilling’s Way. “You served your town well, your served your country well.”

Dozens of members of the Livingston Fire Department and Livingston FirstAid Squad, along with family and friends, were also on hand to laud the almost 98-year-old man of the hour.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

At the January 28 Board of Educationmeeting,interimsuperintendentof schools James O’Neill said he would “address something that I would not have addressed [about an article in the news] some weeks ago.”

O’Neill was referring to a letter to the editor in last week’s edition of the Tribune, which was a response to a December 27 article about a swastika symbol found drawn on a classroom desk at Heritage Middle School. The district confirmed that the symbol had been found on November 29. The letter, published in the January 24 edition, was submitted by Claudia and Brandon Minde.

“I was really disturbed,” O’Neill said.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

While some in attendance at the Monday, January 28, Township Council meeting were hoping to hear who the Council had selected to fill Michael Silverman’s vacant seat, they will have to wait a little longer.

After meeting in a closed session prior to the start of the open meetings, the Council did not reach a decision on who among Scott Goldman, Laurie Kahn, and Michael Vieira will be named the next Council member. Later, in the open meeting, no Council member made a request for a proposed resolution, nor did any council member ask the mayor for a motion to nominate one of the candidates.

The Council has instead decided to throw the vote back to the Livingston Democratic Committee, which selected the three nominees earlier this month.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

Livingston volunteer firefighters did not have to go far – just across the street – to extinguish a fire behind the strip mall at 45 South Livingston Avenue. Firefighters responded to a report of cardboard in a recycling bin on fire, and arrived to find the fencedin area completely engulfed in flames. The fire was promptly extinguished, with no injuries reported.

The Fire Department responded to two other reports of possible fires. On Tuesday, January 22, a passing motorist reported flames coming from the chimney of a home at 257 North Livingston Avenue. There was no house fire, however; fire officials checked the house and discovered the homeowner was using the fireplace.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/