News

In its first challenge of the indoor season, the Livingston High School boys’ indoor track and field team won the Super Essex Conference, American Division Championship, at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, New York, on December 22. The squad bested ten other teams vying for the trophy and came away with three individual champions, meet records and two school records.

Starting off for the Lancers were Raalu Madubuko and Nick Siao in the 55 meter high hurdles. Madubuko ran a clean race and placed second overall with a competitive time of 7.96. Siao was fifth with a time of 8.24. Siao later placed third in the pole vault, clearing the bar at 10’6”.

SWORN IN AS PRESIDENT OF OLD GUARD: Barry Schram was congratulated by township manager Barry Lewis after recently being sworn in as the new president of the Livingston Old Guard. Looking on is secretary of the Old Guard, Angelo DeGirolamo, and Council member and Old Guard member Michael Vieira

The Township of Livingston’s Christmas Tree Collection and Recycling program will begin on January 2 and end on January 31.

Residents can leave their undecorated live-cut Christmas trees at the curb, as they would for regular recycling. The trees will be collected Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Christmas tree collection program saves the cost of garbage disposal, since the Township is charged by weight to remove bulk items.

The Department of Public Works provides an additional environmentally friendly aspect to the collection program. DPW employees chip the trees into mulch, which is made available to residents for pickup at no cost. The mulch created from the trees can be used in flower beds and garden borders. The DPW collected and recycled nearly 2,000 Christmas trees last year.

Go to livingstonnj.org/Recycling for more information about this program.

After doing laundry after dinner last Tuesday, December 19, Emily (Bellovin) O’Neill decided she wanted to eat some more. Back in the kitchen, she took a spoonful of cold rice from a container - and it got stuck in her throat.

“I decided to drink a lot of water, which I think most people would do,” she said. “I don’t know if it made the rice expand or get gooey and sticky. But the water couldnot go down, and the rice was certainly lodged. I could not breathe, and I could not speak. I was spitting up the water because it had nowhere to go.”

Trying to look for her phone, Emily opened the front door. “I stood there, waving my arms, hoping someone would see, but it was dark. I needed someone to call 9-1 -1,” she recounted. She began to panic. “I was

The West Essex Tribune is celebrating more than six decades of showering the first baby of the new year with an assortment of gifts generously donated by our advertisers. The first baby of 2024 born to Livingstonparents will be named the winner of the Tribune’s 66th annual First Baby Contest.

The rules to determine the winner are the same each year: The first baby of2024 must be bom in a nearby hospital to parents who currently reside in Livingston. The exact time of the birth must be certified in writing by the attending physician.

Entries must be received in the West Essex Tribune office by noon on Tuesday, January 2. The winner will be announced in the January 4 edition of the newspaper.

The Tribune office will be closed on New Year’s Day; however, entries may be emailed to WETribune@gmail.com.

The Livingston Fire Department (LFD) presented a donation to the Burn Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center last week, at the Camuso Holiday Display. The funds were collected during the LFD’s Annual Fire Prevention Week open house. Kathe Conlon, director of community outreach of the Burn Foundation and liaison to the Camuso Committee, accepted the check next to the Fire Department’s antique 1954 Mack Engine, known as “Sweet Pea.” Shown here are LFD members Jim Kedrie, Tom Cooney, Ryan Cooney, and director Conlon. 

Livingston Police were busy this week, responding to two incidents of shoplifting at Nordstrom Rack; two burglaries into vehicles; a residential burglary and an attempted residential burglary; and a stolen vehicle.

Winchester Road Burglary

On Sunday, December 24, at 2:31 a.m., Livingston officers responded to a Winchester Road residence on a report of a burglary. The homeowners told the officers they returned home after being out for several hours and found the home had been burglarized. Entry had been made through a rear window, and the house had been ransacked. At press time, the homeowners are compiling a list of the items that were stolen. The Livingston Detective Bureau is investigating.

Attempted Burglary

Livingston Boy Scout Troop 12 member Maxwell Miller has recently earned the honor of Eagle Scout, which is the highest rank that the Boys Scouts of America offers. He celebrated his Eagle Court of Honor on Saturday, December 16. He is the son of Peter and Kelley Miller of Livingston.

He began his journey to Eagle as a Pack 16 Bear Scout in 2014. After completing the Boy Scout ranks, Miller was awarded the Arrow of Light and bridged over to Troop 12 in 2017. When he earned his first class rank, Miller became a troop guide; which he actively remains today.

Miller was trained at the Junior Leader Training Course at Camp NoBeBoSco, and has earned a total of 22 merit badges.

The Livingston Township Council held its final regular meeting of the year on Monday, December 18. To start the meeting, each Council member thanked their respective spouses for helping them to serve in their positions.

“We couldn ’t do what we do for the community (without our spouses),” Mayor Michael Vieria said, “and this is our way of saying ‘thank you.’” Each spouse was given flowers and a gift card to their favorite restaurant.

Livingston Fire Department president Tom Cooney also addressed the Council. He has been working on creating a book documenting the history of the Department, and while digging through ledger books, he found the original 1938 rendering of Monument Park at the Oval. At the meeting, he gifted the Council the framed document, to be hung in Town Hall.

THANKING THEIR TEACHERS: Livingston High School’s National Merit Semifinalists presented books to their favorite teachers during the Tuesday, December 12, Board of Education meeting. Shown here are LHS student Samuel Liang and biology teacher Paul Raiz. Liang gave Raiz a copy of “When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi.