Scarlett Maya Waldner, reported at press time to be Livingston’s first baby of 2025, has been named the winner of the West Essex Tribune’s annual First Baby Contest. The little girl was bom on January 4, 2025, at 3:26 a.m., at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center.
Her parents are Brenda and Brandon Waldner of Binghampton Lane. The mother is a speech therapist, and the father works in finance.
Scarlett joins her parents andher older sibling, Preslie, who is almost two years old.
“We are so excited to build our damily and that Preslie has a best friend to grow up with,” said Brendon Waldner.
The Tribune has welcomed Livingston’s first baby of the year by holding the First Baby Contest for over six decades. The very first winner was Jeffrey Frank Thornton, who was bom January 1, 1957 to Dr. and Mrs. William A. Thornton of Walnut Street.
Jocelyn Rebecca Brandes, bom through surrogacy to Karen and Ross Brandes on January 1,2024, was last year’s First Baby Contest winner.
The rules to determine the winner are the same each year: The first baby of2025 must be born to parents who currently reside in Livingston. The exact time of the birth must be certified in writing by the attending physician.
Sometimes the winner is bom just a fewminutes after midnight; in other years, days and even weeks have passed before a first baby was bom.
The gifts that Livingston’s first baby of 2025 will receive include: Assado Portuguese Steakhouse, a $50 gift certificate; Broadway Elite Limousine, a $ 100 gift certificate toward transportation services; Capisce Trattoria, located in Morris Plains, a $50 gift certificate; Allan Feid Jr., LLC, a $500 gift card; George Press Jewelers, a $50 gift certificate; Golestani Dental Group, a $100 gift card; Dr. Bernard D. Gorkowitz, orthodontist, a $50 Amazon gift card; Hauptman and Hauptman, PC, $500 discount on estate and long term care planning fee; Jim Johnston’s Steak House, dinner for new parents (maximum value $75); Just A Dream, a $100 gift certificate; The Kiwanis Club of Livingston, a $ 100 check; Landmark/Pizzeta, a $100 gift card; Lithos Estiatorio, a $125 gift certificate; Livingston Circle Car Wash, a $39 gift certificate for a full service car wash with interior citrus cleaning; Livingston Family Eyecare, a $50 gift certificate to Meyer’s Toys-Dolls-Hobbies; Love Letters, a $50 gift certificate; Joseph Magotch, D.D.S., a $50 gift card and a tooth bank; Master Pizza, a $50 gift card; Nero’s Grille, a $100 gift certificate; Northfield Pharmacy, a $35 gift certificate; Regal Bank, a $100 gift card to Just A Dream; The Ritz Diner, a $50 gift certificate; The Rotary Club of Livingston, a $100 gift card; Donna Semplenski, Weichert Realtors, a $50 ShopRite gift card; and the West Essex Tribune, a free one-year subscription..
Bialik highlighted that the LHS boys’ basketball team recently had a game in honor of O’Malley. “I would like to call attention to the meal train program, started by Sarah Weinstein. Through this program, members of our community can sign up to provide a meal to the O’Malley family during this very difficult time,” Bialik said. “I speak on behalf of all the Lancers when I say that our thoughts and prayers are with the O’Malley family as they mourn and we hope to help htem in any way they can. In this difficult time, I hope we can find courage in our grief and celebrate the remarkable life of Emily O’Malley and the ways in which she impacted our amazing community.”
The Board will next meet on Tuesday, January 28.
