Skip to content

A town square for an unsquare town

redbankgreen

Standing for the vitality of Red Bank, its community, and the fun we have together.

RED BANK: GOP CALLS FOR TELE-DEBATE

election_2014_wdebates-7685080rb-candidates-102814-3-500x375-4324344Republicans Linda Schwabenbauer and Sean Di Somma had a full-house audience at River Street Commons to themselves Tuesday night. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

The two Red Bank council candidates challenged the Democratic incumbents to a debate Wednesday, one day after a meet-the-candidates event at which the Dems were no-shows.

GOP contender Sean Di Somma called the absence of Juanita Lewis and Ed Zipprich “sad and shameful,” adding that they’d “pulled a fast one on Red Bank residents” by canceling at the last minute.

Zipprich told redbankgreen earlier on Tuesday that he was attending to a family medical issue, and Lewis told the Westside Community Group that she couldn’t make their Tuesday event because she was “pulled away on business,” said event moderator Amy Goldsmith.

The morning after the event, which drew a packed house at the River Street Commons, Di Somma and Schwabenbauer issued a joint statement challenging their opponents to a “tele-town hall” debate.

The format “would enable residents of Red Bank to receive a phone call asking them if they would like to participate,” Di Somma said. “They would also be able to ask questions of the candidates via telephone. The call would be broadcast to every phone number in the borough,” and the GOP would pick up the associated costs, according to the offer.

Lewis and Zipprich did not immediately respond to an emailed request by redbankgreen for comment.

Local Republicans claim the Dems are ducking them to avoid giving the challengers any momentum going into next week’s election. The most recent scheduled council meeting, on October 22, was canceled due to a lack of a quorum. The council’s lone Republican, Cindy Burnham, said she suspects the inability to muster enough Dems had to do with her announced plans to publicize findings from her year-long study into water and sewer rates.

In the week since, Republicans have seized on Lewis’ attendance record. GOP loyalist Sue Viscomi said her research shows that three times since 2009, the Democrats have failed to muster a quorum for the last meeting prior to the election, and that Lewis has never attended the last council meeting before an election. Lewis is also known to arrive late for meetings and frequently participates by phone link, she said.

During Tuesday night’s event, Di Somma alluded repeatedly to Zipprich’s and Lewis’ absence. At one point, he concluded an answer to a resident’s question by saying he didn’t know Lewis’ position on a matter, “but maybe if you go to the next 12 council meetings, you’ll catch her at one.”

In Wednesday’s statement, Di Somma said that while Zipprich and Lewis couldn’t make it to candidates’ night, “they are out knocking on doors every other evening. If they have time to organize phone banks and knock on doors, they should be able to find time to debate.”

Regarding his offer of a telephonic debate, he said, “particularly for Juanita, who dials in to Council meetings instead of actually attending, this should be in her comfort zone.”

Schwabenbauer took a softer approach.

“I regret their absence last night,” she said in the statement. “It was not the open discussion that the residents who attended expected or deserved. I am hopeful that those who attended and got to know Sean and me a little better found that useful, but their time would likely have been better spent hearing contrasting views that could better inform their voting decisions.”

 

Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
Partyline
RED TRUCKS AT RED ROCK
A small dishwasher fire at Red Rock Tap and Grill was put out quickly by firefighters overnight, causing minimal damage. Red Bank Fire Depar ...
CREATIVE COVER UP
The windows of Pearl Street Consignment on Monmouth Street were smashed when a driver crashed their car through them injuring an employee la ...
THEY’RE BACK!
Ospreys returned to the skies over Red Bank this week for the first time since they migrated to warmer climes in late fall. With temperature ...
SPRING IS SPRUNG
RED BANK: Spring 2024 arrives on the Greater Red Bank Green with the vernal equinox at 11:06 p.m. Tuesday.
RED BANK’S FINEST – AND NEWEST
Red Bank Police Officer Eliot Ramos was sworn in as the force’s newest patrolman Thursday, and if you’re doing a double take thinkin ...
EASTER EGG MAYHEM AT THE PARK
An errant whistle spurred an unexpectedly early start to the Spring Egg Hunt on Sunday, which had been scheduled to begin at eggsactly 11am ...
PRESEASON DOCKWORK
RED BANK: With winter winding down, marina gets ready for boating season with some dockwork on our beautiful Navesink River.
CORNED BEEF AND DISCO FRIES?
It’s Friday, and smart Lent-observing Leprechauns know the pot of gold at the end of Red Bank’s rainbow is actually the deliciou ...
SURFBOARD DITCHED
It’s a violation of etiquette in surfing to ditch your board.  (it could hit another surfer and hurt them). But someone appears to ha ...
ELSIE, TAKE ME WITH YOU!
Soaked by pouring rain with the temperature hovering in the low 40’s, this sign in the window of Elsie’s Subs on Monmouth Street ...
WALK THIS WAY
PARTYLINE: Before-and-afters of a sidewalk cleanup on West Street.
SOGGY NOTION
RED BANK: Breezeway sculpture captured the mood downtown as heavy rains fell Saturday morning.
HOME DELIVERY
RED BANK: After a subdivision, an instant house rises on a new Catherine Street lot.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
For Black History Month, Red Bank's Community Engagement and Equity Advisory Committee has been running a series of local profiles on Facebo ...
HEARTY FAREWELL FOR HARDY
RED BANK: Council to honor DPU supervisor Rich Hardy, who retired recently after almost 39 years of keeping things running.
HOMEBOUND? READ ON…
RED BANK: Can't get to the public library? It's now offering free delivery and pickups for homebound borough residents.
TAMING A BEAST OF A WEEK
RED BANK: After the second snowfall of the week, a borough family finds the perfect use for it – a Godzilla snow sculpture.
RED BANK: LIBRARY CLOSED, BUT THE HILL’S OPEN
RED BANK: Though the library was closed by a snowstorm, kids got to enjoy the riverfront property's steep slope Tuesday.
LIGHT(HOUSE) MAKEOVER
This year, getting ready for spring means a midwinter makeover for Strollo's Lighthouse in Red Bank.
TODAY: LOCAL PUPPY COMPETES ON ANIMAL PLANET’S “PUPPY BOWL”
Red Bank’s very own rescue puppy, Biscuit, is set to compete in Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl this Sunday, February 11, at 2 PM. Th ...