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.

FOREST ALONE IN K-8 DISTRICT RACE

Img_8584

Ben Forest has an excellent chance of keeping his seat on the Red Bank Board of Education in tomorrow’s election: he’s the only candidate on the ballot.

Unfortunately for the board, there are three open seats; two other members have retired, saying they were too busy to serve again. Unless the positions are filled by write-in candidates, board president Janet Jones will appoint replacements.

Although he doesn’t seem to need a platform, Forest generously obliged us with one anyway: “Great schools run efficiently.”

Forest’s recent claim to fame is a proposal to offer Chinese language instruction in the schools, an idea that generated some heat when it emerged recently. He says it makes sense for the K-8 district to provide alternatives to Spanish because so many of the students already speak Spanish fluently. Besides, Chinese is “a difficult language, but if they start young, it’s easier,” he says.

A 44-year-old computer consultant and former journalist, Forest lives on Locust Avenue with his wife, environmental activist and Westside Community Board President Amy Goldsmith. They have two children in the public schools — Kara, 7 and Zach, 9.

Forest says he understands why people would not be clamoring for the board slots. They’re unpaid and come with no medical benefits, unlike the borough council positions. But it’s important work, he believes. “It’s not as prestigious as being on the council, but our budget actually handles more money than the council’s,” he says.

Speaking of which, voters will also be asked Tuesday to approve a local schools tax levy of $11.3 million, up $271,745 from the 2006-2007 school year, or 1 cent per $100 of assessed property valuation.

For the owner of an average home in Red Bank, valued at $404,980, the annual local school tax increase would be $40.50.

Also on the ballot is the budget for the Red Bank Regional High School, which proposes raising $16.6 million from property owners in the sending districts of Red Bank, Little Silver and Shrewsbury.

For the owner of a Red Bank home assessed at the average, taxes for the regional district would increase $6.94 for the year. In Little Silver, the owner of the average home assessed at $498,300 would pay a $50.45 annual increase. Shrewsbury homeowners assessed at the average $388,000 would see an increase of $115.

Three of Red Bank’s allotment of five seats on the board are up for election, with three incumbents running: Board president Leslie Taylor, of Prospect Avenue; Emily Doherty of South Street, and Ronald Horton of Chapin Road.

Frank Neary Jr. of Birch Drive in Shrewsbury is running to fill a one-year unexpired term allotted to that borough.

—By LINDA G. RASTELLI

Email this story

Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
redbankgreen Classics
Partyline
REAL BRICKS!
Pardon our nerdiness, but we were excited to see the facade of the long-vacant building at 42 Monmouth being renovated with a facade that ap ...
NAVESINK SUNRISE
Sunrise colors Sunday over the Navesink. Shot from Maple Cove. (photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)
PET OWNER TO RED BANK: SCREW YOU
(photo and text by Partyline contributor Anna Cruz; headline by redbankgreen) Remember to scoop the poop!  
A HAIR DRYER IN A TREE?
(Photo and text by Partyline contributor Nicole Taetsch) If someone is missing a red hair dryer, it’s hanging from a tree on Oakland S ...
FROM DEEP LEFT FIELD..
(Photo and words by Partyline contributor Peter Cavalier) Shapes, Angles, and Colors: an Artist’s Canvas Where: A frigid Saturday morn ...
SUNSET ICE BOATING
Sunset ice boating Saturday. (photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)
ICY NAVESINK BLISS
Ice boating is back, baby! (Photo by partyline contributor Boris Kofman)
TEACHERS GET COUNCIL KUDOS
The Mayor and Borough Council honored five teachers from the Red Bank Borough Schools who were selected for the Governor’s Educator of the ...
RED BANK LIBRARY HEAD BIDS ADIEU
Eleni Glykis in her last day on the job in Red Bank Thursday (photo by Brian Donohue) redbankgreen stopped in the Red Bank Public Library to ...
TO TOWER HILL!
Parents and kids flocked to Tower Hill on Monday morning, taking advantage of the federal holiday and perfectly timed Sunday snowfall.
BROAD STREET IN WHITE
Taken during the snowstorm Sunday. (Photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)
Stunning Sunrise at Marine Park
Sunday’s sunrise from Marine Park. (photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)  
WALL STREET CLOSED FOR LEAK
Wall Street in Red Bank closed for water leak.
INDOOR SOCCER KICKS OFF
Pre-k and kindergarten aged kids were at Red Bank Middle School bright and early Sunday, participating in the indoor soccer program hosted b ...
SUNSET OVER FROZEN NAVESINK RIVER
Sunset colors Saturday evening over the ice shot from  Shrewsbury Ave. (Photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)  
ICY VIEW FROM TRAIN WINDOW
View of the partially frozen Navesink River Saturday afternoon from NJCL Train #7244. (Photo by Partyline contributor Karly Swaim)
RBR BEATS RBC IN BOYS HOOPS RIVALRY
 Red Bank Regional's boys basketball came out with the win at home against their crosstown rivals Red Bank Catholic on Tuesday in Little Si ...
FRIGID DINNER FOR WATER LINE WORKERS
Work continued into the late night hours on Bank Street Tuesday night as a crew replaced several water lines to homes under the town wide le ...
SNOWY THREE KINGS DAY
The three kings in the St. Anthony of Padua Nativity scene have a dusting of snow on their crowns as well as the gold, frankincense and myrr ...
River Road Closed for Emergency Repairs
River Road was closed for emergency road work between Harrison Avenue and Lake Avenue Friday, Jan. 3.  An alert sent out by the Borough of ...