We had at least three spirited debates running simultaneously on redbankgreen last week. It was good to see this site being utilized in that way.
The issues included the question, posed by a reader, of whether there should be speed bumps/speed humps on Waverly Place (this debate actually carried over from the prior week); the wisdom of Red Bank having allowed a photo shoot of a staged accident to slow traffic on Broad Street for most of a day; and whether Fair Haven should pay $1.2 million for a piece of waterfront property and turn it into a small park.
In all the back and forth there were at least five or six comments that might have been spotlighted in this space, which is dedicated to calling out thoughtful and civil commentary. So a big thanks is in order to all those readers who contributed in that vein.
The comment below stands out, we thought, for the sense of history and emotion it evoked.
It’s by a reader who identified herself only as ‘Kate,’ and it appeared under our most recent article about the proposed Fair Haven property purchase (which is up for a vote at tonight’s borough council meeting). It opens with a reference to the last resident of the home on the site; we assume Kate has her facts right about Mrs. Robards’ ancestry but have not verified them:
Winnie Robards was half American Indian. Like her ancestors, she felt she did not OWN the river just because she lived on it.
She shared the gift of nature with anyone who wanted to take off their shoes and step into it. She waved at us when we walked over after Sickles School to look for shells as kids, chatted with us as teenagers and never told us to get off her private property, like the rest of the waterfront owners do.
We hope the Council members think of who really owns the river and use the county funds to acquire this meaningful property for present and future residents.
If you see a comment you think is worthy, feel free to call it out in a comment of your own, or give redbankgreen a nudge.
