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.

THE WEEK IN REARVIEW

11-wreathA wreath was placed at Piping Rock Park in Rumson, where a plaque honors borough residents who lost their lives in the September 11, 2001 attacks. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi)

By DUSTIN RACIOPPI

It was a week that started fraught with emotion, as news broke in a national address by President Obama late Sunday night that a commando team had wiped the face of evil in the Western world, Osama bin Laden, off the earth.

For those around The Green, it was a bittersweet measure of justice, as scores of residents in our area lost their lives in the September 11, 2001 attacks masterminded by bin Laden.

It hit particularly close to Middletown, which lost 37 people in the attacks. We were out Monday morning talking to those who paid their respects at Middletown’s serene 9/11 memorial garden, near the train station.

And the week went on from there.

A pair of Sea Bright firefighters are in hot legal water for allegedly roughing up a fellow volunteer. The first court date was Thursday, which featured a dramatic video of the scuffle.

It took until the eleventh hour, but one of Middletown’s police unions struck a deal with the township to save four jobs that had been at stake. Then, at the twelfth hour, the other police union came to an agreement to save the rest of the jobs on the chopping block. There were casualties of the township’s budget crunch, though. Eleven other employees, through retirements and layoffs, are no longer on the payroll.

Speaking of M’town police, they could potentially be busy with an additional workload writing red-light tickets if the town installs traffic cameras, which seems likely, we’re told.

Fair Haven’s first day of private trash collection, estimated to save the borough between $100,000 and $200,000 over the next few years, was Monday.

Police blotters: In Red Bank, cell phones and clothes were swiped from borough eateries; a Middletown cop got hit with a weed whacker; and in Fair Haven, somebody stole $70,000 in silver bullion from a residence. Interesting, we know. Police had no further details on that one at week’s end.

Pink Alert: Photos from the Pink Week Girls Night Out celebration, and a small set of photos from Pink Week, which came to an end Saturday.

In Fair Haven, longtime educators Gene and Debbie Trotta knocked the dust off the old Masonic lodge on River Road, and now they’re running a pristine pre-k, fulfilling a vision 20 years in the making.

For theater buffs, the Two River Theater Company announced its 2011-12 lineup of shows; Tom Chesek had the details. And to close out this season, Chesek writes about the Tony-d lineup in Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.

Red Bank restaurateur George Lyristis got ink pixels twice this week. The first story focused on his purchase, along with a group of backers, of Teak. Later in the week we had a story on Lyristis and a group of restaurant owners who vow to take back the business Red Bank’s lost to Shore competitors Asbury Park and Pier Village in Long Branch with a marketing campaign.

In other Red Bank food news, we might have a cupcake war on our hands. And the Red Bank Farmers’ Market made its 2011 debut.

A hotel development plan on the north side of Red Bank got shelved at the borough’s zoning board meeting, while a proposal to open a bait and tackle shop on East Front Street was OK’d.

A couple months ago we had a story about a group of residents worried about a 342-unit condo plan at the Avaya property. They’re still worried, and they turned out en force to let the planning board know about it when the application went before the board. Township officials aren’t happy about it, either.

As if you’re thinning wallet isn’t proof enough that gas prices are at ridiculously-high levels, we’ve got a pic to prove it.

In case you missed Saturday’s Taste of Sea Bright, well, you’re beat ’til next year. But you can read about it here and prime yourself for the next Taste.

Monmouth Boat Club held its annual Long John Regatta last weekend. Peter Lindner shows in some well-snapped shots how it went.

Want to see some old-school photos? Head to Borough Hall in Little Silver Thursday and check out Red Bank Regional’s latest-generation lensers.

A crash in Rumson sent one to the hospital Friday.

Considering how the week started, a timely and relevant Where Have I Seen This?

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 ...