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: YOM KIPPUR SESSION CANCELLED

hot-topic_03-220x138-9108919By JOHN T. WARD

Less than 48 hours after a divided Red Bank council voted to hold a public session on Yom Kippur, the meeting was cancelled late Thursday.

In addition, the three councilmen who voted to hold the meeting walked back from their positions Friday.

Mayor Pasquale Menna, who had no vote on the matter at the council’s workshop meeting Wednesday night, announced the cancellation on his Facebook page late Thursday.

By a 3-2 vote, the decided Wednesday to stick to its schedule and hold its next meeting on October 9, Yom Kippur.  The meeting date had been approved by the council in January, apparently without anyone noticing that it fell on the one of Judaism’s holiest days of the year.

Councilwoman Kate Triggiano argued for cancellation, on the grounds that the holy day, known as the Day of Atonement, would prevent some residents from attending the meeting.

She and Council President Erik Yngstrom voted to cancel the meeting, while council members Michael Ballard, Hazim Yassin and Ed Zipprich voted to stick to the schedule and hold the meeting.

The outcome “surprised” Triggiano, she said, and drew criticism on social media.

Thursday night, Menna announced the meeting would not take place after all, with this posting on Facebook:

At the Workshop Meeting of the Council, we discussed cancelling the meeting of October 9th due to the Yom Kippur holiday. The motion to cancel the meeting failed by a vote of 3:2 of the Council.

As Mayor I cannot vote unless there is a tie.

As Mayor I do have the prerogative to determine the calling or cancellation of meetings as appropriate.

I have individually polled the members who voted to cancel and the absent member [Councilwoman Kathy Horgan] to see if they would attend the October 9th meeting as a matter of principle. They will not.

I also will not attend the meeting out of long standing respect for the traditions of our residents.

As a result, the Council will not have a Quorum and cannot legally convene.

The meeting is therefore cancelled.

Here’s what Ballard, Yassin and Zipprich said via email Friday in response to a redbankgreen inquiry into their reasons for favoring the meeting:

BALLARD:

My opinion to hold the pre-scheduled October 9th Council meeting was based solely on my responsibility as an elected official to conduct the business of the borough as scheduled.  After outreach and further reflection, I better understand the importance of the religious observance and support the decision to cancel the meeting.  I believe, however, that going forward the Borough’s annual calendar of meetings should be more inclusive and deferential to all important religious holidays during the planning stage.

YASSIN:

If you recall, my concern was that I wanted to make sure we were showing reverence to all religions. I still want to be sure that we are treating all religions equally moving forward.

After reaching out to local Jewish leaders, we as a council felt it was best to not to proceed with the meeting and I respectfully agree.
I want the administration to be conscious of all religious holidays in planning all future meetings.

ZIPPRICH:

After reaching out to religious leaders in our community and having met with one local rabbi, i  have a better understanding of the important Holy day and the respect it deserves.

Understanding this I encourage the administration to carefully and respectfully plan all future meeting dates. I concur with my colleagues to suspend the October 9 meeting.
Rabbi Dovid Harrison, of Congregation Beth Shalom on Maple Avenue, told redbankgreen by email that he was thankful to Menna and the council for “working together to resolve this matter.”
He also said he would reach out the council and borough Clerk Pam Borghi so “that we can work together in the future to avoid such conflicts before they arise.”
Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
redbankgreen Classics
Partyline
RBFD SNUFFS OUT SMALL APARTMENT FIRE
A small fire that started in a light fixture at the Colony House apartments in Red Bank was quickly put out by members of the Red Band Volun ...
HEAVENLY RED BANK
Rays burst from behind clouds at the sun begins to set over the Navesink River. (photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)
IN THE FLOW STATE AT RIVESIDE GARDENS
Flow artists in Riverside Gardens Park Friday night. ( photo by Partyline Contributor Karly Swaim)
MAILBOXES HEAD TO HISTORY’S SCRAP HEAP
Sign of the digital age: mailboxes hauled away from Red Bank post office to storage.
HOVERING CHOPPER
What’s going on here? Last Sunday. Hovering around for quite a while. (Photo and text by Partyline contributor Rosaleen Perry)   ...
RBMS HOOPS CHAMPS HONORED
The Red Bank Middle School girls basketball team is honored for their championship season. (click for more)
NAVESINK SUNSET
Sunset sunburst over Riverside Gardens Park (photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)
RIVERSIDE SUNSET
Sunday’s sunset shot from Riverside Gardens Park. (Photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus) —
MARINE PARK SUNSET
Stunning sunset from Red Bank's Marine Park.
GULLS AND GRAY OVER MOLLY PITCHER INN
On a cold rainy spring day, bulls soared high above the Navesink River and the golden cupola of Red Bank's Molly Pitcher Inn.
Red Bank Commuters Enjoy Stunning Sunrise Over Navesink River
Thursday morning sunrise over the Navesink River, a commuter view from NJ Transit Train 3320. (photo by Partyline contributor Karly Swaim) & ...
SUNRISE OVER MONMOUTH STREET
Sunrise over Monmouth Street Thursday morning (photo by Partline contributor Thomas Doremus)
FINAL STRAW FOR MARINE PARK REMAKE
Workers place a straw covering over the now-dirt (soon to be grass) stretch of Marine Park that had been an asphalt parking lot for generati ...
DEER IN RED BANK
Dear Friends –Original before GPT– Deer Friends
GHOSTBUSTERS ON MONMOUTH STREET
Ghostbusters vehicle spotted on Monmouth Street. (photo by Partyline contributor Roseann DalPra)
BOAT CLUB AND BATTLESHIP GREY
Monmouth Boat Club under the past weekend’s clouds. (Photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)    
CURBSIDE BLOOMS
Broad Street beautified. (photo and text by Partyline contributor Boris Kofman)  
NEW MURAL TAKES SHAPE AT CANNABIS SHOP
Red Bank artist Michael White, donning a hat fitting for the day of the New York Mets’ home opener, works on a new mural at Canopy Cro ...
CHERRY BLOSSOMS ABOUND IN RED BANK
Cherry blossoms are everywhere! (photo and text by Partyline contributor Boris Kofman)  
DOWNTOWN RED BANK ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON
Downtown on a Friday afternoon. (partyline Photo by Thomas Doremus)