A runner had the grandstand at Red Bank Regional in Little Silver all to herself for some socially distanced stair-climbing Tuesday. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Four-hundred-sixty more New Jersey residents have died in the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Phil Murphy reported Thursday.
The increase, to 7,228, was by far the single largest jump in fatalities reported since the crisis began seven weeks ago. Read More
Red Bank police have rolled out a residential safety service to give some residents an added degree of security in their homes, the department announced Thursday.
Saliva testing for COVID-19 is expected to be available in Red Bank next week, the Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey said Thursday.
The test, developed at Rutgers, is expected to help rapidly expand detection of the coronavirus-based illness.
Following Governor Phil Murphy’s decision to reopen state and county parks, Red Bank’s parks will reopen too, the borough announced on its website late Wednesday.
A deer at Hartshorne Woods in Middletown last October. The park is to reopen Saturday following Murphy’s action. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
[See UPDATE below]
By JOHN T. WARD
Governor Phil Murphy rescinded his three-week shutdown of parks Wednesday while threatening to reverse course again if social-distancing guidelines are not maintained.
At his daily briefing on the COVID-19 crisis, Murphy also weighed in on an aborted plan by the Red Bank Regional board of ed to meet in person, saying his orders on public gatherings are the only ones that matter.
Contractors installing a new roof at RBR last week. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Red Bank Regional High has rescheduled a planned live, in-person budget hearing previously slated for Wednesday night.
In a note posted on the district website late Wednesday morning, Superintendent Lou Moore said the meeting would be rescheduled for May 6, and will be held electronically “to respect everyone’s right to participate.”
Members of the public arriving for an RBR budget hearing in March, 2019. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Red Bank Regional High, the first school in New Jersey to shut down over concerns about COVID-19, plans to hold a live, in-person board of ed meeting Wednesday night.
The session at the Little Silver school appears to conflict with Governor Phil Murphy’s “stay-home” order issued last month.
Governor Phil Murphy unveiling his Restart and Recovery Commission Tuesday. (YouTube screengrab. Click to enlarge.)
[See UPDATE below]
By JOHN T. WARD
Governor Phil Murphy spent much of his daily briefing on the COVID-19 crisis Tuesday talking about ways to emerge from it and restart the New Jersey economy.
Still, he steered clear of setting dates, and appointed a 21-member commission to advise him on the matter.
A Little Silver ambulance outside Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
Little Silver plans to salute first-responders on the frontlines of the COVID-19 battle next month with a townwide “Light the Night” celebration.
The event will also serve as a fundraiser for the borough’s all-volunteer fire department and first aid squad.
The stabbing of a man with a broken bottle led to the arrest of a Red Bank man Sunday, police Chief Darren McConnell tells redbankgreen.
According to McConnell, a verbal altercation between two acquaintances in a home on West Westside Avenue escalated Friday.
Governor Phil Murphy at Monday’s crisis briefing. Below, a summary of his “Restart and Recovery” plan. (YouTube screengrab. Click to enlarge.)
[See UPDATE below]
By JOHN T. WARD
Governor Phil Murphy outlined a strategy for releasing New Jersey from the five-week-old COVID-19 near lockdown Monday.
Rather than specific dates, he set loose benchmarks for testing, contact tracing and more to prevent a resurgence of disease before he lifts a “stay home” executive order he issued March 21.
‘Unless,’by Gus Rojas of Red Bank. Below, the poster for the event, by Chloe Rosen of Little Silver, lists the participating students. (Click to enlarge)
(Press release from Red Bank Regional High)
The Red Bank Regional commercial photo majors are holding their annual senior show as an online exhibit through Instagram and Facebook.
By JOHN T. WARD
For the first time in nearly a month, Governor Phil Murphy’s administration reported fewer than 100 new deaths related to COVID-19 Sunday.
A crushing need for ventilators envisioned earlier this month under a possible worst-case scenario has not occurred, and demand has begun to ease, officials said. (Source: COVID19.nj.gov. Click to enlarge.)
[See UPDATE below]
By JOHN T. WARD
New Jersey officials disclosed another day of encouraging data in the war on COVID-19 Saturday.
“It wasn’t that long ago that we were talking about a worst-case scenario” of some 36,000 residents needing hospitalization in a short time frame, swamping the healthcare system, Governor Phil Murphy said said at his daily briefing on the pandemic.
Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli warned New Jersey residents that household cleaning products should not be “ingested or injected.” (April 20 pool photo by Kevin Sanders. Click to enlarge.)
[See UPDATE below]
By JOHN T. WARD
While the deaths of 252 more New Jerseyans were added to the COVID-19 toll Friday, state officials pointed to what they saw as 10 days of encouraging data in the fight to tame the crisis.
“There’s no question things are getting better,” said Governor Phil Murphy, but “we’re not out of the woods yet.”
Two fisherman enjoyed some socially distant relaxation on the Navesink River off Grange Avenue in Fair Haven Thursday morning. One, at right, quickly returned a fish he’d caught to the water.
The weather outlook for the Greater Red Bank Green is favorable, if you like it wet. Expect rain Friday and Sunday, though we should catch some sun Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
Check out the extended forecast below. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
Delicate tree blossoms added spritzes of color to the greenery along Lake Avenue on the Red Bank-Fair Haven border Thursday. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
New Jersey’s ongoing battle to quell the COVID-19 pandemic “has worked incredibly well,” a top health official at Rutgers University said Thursday.
At the same time, Governor Phil Murphy emphasized the need to ramp up testing for the coronavirus so the infection can be further managed.
After years of controversy, plan changes and environmental issues, a combination play area and viewing stand in Red Bank’s Bellhaven Natural Area is finally nearing completion. redbankgreen got a sneak preview Thursday morning.
What’s Going On Here? Read on.
The property at 96-98 West Front Street is approved for offices and apartments. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Red Bank may get a small addition to its riverfront Maple Cove tract under negotiations authorized by council in executive session Wednesday night.
A lovely sunset on Harding Road in Red Bank Tuesday evening served up a reminder that springtime continues without regard to the pandemic. (Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
With many measures showing improvement in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Phil Murphy began laying the groundwork Wednesday for New Jersey’s defense against a second wave in coming months.
Officials and council members recite the pledge of allegiance during the borough government’s first-ever digital-only meeting April 7. (YouTube screen grab. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
At its second official meeting of the COVID-19 era Wednesday night, the Red Bank council plans to consider awarding a contract to rebuild much of White Street and the adjoining municipal parking lot.
Though Fair Haven’s parks remain open, the basketball hoops at Sportsman’s Field are wrapped in plastic fencing to prevent usage. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
[See UPDATE below]
By JOHN T. WARD
Governor Phil Murphy reported the single greatest loss of life in New Jersey’s battle against COVID-19 Tuesday.
At the same time, officials “continue to see a trend emerging” of stabilizing strains on the healthcare system, he said at his daily briefing on the pandemic.
A procession of vehicles made its way through Red Bank Tuesday morning, stopping outside the homes of all seniors from Trinity Hall high school in Tinton Falls to cheer them on with horn toots and lawn signs.
On board a school bus in the parade was the school mascot, practicing social distancing like the students themselves, kept home by the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
The kitchen at Lunch Break remains busy preparing grab ‘n go meals as well as meals for delivery to the homebound. (Photo courtesy of Lunch Break. Click to enlarge.)
With job and income losses in the COVID-10 crisis, food insecurity is spreading, and Red Bank-area charities are stepping up to help ensure no one goes hungry.
At Lunch Break in Red Bank, for example, volunteers have distributed 65 percent more meals and 56 percent more groceries since March 16 than in the comparable 2019 period, said executive director Gwen Love.
Here’s a starter list of charitable efforts to feed the hungry in Red Bank, with links to make monetary donations. This list will be updated periodically.
A Red Bank family safely escaped a fire that damaged their home Monday evening. Read More