Inspired by “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” Red Bank resident and TV News12 reporter Brian Donohue has kicked off a series in which he hopes to become better acquainted with people who live and work near his Bank Street home.
Henry Tindal on the porch of his Locust Avenue home. (Photos via News12. Click to enlarge.)
In the first installment, which aired last week as a “Positively New Jersey’ segment, Donohue – wearing a red zip-up reminiscent of Fred Rogers’s famous cardigan – drops in on Locust Avenue resident Henry Tindal.
It turns out that Tindal has quite a story to tell.
Adopted at birth in 1950, the South Carolina native grew up to become a counselor to troubled youths. With his late partner in life, Tom Sheehan, Tindal also fought for the right of same-sex partners to become foster parents. They succeeded, and went on to foster 18 children, Donohue reports.
“They were long-term, short-term, emergencies and everything else,” says Tindal.
In 1989, Tindal and Sheehan also adopted Ronald, the first of their two sons, “becoming what appears to be the first instance in which a gay couple in New Jersey legally adopted a child,” Donohue says.
“That was the beginning of our family,” says Tindal, who is now a grandfather.
Watch the short video here.
Donohue said the aim of the series is to spotlight neighbors, “people with amazing stories we just haven’t heard yet,” and to serve as “a reminder to maybe go meet yours.”
Donohue tells redbankgreen he’s looking for suggestions about other Red Bank neighbors he might spotlight. Contact him at brian [dot] donohue [@] news12.com.
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