John T. Ward in Riverside Gardens Park. (Photo by Trish Russoniello. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
After a seamless transition, I ended my involvement with redbankgreen‘s daily operations this week, grateful to be passing the keyboard to the next generation.
John Ward with his wife, Trish Russoniello, in 2006, and below, in 1982 at his first newspaper job, with The Home News in New Brunswick. (Photo below by Marc Ascher. Click to enlarge.)
After 43 years in newspaper, magazine and online journalism, I’m now “retired,” though I prefer to think of it as simply a change in focus, as I turn my attention to some long-deferred creative projects. I may write an occasional redbankgreen feature if I get the itch, but my output certainly won’t be anything close to the pace of the past 18 years, when I produced about 15,000 articles.
Though the handoff has been in the works for 18 months, I still can’t quite believe my good fortune at being able to complete it.
First, against some odds, there’s a redbankgreen to hand off, almost two decades after I rushed it into existence with a huge assist from my wife, Trish Russoniello. But it seems that a one-person news operation can (kind of) cover a bustling town, if that one person is somewhat obsessed – and gets crucial help along the way from talented people like Dustin Racioppi and my dearly departed colleagues Susan Ericson and Tom Chesek, plus dozens of helpful tipsters.
Now, redbankgreen is in the hands of two energetic pros I have known and respected for years. Veteran journalist Brian Donohue carries the news load, adding video skills I could only dream of, and publisher Kenny Katzgrau — who spun Broadstreet Ads out of redbankgreen 12 years ago and made it into a major player in adserving for news sites across America — manages everything else. They’re both longtime Red Bank residents who are passionate about this remarkable little corner of America. They also understand the critical importance of local news to a healthy democracy. I walk out the door with full confidence in them.
As I step away, I want to thank everyone who offered their support: advertisers, financial contributors, and all who waved using more than one finger as I pounded the bricks.
The biggest thank-you, though, goes to Trish, for helping me build and keep the site running. Though you rarely saw her name here in these pages, Trish has been a never-say-no provider of fun graphics, ‘Where Have I Seen This?’ photos, news tips and more. Most precious, to me, though, has been her patience and encouragement through too many challenging days and nights to count. Fact: redbankgreen would not exist without her.
It’s been quite a ride, trying to capture the unending vitality of Red Bank in words and photos five days a week all these years. Not always enjoyable, of course, much like anything else worth doing. But hey, I got to sit in the first car of the rollercoaster, and I can report that it’s been amazing.
I hope to see you around town.
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