John T. Ward (left) holding the proclamation honoring him alongside Mayor Billy Portman. (Click to enlarge.)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
Over the last 18 years, John T. Ward has sat through hundreds of the sometimes mundane, occasionally fascinating meetings of the Mayor and Borough and Council. He would watch as the council began the meetings with honorary resolutions praising the DPW workers, crossing guards, Girl Scouts, centenarians and workaday folks who make this town what it is.
On Thursday, Ward, the recently retired founder of redbankgreen, finally got his due. Mayor Billy Portman read a proclamation praising his dedication to local journalism and council members lauded the news outlet he built as a crucial cornerstone of the town’s social and civic life.
“He has been a stalwart of the community providing valuable insight and information to residents of Red Bank and beyond,” Portman said reading from the proclamation. “Through his leadership redbankgreen has become a trusted source of news and information for the people of Red Bank. We are grateful for his tireless dedication and commitment to journalism over the years and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
After 43 years in newspaper, magazine and online journalism, Ward retired last month.
His decision 18 years ago to ditch working for larger publications and launch a news site covering his hometown continues to reverberate in Red Bank and nationwide thanks to Broadstreet Ads, the redbankgreen offshoot that has grown into a company that helps roughly 500 publishers achieve financial footing through boosted ad revenue. (see the video below featuring a butcher you may recognize)
Councilman Ben Forest was among several council members to follow up the proclamation with high praise for Ward’s work.
“It’s part of the record of Red Bank,” Forest said. “You Google something and you want to look up something, very often it’s a redbankgreen story that comes up that you wrote twelve years ago or thirteen years ago and it’s important to document our story,’
He continued: “I think it’s made Red Bank a lot better. You’ve had an extraordinary impact. I know you didn’t do it for the money. The passion and the excellence is appreciated and it’s made us a better town.”
In Ward’s honor, this article has also been triple-checked to ensure there are no dependent clauses not set off by commas.
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331 or yelling his name loudly as he walks by. Do you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen? Please become a financial supporter if you haven’t already. Click here to set your own level of monthly or annual contribution.
