RED BANK: HOFFMANN LEAVING REC JOB
Charlie Hoffmann with parks attendant Celestine Woods at Riverside Gardens Park in 2018. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
Charlie Hoffmann, who has directed Red Bank’s parks and recreation department for the past five years, is leaving town.
The announcement of his departure at the council’s semimonthly meeting Wednesday sparked a “pile-on” of praise for Hoffmann’s work, which included organizing everything from sports and cultural offerings to this weekend’s Spring Egg Hunt.
RED BANK: EX-CHARTER TEACHER CHARGED
RED BANK: COUNCIL BACKS IMMIGRANT RIGHTS
Marchers took to the streets of Red Bank in June, 2018 to protest the Trump Administration’s border policies. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
A virtual parade of speakers, some near tears, pressed the Red Bank council Wednesday night to support a host of protections for undocumented immigrants.
“It is never symbolic to acknowledge the humanity of any one person,” said a young woman who identified herself as Carla, Red Bank Regional senior and officer of the school’s Dreamers organization. “Doing so is, in fact, the most radical of acts,” she said.
RED BANK: HALLOWEEN PARADE DELIGHTS
RED BANK: HALLOWEEN PARADE SLATED
RED BANK: NIGHT OUT LIGHTS UP BASIE FIELDS
For the second year in a row, Red Bank police hosted their annual National Night Out Against Crime community barbecue at Count Basie Fields Tuesday night.
This years’s edition was held two months later than usual, however. It also featured temperature checks of attendees at the entry gate, as well as lots of facial coverings – all, of course, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But dozens of families enjoyed games and free food, courtesy of the police department and other organizations. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
RED BANK: TEACHERS, VEEP GET SPOTLIGHT
Red Bank teachers Carol Boehm, left, and Kristen Maiello with nurse Cathy Reardon, right. (Photo by Red Bank Borough Schools. Click to enlarge.)
In March of 2020, we were preparing to celebrate several incredible educators but the health pandemic and ensuing school closure forced us to hit the pause button. Of course, late is better than never and these educators deserve to be recognized for the outstanding work they do for our students. Each exemplifies the “Red Bank Borough is Best in America” (#RBBisBIA) mindset, which is deeply rooted in our school district’s culture. We strive to be the Best In America so we can be certain we are the Best for Red Bank. Moreover, we all know an organization is only as strong as its people. Luckily, here in Red Bank we have some distinguished exemplars.
RED BANK: KNIGHTS SEEK COAT DRIVE FUNDS
Red Bank Primary School nurse Cathy Reardon with coats donated in 2018. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
Expecting its “most demanding year year yet,” the Red Bank-based Knights of Columbus council #525 is seeking community support for a four-year-old Coats for Kids program.
Under a national Knights of Columbus program, the Red Bank-based council acquires new winter coats at a deep discount.
RED BANK: QUICK PARADE, SMALL DELIGHTS
The mini parade rumbles down Spring Street, above.
A late addition to the calendar, Red Bank’s pandemic-era Memorial Day parade Monday could not compare to last year’s version in terms of spectacle. Still, it offered a thrill to small clusters of borough residents.
Comprising a fire truck and a half-dozen throaty motorcycles, the drive-thru-town parade took some onlookers by surprise, while others were ready and waiting. Check out more photos below. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
LITTLE SILVER: SOCIAL DISTANCING WEATHER
What was Elmo the Muppet doing on Rumson Road in Little Silver Sunday? Giving passersby a chuckle while airing out his fur and social-distancing, it appears.
With lots of rain in the forecast, Monday will be a good day for keeping one’s fur dry indoors at home, where most of us are expected to be anyway, under Governor Phil Murphy’s “stay-at-home” order issued Saturday.
See the extended weather outlook for the Greater Red Bank Green below, courtesy of the National Weather Service. (Photo by Jim Bruno. Click to enlarge.)
RED BANK: PATIO WORK UNDONE ON PARK JOB
There’s been yet another setback for the new restrooms at Eastside Park in Red Bank.
What now? Read on.
RED BANK: HELP FUND ‘MOOSEDUCK’ FILM
Character sketches of Maurice the Mooseduck by Shutianyi Li.
Hot off the heels of his award-winning short “Three Sonnets,” Red Bank filmmaker Jeffrey Delano Davis launched a Kickstarter campaign for a short piece of animation for children called “The Mooseduck.”
RED BANK: OILY MESS NEAR EASTSIDE PARK
A two-truck accident Tuesday afternoon left an oily mess alongside Eastside Park in Red Bank, where new restrooms are being installed.
RED BANK: STALLS READY TO BE INSTALLED
Plumbing-equipped prefab building modules and a crane were onsite at Eastside Park in Red Bank Tuesday morning.
What’s Going On Here? Read on.
LITTLE SILVER: RBR DIGS IN FOR EXPANSION
Construction fences, heavy machinery and plywood-covered windows have appeared on the campus of Red Bank Regional High School in Little Silver in recent weeks.
What’s Going On Here? Read on…
RED BANK: LIBRARY PLANS PUBLIC SURVEY
The library, which opened in the onetime home of manufacturer Sigmund Eisner in 1937, is now looking ahead to 2026. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
The Red Bank Public Library plans to solicit public input as it develops a new five-year strategic plan, its board of trustees announced Thursday. Read More
RED BANK: HOLIDAY SEASON GOES LIVE
Crisp weather provided an ideal setting for the unofficial start of the Christmas season in downtown Red Bank Friday night.
With Tim McLoone-led Holiday Express working its musical magic for the 27th time, several thousand kids and kids-at-heart crowded a stretch of Broad Street, singing along and counting down to the light-up of downtown trees.
Check out redbankgreen‘s photos below to see if you recognize any smiling faces underneath all those fun hats. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
RED BANK: COUNCIL HONORS SOCCER TEAMS
Mayor Pasquale Menna and the Red Bank council honored the middle school girls’ and boys’ soccer squads Wednesday night. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
Press release from Red Bank Schools)
The Red Bank Middle School soccer teams are striving toward their school’s mission statement of B.I.A. (Best in America) by being B.I.L. (Best in League). For the first time ever, both soccer teams were able to win first place in the Jersey Shore Athletic League, in the same year, bringing great pride to their school and community. First year athletic director, Isaac Nathanson stated, “It’s simply amazing that both our teams were able to accomplish such a task. This shows tremendous growth in our athletic programs at the Red Bank Middle School.”
RED BANK: SCHOOL REFERENDUM PASSES
By a 2 to 1 margin, Red Bank voters approved a $6.75 million building-repair referendum on Tuesday’s ballot, according to the Monmouth County Clerk’s website.
RED BANK: PARK AWAITS PREFAB BUILDING
Picnic tables and pathways have been installed, but for the second time since it began in the spring, construction work at Eastside Park in Red Bank appeared to halt last month.
What’s Going On Here? Read on.
RED BANK: EX-CHEF FOUND NEW WAY TO SERVE
With his son, Aydin, looking on, Jorge Torres embraces his wife, Lauren, after being sworn in as a police sergeant. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
A former chef became the newest sergeant on the Red Bank police force Wednesday night.
The promotion of Jorge Torres was one of several ceremonies that led the borough council’s semimonthly meeting Wednesday night.
RED BANK: MAN CHARGED WITH CHILD PORN
A Red Bank man was indicted earlier this week on child pornography charges, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office reported Friday.
RED BANK: RUMAGE REFLECTS ON FIVE YEARS
Superintendent Jared Rumage wished middle schoolers a nice holiday weekend on the Friday before Memorial Day in May. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Red Bank’s school district still faces stiff financial challenges, but is “without question” in all-around better shape than it was when he arrived five years ago, says Superintendent Jared Rumage.
And as he did at a presentation last week, Rumage is hoping to leverage the narrative of that improvement to win voter approval of a $6.75 million referendum in November.