RED BANK: ANIMAL JOB ENDANGERED

Henry Perez with a ferret owner during a census of cats and dogs in 2008. (Photo by Colleen Curry. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Henry Perez thinks maybe he’s dropped the ball, given that his bosses – the Red Bank mayor and council – appear determined to eliminate his job.

“I totally blame myself, because my residents know more about what I do than my superiors,” the borough’s animal control officer told the the council during its monthly workshop meeting Wednesday.

Still, over the pleas of residents, the governing body showed no sign of halting a plan to sign a six-month contract with the Monmouth County SPCA.

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June 10, 2021 - 7:58 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: WOMEN IN LEAD AS DEMS SPLIT

Kate Triggiano at her January, 2019 swearing-in with husband, David, son, Otto, and former Assemblyman John Wisniewski. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

The two women on competing tickets moved closer to claiming wins in the Red Bank Democratic primary election for council Wednesday.

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June 9, 2021 - 6:30 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: THREE CLOSE IN DEM’S PRIMARY

By JOHN T. WARD

Incumbent Councilwoman Kate Triggiano led three other candidates after a rare Red Bank Democratic primary challenge Tuesday.

But the race for two openings on the party ticket in November was far from settled, with the second spot an even closer call.

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June 8, 2021 - 10:20 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: ONE PRIMARY CONTESTED, ONE NOT

By JOHN T. WARD

Four Red Bank Democrats square off Tuesday in a rare primary election for two spots on the November ballot for borough council.

Meantime, the borough’s Republicans have two “placeholder” candidates on the primary ballot.

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June 8, 2021 - 6:50 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: MUSICIAN SUFFERS HEART ATTACK

Bob Burger, seen at right with the Weeklings at the Red Bank Oysterfest in 2018, suffered a heart attack onstage during a performance by Bob Burger and the Red Shoes at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank Saturday night, according to the Asbury Park Press.

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June 7, 2021 - 11:15 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: ANIMAL SERVICE BACK ON AGENDA

Debbie Nagel, the animal control supervisor for Long Branch who serves as backup for Red Bank, with an orphaned raccoon pup rescued from a tree on Brown Place last month. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Squirrels in the attic? Bats in the bathroom?

Red Bank residents would have to pay $90 an hour to have wild animals removed from their homes under a plan that returns for discussion Wednesday night.

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June 7, 2021 - 9:50 am | Comments ()

LITTLE SILVER: T-STORMS FILL FORECAST

Lightning sheared bark off a tree in Little Silver during a thunderstorm Friday night. The tree, located alongside the borough’s firehouse on Prospect Avenue, did not catch fire, according to reader James Marrin, who took the photo at right (click to enlarge).

According to the National Weather Service. the Greater Red Bank Green is in for possible thunderstorms at some point every day through Saturday. Check out the extended forecast below.

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June 7, 2021 - 7:10 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: EPOXY, SOAP & GOLD TUB IN CHURN

The former Anima space at 37 Broad is getting a new tenant, while the facade of the now-vacant storefront next door (at left) is getting a makeover. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Epoxy-and-wood tables; “occult” bath products; and news about two downtown restaurants get the spotlight in this edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn.

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June 4, 2021 - 12:00 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: HEIGHT REMAINS STICKING POINT

The latest proposal for 141 West Front Street includes a restaurant atop the existing office building, at left, and stepped-back apartments and parking with faux windows above the existing Pazzo MMX restaurant. (Rendering by Feinberg & Associates. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

PRC Group will have to wait at least two more months for a zoning board decision on its proposed makeover of a prominent Red Bank property.

At the latest hearing on the plan Thursday night, board members continued to challenge the scale of the project, even after two rounds of shrinkage.

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June 4, 2021 - 7:52 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: POLICE CAMERAS COMING SOON

Body cameras could be fully deployed by September, says Chief Darren McConnell. (2016 photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

As they will across New Jersey, police-worn body cams will soon be the norm in Red Bank, officials said.

But state funding for the devices and related data storage will only cover about a third of the cost, said police chief and acting borough administrator Darren McConnell.

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June 3, 2021 - 3:20 pm | Comments ()

FAIR HAVEN: BOROUGH EYES RIVER PARCEL

The property, comprising nearly an acre on the Navesink River, adjoins the municipal dock, (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Fair Haven hopes to add to its inventory of small waterfront parks.

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June 2, 2021 - 7:30 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: CRIME & ARREST REPORTS

The crime and arrest reports below were provided by the Red Bank Police Department for May, 2021. This information is unedited; see below for additional information.

CRIMES

Theft: In the area of Riverview Plaza on 05/12/2021 a theft of a wallet was
reported. The victim stated a wallet valued at $80.00 was missing containing $20.00 US currency, a NJ driver’s license, a debit card, and multiple credit cards. Ptl Michael Zadlock.

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June 1, 2021 - 1:15 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: PRC TRIMS TWO MORE FLOORS

The latest proposal for 141 West Front Street includes a rooftop restaurant. (Rendering by Feinberg & Associates. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Three months after it went to the brink of rejection, a planned massive addition to an existing Red Bank building has once again seen some shrinkage.

Under the latest proposal, the project would put 99 apartments above Pazzo MMX restaurant on West Front Street. There would also be a new restaurant on the roof.

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June 1, 2021 - 7:30 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: FOOD WRITER SUSAN ERICSON DIES

Susan Ericson, notepad in hand, at New Corner Pizza in Red Bank in 2014. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Food writer Susan Ericson of Red Bank died Friday at home under hospice care after a lengthy illness. She was 66 years old.

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May 31, 2021 - 3:30 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: BROADWALK DRIVING RECOVERY

Broadwalk bars vehicular traffic to enable restaurant expansions into Broad Street between Front and White Streets. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

With the second season of Red Bank’s Broadwalk about to begin in earnest – weather permitting – downtown merchants say the pedestrian dining and shopping concept is doing what it’s intended to do: improving their receipts.

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May 28, 2021 - 4:00 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: ‘RE-ENTRY’ THROUGH THE KITCHEN

State Senators Declan O’Scanlon, left, and Vin Gopal flank ex-Governor Jim McGreevey as he speaks with Re-Entry participants at Soul Kitchen Thursday. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

“Nobody should be defined by their worst decision,” former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey said on a visit to Red Bank Thursday.

That’s particularly true for ex-felons who may never have learned the basic skills needed to become self-sufficient members of society, he said.

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May 28, 2021 - 7:58 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: DEP SAYS RIVERS SAFE FOR HUMANS

A cluster of dead bunker in the Red Bank borough marina at Marine Park earlier this month. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

A massive die-off of bunker fish in the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers this spring poses no health threat to recreational users of those waters, environmental scientists said Thursday night.

Meantime, experts are still trying to determine what environmental “stressors” might have turned a bacteria that’s common to the species into a mass killer that has littered shores with tons of dead, putrid carcasses.

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May 27, 2021 - 11:26 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: CHARTER QUESTION PUT ON TRACK

Mayor Pasquale Menna, upper left, addressing the council during its meeting via Zoom Wednesday night.(Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

A push for a possible change in Red Bank’s form of government cleared its first formal hurdle Wednesday night.

The borough council, sharply split on other issues, unanimously agreed to the introduction of an ordinance that would put a two-part public question on the November ballot: whether a commission should be created to review the borough’s 113-year-old form of government, and if so, who should serve on it.

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May 27, 2021 - 7:55 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: CARTER TO LEAD RIVERCENTER

Glenn Carter and OceanFirst Bank’s Robin Fitzmaurice at the Mayor’s Ball at the Oyster Point Hotel in 2018. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

A familiar face has been hired to run Red Bank RiverCenter, the downtown promotion organization: former borough planning director Glenn Carter.

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May 26, 2021 - 3:45 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: AGENCY CALLS FOR $9.3M YARD

A Google Maps satellite view of the public works yard and adjoining property to the east, roughly outlined in red. (Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank should move quickly to bond for an overhauled public works facility, according to a recommendation adopted by the Redevelopment Agency Tuesday evening.

Estimated cost, including the acquisition of property adjacent to the Chestnut Street site: $9.3 million.

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May 26, 2021 - 7:45 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: WHAT’S ON AGENDA, AND NOT

A rendering of Saxum Real Estate’s approved but not-yet-built plan for 176 Riverside Avenue. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

A controversial plan to job out Red Bank’s in-house animal control service is expected to be tabled Wednesday night.

Here’s what’s on the agenda for the semimonthly meeting of the mayor and council.

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May 26, 2021 - 6:30 am | Comments ()

FAIR HAVEN: COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS

Closed since early in the pandemic, Fair Haven’s borough hall and library will reopen June 7, administrator says. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

A new council member, a call for budget cuts, a planned reopening of borough hall and a pandemic ponytail were among the topics at what might have been the last Fair Haven council meeting of the pandemic Monday night.

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May 25, 2021 - 12:45 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: HIGHRISE GETS NEW POOL & NAME

The new pool and poolhouse at the former Riverview Towers. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Three years after their swimming pool mysteriously popped out of the ground, residents of a Red Bank riverfront highrise got a closeup look at its $3.5 million replacement Monday night.

The 53-year-old Riverside Towers, at 28 Riverside Avenue, has also been rebranded as the Navesink Riverside Residences and Marina.

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May 25, 2021 - 7:50 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: ANIMAL CONTROL VOTE SCHEDULED

Henry Perez with opossums orphaned when their mother was hit by a car in 2016. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Howls of protest are expected Wednesday night when the Red Bank council considers a proposal to scrap its in-house animal control service.

In addition to eliminating the position of animal control officer, held for the past 18 years by Henry Perez, the council would shift the work for the second half of 2021 to the Monmouth County SPCA, a change opponents say would delay responses.

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May 24, 2021 - 7:45 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: FORUM ON FISH KILL SLATED

A cluster of dead bunker in the borough marina at Marine Park earlier this month. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Clean Ocean Action and local officials, including Red Bank’s, will get the virtual town hall with New Jersey environmental officials they’ve been seeking to address the recent “severe” fish kill in the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers, the organization announced Friday.

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May 21, 2021 - 2:54 pm | Comments ()