RED BANK: MENNA ADMITS FOOD TRUCK ERROR

Mayor Pasquale Menna on Locust Avenue in March. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

[See UPDATE below]

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank Mayor Pasquale Menna says he will recuse himself from future discussions of food trucks following questions raised by redbankgreen about work he did for the owner of a proposed site of a mobile eatery.

Menna, a private practice lawyer, did not disclose his connections to the property owner during Wednesday night’s council workshop meeting, when he revived the dormant issue of food trucks. But he said the omission was unintentional.

July 2, 2020 - 11:10 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: COPS SAY SESTITO INTERFERED

<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>Red Bank police dashcam video from the June 3 incident on East Bergen Place. (Red Bank Police Department video. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

redbankgreen hot topic Red Bank’s police chief has asked the Monmouth County prosecutor to review an incident involving Councilman Michael Ballard earlier this month.

The incident, which Ballard reported as it occurred outside his home during a council meeting on Zoom, led to his wife, Rose Sestito, briefly in handcuffs for allegedly interfering with a police investigation, though no charges were filed.

June 16, 2020 - 5:00 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: BALLARD DUBS COPS ‘AGGRESSIVE’

Red Bank Councilman Michael Ballard speaking at Pilgrim Baptist Church Thursday night. (Screenshot from Facebook Live. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

redbankgreen hot topic Red Bank Councilman Michael Ballard on Thursday teed up borough cops for what he called “overagressive” treatment of his wife during an incident 24 hours earlier.

Speaking at Pilgrim Baptist Church for an online forum on systemic racism, Ballard, an African-American, also appeared to suggest he’d been treated unfairly by unnamed officials at borough hall in his role as finance chairman.

June 5, 2020 - 11:15 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: BALLARD REPORTS WIFE’S ‘ARREST’

Red Bank Councilman Michael Ballard, highlighted at upper right during Wednesday’s council meeting via Zoom. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

[See UPDATE below]

By JOHN T. WARD

To the growing list of embarrassing videoconferencing moments in the COVID-19 era – energetic children running through home offices, cats on keyboards, spilled coffee – a Red Bank councilman added another: a report of spousal arrest in progress.

June 4, 2020 - 8:00 am | Comments ()

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

hot topic red bank nj 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.

September 27, 2019 - 10:45 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: MURAL REQUESTS TO GET REVIEW

Pearl Street Consignment and Custom Clothes owner Emily Natale working on a mural on the Monmouth Street side of her shop last week. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank officials plan to create a committee to formally review requests for murals and other forms of public art, something that hasn’t previously existed, Business Administrator Ziad Shehady said last week.

September 16, 2019 - 10:00 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: SECOND CLASSIC 5K DRAWS 1,200+

Runners and walkers, young and old, completed the 5-kilometer distance. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Much like the first, the second annual edition of the Red Bank Classic 5K once again ran under blue skies Saturday.

Organized by the Red Bank Business Alliance and the Red Family YMCA, the 3.1-mile event attracted more than 1,200 runners, walkers and a smattering of canines.

Were you in it, or do you know someone who was? See our photos below — and check out the guy who put on a great show for redbankgreen as he neared the finish line. Race results are here.

June 16, 2019 - 10:45 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: CLASSIC 5K READY TO RUN AGAIN

Runners warm up before last year’s inaugural race. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

The Red Bank Classic, which last year revived a downtown footrace tradition after a three-year absence, is set to run (and walk) its second edition Saturday.

Here’s what you need to know:

June 13, 2019 - 5:00 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: TAXES ON WORKSHOP AGENDA

Councilman Michael Ballard, with borough CFO Peter O’Reilly in foreground. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Introduced two weeks ago without a word of comment by elected officials, the 2019 Red Bank budget is scheduled for discussion Wednesday night.

Also on the borough council’s workshop agenda: the resolution of a lawsuit, and a discussion about food trucks.

June 4, 2019 - 9:31 am | Comments ()

LITTLE SILVER: BRANDT PHOTOBOMBS AGAIN

Rick Brandt during an interview in January. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

ELECTION 2019 Already under suspension by the volunteer fire department for improper use of photos in his campaign, the Republican challenger for mayor in Little Silver is in another flap over photos, this time with the school district.

Rick Brandt, who’s up against incumbent Mayor Bob Neff in the GOP primary next month, has also drawn the ire of the organization that manages the town’s most historic property.

May 22, 2019 - 5:15 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: BOROUGH HIRES NEW CFO

Almost five months after his predecessor was hastily dumped, a new chief financial officer for the borough of Red Bank was slated to start work Monday.

Peter O’Reilly, right, who literally wrote the book on municipal finance, steps into the post after five years as Jersey City’s treasurer.

April 29, 2019 - 7:41 am | Comments ()

LITTLE SILVER: BRANDT ON THE OUTS WITH FD

Rick Brandt on the scene of a June, 2017 condo fire in Little Silver. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

ELECTION 2019 A Republican candidate for mayor in Little Silver is in hot water with the volunteer fire department in which he’s a member.

Rick Brandt, who’s challenging incumbent Mayor Bob Neff in the GOP primary, is under suspension by the department for improper use of imagery, redbankgreen has learned.

March 13, 2019 - 2:00 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: DEMS GLIDE INTO NEW YEAR

Mayor Pasquale Menna prepares to swear in new fire Chief Wayne Hartman, center, and deputies Scott Calabrese and Bobby Holiday. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank’s government turned the calendar page to 2019 with a friction-free reorganization meeting Tuesday that kicked off the fourth term of Mayor Pasquale Menna and gave Democrats unfettered control of borough hall.

Here are some highlights:

Read More »

January 2, 2019 - 7:30 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: DEMS OUST POULOS AS CFO

CFO Eugenia Poulos at a council meeting in 2017. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Borough hall may have been closed for New Year’s Eve, but the Red Bank council had one, last-minute bit of business to take care of Monday.

After a brief closed-door meeting, the governing body voted, 4-1, to fire the chief financial officer, just hours before she would have attained tenure.

December 31, 2018 - 2:00 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: HUNT FOR GRANTS CONTINUES

A grant seeking $821,000 for improvements to Broad Street is among the nearly three dozen applications pending, according to a report. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Six months after hiring a professional contractor to seek out grant funds, the Red Bank council is hopeful that a cash pump has been primed.

Business Administrator Ziad Shehady told the council last week that while no grants have yet been secured under the contract with Millennium Strategies, there is now “several million dollars” worth of potential funding “in the pipeline.”

November 13, 2018 - 9:00 am | Comments ()

FAIR HAVEN: GOP HOLDS ONTO COUNCIL

Fair Haven voters went with familiar Republicans in Tuesday’s elections. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

fair haven, nj election voter registration Incumbent Fair Haven Mayor Ben Lucarelli, who was unchallenged on the ballot, and Councilwoman Betsy Koch retained their seats in Tuesday night’s election.

They’ll be joined on the governing body in January by their two Republican running mates, former council member Jim Banahan and newcomer Jacquie Rice, according to unofficial results from the Monmouth County Clerk.

November 6, 2018 - 11:49 pm | Comments ()

LITTLE SILVER: McNALLY, SMITH WIN SEATS

An incumbent and his running mate held off two challengers in Little Silver voting. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

fair haven, nj election voter registration Incumbent AJ McNally and Republican ticketmate Christian Smith scored clear victories over two Democratic candidates for Little Silver borough council Tuesday.

November 6, 2018 - 11:47 pm | Comments ()

SHREWSBURY: ANDERSON LEADS GOP SWEEP

Concluding his third campaign in three years, Councilman Erik Anderson was elected Shrewsbury’s mayor Tuesday. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

fair haven, nj election voter registration Republican Councilman Erik Anderson outpolled his Democratic opponent in Shrewsbury’s race to succeed retiring Mayor Don Burden, according to results tallied by the Monmouth County Clerk Tuesday.

Likewise, two Republican incumbents held onto their council seats.

November 6, 2018 - 11:45 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: REPORT DOMINATES FACE-OFF

From left, council candidates Kate Triggiano, Hazim Yassin, Sue Viscomi, Michael Clancy and Allison Gregory at the West Side Community Group’s forum Tuesday night. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

red bank, nj, election 2018 A management study that found widespread “dysfunction” in Red Bank’s government provided fodder for contenders at the annual Candidates’ Night hosted by the West Side Community Group Tuesday night.

In the case of Pearl Lee, the first Republican to challenge Mayor Pasquale Menna since 2006, it provided the spark for her to run, she said. For Menna, it’s a document he accepts “ownership” of. And all five council candidates alluded to it.

October 24, 2018 - 11:45 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: DOWNTOWN PARKING. THOUGHTS?

Regular users of Red Bank’s public parking facilities: here’s your chance to weigh in on what’s good about them, what’s not, and how to improve them.

October 3, 2018 - 5:15 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS? NOT YET.

Mike Whelan, center, and Mark Taylor, seen here on the night of their election to the Red Bank council in 2015, spearheaded the referendum effort. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank voters eager to eliminate partisanship from local elections and governance won’t get their wish this year.

A referendum initiative calling for non-partisan elections and a change to the form of local government lost steam over the summer and won’t be on November’s ballot. But its foremost advocates say they’re not giving up.

September 28, 2018 - 10:30 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: FIRST WORKSHOP’S A MARATHON

Instead of taking their usual places on the dais, the mayor and council members sat around a large conference table for the meeting. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

The Red Bank council’s first-ever workshop-only meeting proved to be a marathon of matters large and small Wednesday night.

Among the topics discussed at the three-and-a-half-hour session: ways to “deal with the issue” of vehicles parked indefinitely outside the home of an unspecified Bank Street resident, though it was widely understood who that was.

August 31, 2018 - 12:00 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ON TABLE

Seen here at a council meeting in April, Ken DeRoberts, left, and Joe Hartnett of Government Strategy Group managed borough operations on an interim basis earlier this year. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

The authors of a report that called for the creation of a redevelopment agency for downtown Red Bank appear to be on their way to getting a contract to make it happen.

Government Strategy Group would lead the way toward the creation of the agency, chief executive officer Ken DeRoberts said in a presentation at the borough council’s first-ever workshop-only meeting Wednesday night.

August 30, 2018 - 2:45 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: COUNCIL ADDS MONTHLY MEETING

The workshop sessions will be held in the council chambers. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank’s local-government groupies and gadflies will have another municipal meeting to add to their calendars starting next month.

July 23, 2018 - 9:00 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: BIKE SHARE PLAN IN THE WORKS

Biking in Red Bank —and possibly, Fair Haven and Little Silver — could get a boost under a push to bring a bike-sharing vendor to town. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank officials are exploring the possibility of allowing a bike-share vendor to offer its services in town, and inviting two neighboring towns to get in on the two-wheeled action, Business Administrator Ziad Shehady told the borough council last week.

June 18, 2018 - 10:50 am | Comments ()

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Serving Red Bank and Greater Red Bank, NJ

RED BANK: MENNA ADMITS FOOD TRUCK ERROR

RED BANK: COPS SAY SESTITO INTERFERED

RED BANK: BALLARD DUBS COPS ‘AGGRESSIVE’

RED BANK: BALLARD REPORTS WIFE’S ‘ARREST’

RED BANK: EX-CHEF FOUND NEW WAY TO SERVE

RED BANK: MURAL REQUESTS TO GET REVIEW

RED BANK: SECOND CLASSIC 5K DRAWS 1,200+

RED BANK: CLASSIC 5K READY TO RUN AGAIN

RED BANK: TAXES ON WORKSHOP AGENDA

LITTLE SILVER: BRANDT PHOTOBOMBS AGAIN

RED BANK: BOROUGH HIRES NEW CFO

LITTLE SILVER: BRANDT ON THE OUTS WITH FD

RED BANK: DEMS GLIDE INTO NEW YEAR

RED BANK: DEMS OUST POULOS AS CFO

RED BANK: HUNT FOR GRANTS CONTINUES

FAIR HAVEN: GOP HOLDS ONTO COUNCIL

LITTLE SILVER: McNALLY, SMITH WIN SEATS

SHREWSBURY: ANDERSON LEADS GOP SWEEP

RED BANK: REPORT DOMINATES FACE-OFF

RED BANK: DOWNTOWN PARKING. THOUGHTS?

RED BANK: NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS? NOT YET.

RED BANK: FIRST WORKSHOP’S A MARATHON

RED BANK: REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ON TABLE

RED BANK: COUNCIL ADDS MONTHLY MEETING