Holiday season over, a pair of brightly painted Christmas trees went out to the curb on South Sunnyside Drive in Little Silver Friday.
The new week begins Monday with another holiday, of course: Martin Luther King Jr. Day. For all the students, federal and state employees and others with a day off, the forecast calls for sunshine, winds and chilly conditions, according to the National Weather Service. See out the extended outlook below. (redbankgreen photo. Click to enlarge.)
Tammy Murphy reacts as her husband, Governor-elect Phil Murphy, calls her while she’s delivering a speech at Saturday’s Unity Rally in Red Bank. The event drew a full house to Pilgrim Baptist Church, below. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Ignoring biting cold, dozens of Red Bank-area residents participated in a “unity” march and rally Saturday in honor of two civil rights champions: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and journalist T. Thomas Fortune.
Anchored at Pilgrim Baptist Church, the event featured a cameo appearance by the spouse of Governor-elect Phil Murphy as part of a whirlwind, pre-inaugural tour of New Jersey.
Noted civil rights activist the Rev. Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr. will give a free talk at Brookdale Community College on February 23. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr.)
Press release from Brookdale Community College
On the morning of Tuesday, February 23, noted activist and author the Rev. Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr. will meet with local students and discuss his experience as a core leader of the 1960’s civil rights movement, during a free talk at Brookdale Community College.
Lafayette’s talk, scheduled for 11:30 am and titled “Your Life: A Celebration of Peace and Social Justice Yesterday and Today,” is open to all members of the public. It will be held in the Student Life Center building on the BCC campus.
At 7:30 am on any other national holiday, children are nestled under covers, and sleepy from a bit of extra play, TV or reading before bed the evening before. Working and stay-at-home parents in charge of their children on holidays or sick days might also be doing the same.
Monday, January 19 found the roads around Red Bank quiet, but the Red Bank Charter School in full swing. Cars lined up to drop off their back-packed and uniformed students as if it were any other brisk Monday in January. But every single RBCS student, staff, faculty member arrived knowing that this day was to be a day of service learning in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his sacrifice for equality.
At left, Pilgrim Baptist Pastor Terrence K. Porter (center) accepts a proclamation from Red Bank Council members Kathleen Horgan and Edward Zipprich. At right, Middletown HS South senior Aisha Boori (center) displays the Humanitarian Award presented to her during the annual YMCA Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast. Flanking her are essay contest winners Xavier Norman and Sahar Akbarzai.
A Middletown Township teen was the recipient of an annual Humanitarian Award from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, at a January 20 event that also saw a proclamation honoring the pastor of Red Bank’s Pilgrim Baptist Curch.
During the 25th annual YMCA Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast, Aisha Boori was presented with the award given each year to a Monmouth County student who “exemplifies the definition of a humanitarian and conveys the character values of the Y: caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.”
The Middletown High School South senior was recognized for her co-founding of a non-profit organization, Dreamers Without Borders, dedicated to collecting food supplies for Afghan refugees who are housed at an immigration center, as well as Tibetan refugees from a village school in India.The award was presented by First Assistant Prosecutor Marc C. LeMieux.
Pilgrim Baptist Pastor Terrence K. Porter delivered the keynote address to a crowd of approximately 300 people gathered at Branches Catering in West Long Branch.The pastor also received a proclamation from Red Bank Mayor Pasquale Menna and council, for his dedicated service to the Red Bank community.
Each year, teens enrolled in Monmouth County YMCA programs are invited to submit essays reflecting on Dr. King’s words, on how they can follow in his footsteps to improve the welfare of others and serve their community.This year’s essay winners were Xavier Norman, a freshman at Monmouth Regional High School, and Sahar Akbarzai, a senior at Old Bridge Regional High School. The essay winners were each rewarded with a $500 scholarship.
The annual breakfast was hosted by The Community YMCA and the YMCA of Western Monmouth County, and sponsored by Meridian Health and Sunrise Optimist Club.In addition to presenting the awards, the Ys collected non-perishable food items to support Lunch Break of Red Bank.
For the second year, Red Bank Charter School will celebrate the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and promote his principles at its annual Martin Luther King Community Service Breakfast on Saturday.
And on Sunday, the Pilgrim Baptist Church on Shrewsbury Avenue in Red Bank will host its annual commemoration of King’s life.
Holiday season over, a pair of brightly painted Christmas trees went out to the curb on South Sunnyside Drive in Little Silver Friday.
