A gaggle of girls celebrated their goldfish prizes at a stand at the Sea Bright Firemen’s Fair on opening Thursday. The event, which features a Ferris wheel, continues through Sunday in the former Peninsula House lot on Ocean Avenue. All proceeds go to benefit Sea Bright Fire Rescue and the boroughÂ’’s recreation repartment. More info here. (Photos by Trish Russoniello. Click to enlarge)
The Sea Bright Firemen’s Fair returns Thursday for a four-night stand of rides, music, games and great views.
On paper, the four-evening Sea Bright Firemen’s Fair would seem to have pretty much exactly what you’d expect of any small-town fundraiser carnival: the trucked-in rides, the games of chance, the food vendors, the local music.
But to residents of the greater Red Bank Green, the annual fair always meant something more, signaling as it does the start of the summer fun season, every bit as much as the Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair bookends the other side with one last bittersweet blast against the encroaching back-to-school blues.
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
The prosecutor in the case of three firefighters convicted of charges in a firehouse scuffle last year wants at least two of them barred from their line officer positions within the department.
“The state believes they should not be allowed back into their positions,” said Little Silver Prosecutor Mike Halfacre, who is also the mayor of neighboring Fair Haven. “Forfeiture (of their positions) in my eyes, and in the state’s eyes, is automatic.”
A Sea Bright Fire Department engine truck on display at the department’s wet-down celebration, shortly before three firefighters got into a scuffle that led to charges. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
Two brothers accused of assaulting a fellow volunteer firefighter last year were found guilty of all related charges Thursday, according to court documents obtained by redbankgreen.
But their act of violence upon Justin Hughes at a wet-down celebration October 9 wasn’t unprovoked, the judge said. Hughes was also found guilty of harassment and disorderly conduct.
Thursday’s docket, below, for the case of three Sea Bright firefighters involved in a fight at the borough firehouse last year. (Click to enlarge)
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
Two Sea Bright firefighters accused of roughing up a fellow volunteer last year were provoked by insults hurled by the victim, who said one of the assailants should have been killed in Iraq, their defense attorney said Thursday.
In a drawn-out day of testimony at Little Silver municipal court, the two sides offered conflicting accounts of what started the scuffle, which sent 28-year-old firefighter Justin Hughes to the hospital.
And although it was the second day of testimony, this time a marathon five hours’ worth continued from May 5, the presiding judge reserved decision on the case.
The rides and games are staged and ready for the Sea Bright Firemens’ Fair. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
The Sea Bright Firemen’s Fair, if you haven’t been, is pretty much like any other you’d find in the area. Funnel cakes, games of chance, live music are all on tap.
But what sets this seaside celebration apart from most is one killer view.
“We’ve got a huge Ferris wheel and you can look right out into Manhattan,” said Kathy Morris, the borough’s recreation director.
Video of the October 9 firetruck wetdown in Sea Bright that preceded the alleged assault of a firefighter by two others.
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
A dramatic seven-minute video was the centerpiece of opening day in court as two Sea Bright volunteer firefighters went on trial Thursday for an alleged assault on a third.
Courtroom onlookers also heard testimony from two witnesses – one of them a Monmouth Beach cop – who filled in dialogue on the silent video and gave blow-by-blow accounts of the fight that followed a wet-down celebration for a new firetruck last October 9.
Three Sea Bright firefighters will face charges stemming from an altercation during the wet-down party for this new fire truck in October. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
When Sea Bright’s government held its annual reorganization meeting at the beginning of the year, notably missing from the appointments were two slots for line officers on the fire department.
Five months later, the assistant chief and second lieutenant roles have yet to be filled.
That’s because the two volunteers in line for those positions, a pair of brothers, are awaiting a court hearing for an alleged assault – against a fellow firefighter, who also has charges against him.
Local firefighters trained in Sea Bright yesterday using extrication tools and methods. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
One car t-boned another. A third car was tumbled on its side. And a fourth was flipped onto its roof.
No injuries reported.
The scene was not, in fact, a gnarly multi-car wreck, but a dummy set-up for firefighters from Rumson, Sea Bright and Sandy Hook to sharpen their vehicle rescue skills.
Councilman Read Murphy reads an overview of Sea Bright’s budget Tuesday night. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
A drop in revenues and increases in costs will drive taxes up in Sea Bright this year, despite the borough’s slash in spending, officials announced on Tuesday.
The council introduced its $5.19 million spending plan for 2011 Tuesday night, a $152,600, or 3 percent, decrease from last year’s budget.
But that won’t translate to a decrease in the tax rate.
One car flipped in a late-morning accident on Rumson Road Saturday. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
A two-car accident on Rumson Road sent an unknown number of people to the hospital Saturday morning and left an ugly scene for emergency responders to clean up.
Fire Chief Kevin McCarthy said those involved in the accident, in which a white Lexus sports utility vehicle flipped over on the side of the road, were taken to the hospital with unknown injuries.
“Everybody was out of the area when we got here,” he said at about 11a.
This is the second accident on Rumson Road in two days.
Six Little Silver Volunteer Fire Department officers were sworn in to their posts Monday. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
With the turn of the calendar to 2011, so comes a change of command ’round the Green.
Although many of the same volunteers will be responding to emergency calls, from a slip on an icy sidewalk to an actual blaze, the leaders at area fire departments are different from last year.
To get you up to speed, here’s a quick rundown of your new fire chiefs, all of whose terms expire December 31.
High winds knocked down six utility poles on New Street in Sea Bright, forcing the closure of Ocean Avenue. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
A young woman suffered minor injuries in Sea Bright today as high winds knocked down six utility poles on New Street.
The unidentified child suffered an electrical shock inside a residence, said Read Murphy, a councilman and volunteer responder.
A reverse 911 alert also reported that a large amount of fuel oil is running into the borough’s sewer system and the adjacent Shrewsbury River. A Monmouth County hazmat team has been called to the scene. redbankgreen could not immediately confirm that information.
“We’ve got a total mess down here,” said Murphy, whose son, Chad, is the fire chief.
Sea Bright Fire Department’s newest addition. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
Since buying a new fire truck this summer, Sea Bright’s fire department has put it to work, dumping water on fires from Monmouth Beach to Highlands.
Now it’s time for the department’s ladder truck to get wet.
On Saturday, the department will initiate its half-million dollar apparatus with a wet-down at the station, replete with typical firehouse party stuff: food, drinks and a pig on a spit.