The front yard of a vacant house at 98 East Front Street is overgrown with weeds. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Red Bank is cracking down on property-based quality-of-life issues, borough officials said last week.
Word of a ramp-up of code enforcement — including foot patrols — for matters like unmowed lawns and rubbish came in response to a complaint that some residents have been threatened with fines for minor infractions.
The owner of Bark Avenue Puppies on West Front Street had threatened to sue the borough if it enacted the proposed ban on dogs supplied by breeders. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
After seven months of controversy, Red Bank’s proposed ban on the sale of “puppy mill” pets was withdrawn over a failure to win council backing Wednesday night.
Amanda Hager of Bark Avenue Puppies with one of the shop’s French bulldogs in 2016. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
A month after it was tabled to allow for a possible compromise, a controversial proposal to regulate puppy sales may return to the Red Bank council Wednesday night.
Bark Avenue owner Gary Hager listens as Vyolet Jean Savage speaks in favor of a puppy mill ordinance in January. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
The Red Bank council averted, for now, a showdown over a controversial proposed ordinance that would ban the retail sale of puppies and kittens unless they come from animal shelters and rescue organizations.
At its semimonthly meeting Wednesday night, the council postponed a vote on the measure until June 27 to allow for a possible “compromise,” Councilwoman Kathy Horgan told redbankgreen.
Toy poodle pups at Bark Avenue Puppies in February, 2016. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Red Bank’s only puppy retailer threatened to sue the borough Wednesday night if the council passes an anti-puppy-mill law that he said will put him out of business.
“I must ask how much of our taxpayer money are you willing to spend on this unconstitutional ordinance?” Bark Avenue Puppies owner Gary Hager asked the council at its semimonthly meeting. “I’m willing to spend a lot, because I have right on my side.”
A car left on South Street during the storm. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
For the second time this year, a snowstorm that plopped about a foot of snow on Red BankWednesday and early Thursday came with a blizzard of parking tickets.
Police issued 260 parking violations during the storm, tying a one-day record set during a January 4 storm, police Chief Darren McConnell tells redbankgreen.
By JOHN T. WARD
This week’s snowstorm was no match for a January blizzard, both in terms of of the amount of white stuff left behind and the number of parking tickets issued by Red Bank police.
In contrast to the ticket blizzard that racked up 260 parking violations during the January 4 and 5 storm, the latest storm prompted just 25 tickets, police Chief Darren McConnell told redbankgreen.
A proposed ordinance that Red Bank’s only puppy store claims will kill its business is up for adoption by the borough council Wednesday night. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
Bark Avenue owner Gary Hager cuddles Winston, a puppy brought to the council meeting by one of Hager’s customers. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
An effort to limit the sale of dogs sourced from so-called puppy mills sparked extended debate at the Red Bank council’s first regular meeting of 2018 Wednesday night.
For nearly 90 minutes, supporters of the town’s only puppy retailer, Bark Avenue Puppies, argued that the proposed ordinance would kill the shop and reduce consumer choice while having no impact on the underside of the industry.
Proponents of the bill, however, said such concerns were overstated.
Oakland Street between Shrewsbury and Bridge avenues had a mix of vehicles that had been dug out, and others that were left untouched as of 6 a.m. Friday. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
A snowstorm that plopped about a foot of snow on Red Bank also prompted a blizzard of parking tickets Thursday and Friday.
Police issued a whopping 260 tickets during the storm, an apparent one-day record, police Chief Darren McConnell tells redbankgreen.
A Red Bank pet shop was among more than two dozen retailers statewide cited for violating a law aimed at giving consumers more information about animals for sale, the New Jersey Attorney General’s office said Monday.
Bark Avenue Puppies, on East Front Street, was cited for 50 alleged violations of amendments to the Pet Purchase Protection Act that went into effect last year, according to the state.
Gary Hager, who acquired the shop last summer, told redbankgreen that he had been unaware of the law, and “immediately rectified” the problems upon being notified by the Department of Community Affairs in August.
A Red Bank snow plow navigates around parked cars on Madison Avenue shortly before 9 a.m. Thursday. Police Chief Darren McConnell says no tickets were issued for overnight parking violations because “the snow started so late and was lighter than expected,” but two cars that hadn’t moved since the last storm were towed from Locust Avenue. The continuing storm has borough officials warning of summonses and possible towing for vehicles left out on streets Thursday night into Friday morning. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
