The intersection of Drs. James Parker Boulevard and Bridge Avenue as it appeared this week. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
The sun won’t go down on a “tactical urbanist” experiment undertaken to improve traffic safety at a tricky Red Bank intersection earlier this year, redbankgreen has learned.
Much as they did a year ago for Monmouth Street (above), student planners from Rutgers University’s Bloustein School will offer suggestions for improving Red Bank’s Shrewsbury Avenue corridor as well as the Navesink River waterfront next week.
Student planners from Rutgers led the information-gathering session at the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center. Below, a map on display at the event. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Worries about gentrification and pedestrian safety were at the fore as Red Bank residents gathered for a brainstorming session about the future of Shrewsbury Avenue Wednesday night.
Student planners from Rutgers will solicit ideas for improving neighborhoods along Shrewsbury Avenue. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Here’s a ‘magic wand’ question for you: if you could instantly transform Shrewsbury Avenue in Red Bank, what would it become?
Ditto for creating direct access to the Navesink River from Broad Street: what’s your dream?
Borough residents and other interested parties will get to weigh in on those questions and more Wednesday night.
Borough officials said more intersections may get the bold-paint treatment used at Drs. Parker Boulevard and Bridge Avenue. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
A month after the roadway at a Red Bank intersection was painted over with a giant, vivid sun on a field of turquoise, officials gathered there this week to explain and defend it.
The intersection of Drs. Parker Boulevard and Bridge Avenue in Red Bank got a new look earlier this week: an eye-popping, curb-to-curb road painting that looks something like a cross between the national flags of Brazil and Kazakhstan.
What’s Going On Here? Click ‘read more’ for the answer. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
Brad Chavero of Red Bank, a student at RBR’s Academy of Engineering, stands in front of Harvard University, where he was able to attend a very competitive camp for advanced math students this summer. He also spent a month at the Rutgers’ campus for the Governor’s School of Engineering and Technology.
Press release from Red Bank Regional High School
While the American Dream may seem a futile quest for some today, first generation American Brad Chavero, a top student and member of the Academy of Engineering at Red Bank Regional High School, is determined to take advantage of every opportunity presented to him to succeed.
This summer, Brad was able to attend not just one, but two very prestigious programs to further his educational experiences. In July, Brad was selected as one of only 72 students in New Jersey to attend the Governor’s School of Engineering and Technology at Rutgers at B.E.S.T. (Busch, Engineering, Science and Technology) Hall. No sooner had Brad returned home from his Rutgers’ camp than he and his father set out the next day to attend a second two-week camp for advanced math students — this one on the Cambridge, MA campus of Harvard University.
Press release from Red Bank Regional High School
On Friday, May 12, at 7 pm, the dance majors of the Visual and Performing Arts Academy at Red Bank Regional High School present their “Spring Dance Extravaganza” inside the theatre of the school at 101 Ridge Road in Little Silver.
The 7 p.m. show will feature 24 pieces, with RBR dance teacher Cara Scacco, describing the program as “a lot of yearning, emotional lyrical pieces in addition to contemporary, hip hop, ballet, jazz, pointe and tap.”
Choreographers include the students, as well as their teacher and two special guest artists, both graduates of Rutgers University — MaryAlice Crelin, whose “fun sassy commercial jazz piece” for the juniors and seniors will open the show, and Garamh Kim, who is teaching the underclassmen a traditional Korean piece.
Left to right: An April 19 “Tree Talk” conference drew the participation of William Gerth (Shrewsbury), Christian Burns (Fair Haven), Professor Jason Grabosky (Rutgers University), plus Wayne Greenleaf, Steve Barrett, and Kristen Hall (Rumson). (photo by Christopher Rodriguez)
Press release from Christopher Rodriguez, Fair Haven Borough Council
The local communities of Fair Haven, Rumson, Little Silver and Shrewsbury came together on April 19 as a broader group for a discussion about our trees — the ones that benefit our environment, as well as some we can avoid — in a public-welcome meeting of the Two Rivers Shade Tree Alliance.
During the Tree Talk at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, Shade Tree Commissioners from the four towns hosted and engaging presentation by Rutgers University professor Jason Grabosky. The professor, a local expert in urban forestry, ecology and natural resources, conducted an interactive slideshow presentation, and entertained questions from the dozens of local residents in attendance.
Press release from Brookdale Community College
On Sunday, April 2, high school students, career-changers and residents of all ages are invited to visit Brookdale Community College for the annual Spring Open House event.
Beginning at 12 p.m., the Collins Arena on the Lincroft campus will offer guests an opportunity to meet with Brookdale staff, ask questions and explore more than 50 degree and career training programs offered through the college.
Attendees will be able to take customized “academic tours” and meet with representatives from Brookdale’s four Academic Institutes: Business and Social Science; Health Sciences; Humanities; and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Students and parents can take guided tours of Brookdale’s 220-acre campus and explore college facilities including technology labs, arts studios, performance spaces, classrooms, lounges and newly remodeled science labs.
Press release from Rumson School District
It starts with the question, “How can we make the world a better place?” To answer that question 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students imagine, research, design, and build model “Future Cities” that showcase their solution to a citywide sustainability issue.
On January 14, Forrestdale School sent eighth grade students Jackson Patton and Lang Daly to Rutgers University to represent their fellow members of the school’s Future City Team, in the 25th annual Future City Competition — an event at which Forrestdale’s future city, named Forrestopia, was granted the “Most Environmentally Friendly City” award.
Press release from Brookdale Community College
On Sunday, November 6, Brookdale Community College will hold its annual Fall Open House inside the Collins Arena on the Lincroft campus.
Between the hours of 12 to 3 p.m., high school students, career-changers and residents of all ages are invited to meet with Brookdale staff, ask questions and explore more than 50 degree and career training programs offered through the college.
For the first time, attendees will also be able to take customized “academic tours” and meet with representatives from Brookdale’s four Academic Institutes: Business and Social Science; Health Sciences; Humanities; and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Press release from The Community YMCA
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people between the ages of 10 and 24 — and here in Monmouth County, The Community YMCA is taking the lead in a coalition aimed at preventing youth suicide.
The Traumatic Loss Coalition for Youth is a year-round statewide program created to provide support for schools and communities who have experienced suicide or other traumatic loss, and to work together to prevent suicide. The Monmouth County coalition is made up of over 140 members, including school personnel, medical personnel, law enforcement officials and mental health providers.
The Shrewsbury-based Community YMCA was selected in November 2015 to lead the local arm of the statewide network. The program is operated by the Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, and funded by the New Jersey Department of Children & Families, Division of Children’s System of Care.
From press materials issued by Brookdale Community College
On April 21 and 24, Brookdale Community College will host two separate events for high school students, career-changers and residents of all ages; designed to present comprehensive information on continuing education in a one-stop setting.
Representatives from more than 200 colleges and universities will be on hand at the Spring 2016 Monmouth County College and Transfer Fair, set for Thursday, April 21 inside the Robert J. Collins Arena at BCC. Between 6 and 8:30 p.m., county high school students and their parents are invited to meet face-to-face with college representatives and learn about available academic programs, financial aid opportunities, campus life, the application process and more. Current Brookdale students are also invited to meet with representatives from potential transfer schools during the free public event, sponsored by the Monmouth County Guidance Directors Association and Brookdale.
Represented institutions include schools from across the northeast, the south and the Midwest, including Rutgers, Penn State and Michigan State universities, as well as the University of Miami, Virginia Tech and the University of Arizona (go here for a full list of participating schools).
Monmouth County high school guidance counselors will also host a “Help Table” at the fair offering guidance to students about the college selection process. Robert Franek, senior vice president at the Princeton Review and lead author of the book “Colleges That Create Futures,” will provide a keynote address at 6 p.m. For more information please contact your local high school guidance office or call Brookdale Recruitment Services at (732)224-1857.
Press release from Brookdale Community College
Female engineering students and faculty will welcome local Girl Scouts to the Lincroft campus of Brookdale Community College on April 23, for an interactive program designed to interest girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.
The program, held for the third consecutive year, is sponsored by the Brookdale STEM Institute, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore. It will feature an informal engineering competition requiring the Girl Scouts to build a functioning “roller coaster” out of raw materials such as cardboard tubes and paper cups.
Press release from Brookdale Community College
According to a December 2015 report by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), only 55 percent of New Jersey’s waters fully support one of the department’s five designated uses of water resources: water supply, recreation, aquatic life, shellfish harvest and fish consumption. The other forty-five percent support none.
What does this mean to our daily life here in the Garden State? How do watersheds function? What do we need to do to protect our supply of drinking water? And could what happened in Flint, Michigan also occur here?
On the evening of Wednesday, April 13, Brookdale Community College invites all members of the community to hear answers to these and other questions, during a free panel discussion on local drinking water, water quality and the potential risks to statewide water supplies.
Press release from Congregation B’nai Israel
Novelist Pam Jenoff served as Vice Consul for the US State Department in Krakow, Poland and is an expert on Poland and the Holocaust. On the morning of Sunday, February 28, Pam Jenoff speaks at Congregation B’nai Israel in Rumson about the role her State Department experiences played in shaping many of her novels.
Jenoff’s internationally best-selling debut novel The Kommandant’s Girl was based on actual events and was cited by Publisher’s weekly for its “luminous simplicity….”and hailed as “a breathtaking debut. “ This poignant Holocaust story – a suspenseful “page-turner” – is on the reading list of several area Book Clubs. Jenoff’s talk will be followed by book sales and author signings.
Press release from Rumson Garden Club
On Tuesday, December 8, the Rumson Garden Club hosts Rutgers Gardens director Bruce Crawford in a special public lecture entitled “A Designer’s Love Affair With Trees.” Scheduled for 6 pm at Bingham Hall (40 Bingham Avenue in Rumson, the free lecture is open to the public.
An adjunct professor in the Landscape Architecture Department at Rutgers University, Crawford supervises the official botanic garden at the school’s New Brunswick campus. In addition to managing, designing and developing the 180 acres of the Rutgers Gardens, he teaches and shares his love of fun and unusual plants with students, garden clubs, Master Gardeners, community groups and Rutgers Gardens visitors.
Press release from Brookdale Community College
This fall, and for the first time, Brookdale Community College will host two open house events, featuring expanded offerings for adult learners, career-changers and residents returning to the classroom.
Brookdale’s college-wide Fall Open House, open to high-school students, prospective college students and residents of all ages, will be held from 12 to 2 pm on Sunday, November 15 at Brookdale’s Collins Arena on the Lincroft campus.
Brookdale’s new Adult Open House, designed specifically for residents age 24 and over, will be held on Tuesday, November 17 from 4:30 to 7 pm, inside the Brookdale Student Life Center.
They say that a person’s choice of Halloween costume reflects a lot about who they are on the inside — but while Abby Shaw doesn’t appear at first glance to be sporting an angel’s wings or a superhero’s cape, the 13 year old Rumson resident has figuratively suited up each of the past five Halloween seasons, on a do-good mission of her own devising.
Since the fall of 2011, during her days as a fourth grader at Forrestdale School, Abby has operated her own charitable enterprise, through which she collects donated Halloween costumes and distributes them to area kids in need.
Five years on, Abby’s Costumes for Kids Collection may not rank among the world’s most internationally recognizable nonprofit entities — but the smiles that have resulted from one kid’s hard work and positive energy have cured many cases of the trick-or-treat blues, and shown how a deceptively simple idea can capture a community’s imagination.
Part public science project, part beat-the-clock fun competition, the second annual Bio-Blitz invites all members of the community to help take a snapshot of the diversity of plant and animal life on Sandy Hook.
Press release from American Littoral Society
It’s part contest (racing against the 24-hour clock), part educational event, part scientific endeavor, and all fun — it’s the second annual Bio-Blitz, and starting right now the American Littoral Society is inviting the public to take part in a major undertaking on September 18 and 19, designed to “create a snapshot” of Sandy Hook’s biodiversity.
By identifying as many species as possible during that 24-hour period, the Littoral Society can paint a picture of 2015 Sandy Hook, and the breathtaking array of plants, fish, birds, bugs, reptiles and furry creatures who make their summer home on the peninsula. Collected over time, this data can lead to valuable information about the effects of climate change and habitat degradation on the species that utilize this area. This will also be a unique opportunity to teach the public about the biodiversity that exists along New Jersey’s coast — particularly the unique mix of species that’s found only within the Gateway National Recreation Area.
Manx bluesmaster Davy Knowles is the main-man musical guest at the 18th annual Brookdale Guitar Show – merely the biggest of several special events on campus this Sunday.
By all traditional expectations a quiet day on campus, this Sunday promises to keep the Route 520 roundabout out front of Brookdale Community College humming with visitors to the sprawling Lincroft complex.
All members of the general public are being welcomed as BCC hosts its annual Spring Open House between 12 and 2 pm, inside the Robert J. Collins Arena. Current high schoolers and the career-changing curious are invited to learn about the more than 50 degree and certificate programs offered at the county college, with guided tours available and faculty advisors from all departments on hand to answer questions about course curricula, scholarships, grants, financial aid, job training and four-year programs.
Also on-site will be representatives from partner universities such as Georgian Court and Rutgers, available for questions on streamlined transfer agreements and discounted tuition. Complimentary refreshments will be furnished by Brookdale’s Culinary Education Center, and parking for the event is available in lots 6 or 7. Take it here for more info — and take it around the corner for more happenings on campus this April 12.
Press release from Congregation B’Nai Israel
Fraidy Reiss was 19 years old when her family arranged for her to marry a man who turned out to be abusive. For the next 12 years, with no education and no job and a family that refused to help her, Reiss had nowhere to turn. Defying her husband and relatives she applied to and then graduated from Rutgers University, at age 32. With a degree in journalism, Reiss was hired as a reporter for the Asbury Park Press, eventually getting promoted to the paper’s elite investigative-reporting team and going on to have a career as a private investigator. With a job, money and confidence, Reiss was able to get divorced, win custody of her children and get a restraining order against her ex-husband.
On Tuesday, December 9, 2014 at 10 am, Congregation B’Nai Israel (CBI) in Rumson is pleased to announce that Reiss will speak at a Breakfast Event sponsored by CBI Adult Education and Ezra committees, as well as Red Bank Hadassah. Reiss will not only speak about her inspiring personal journey but also about the organization she founded, Unchained At Last, the only non-profit in the United States that provides free legal and social services to help women of all religions leave arranged and forced marriages.
Red Bank Regional Multinational Club’s Jorge Benavides (left) with RBR Principal Risa Clay, club member Vandeka Rodgers, RBR alumnus/ keynote speaker Andres Perez and club member Fabiana Villegas.
Press release from Red Bank Regional High School
On October 21, Red Bank Regional High School, a richly diverse high school, celebrated its students’ Hispanic roots at an assembly in observance of Hispanic Heritage Month.
RBR Senior Jorge Benavides opened the program, developed by the school’s Multinational Club with co-advisors Karina Tedeschi and Odilia Lligui, with a speech he wrote and delivered in Spanish. RBR Principal Risa Clay translated it in English for the student body.
Jorge told his fellow students, “We are proud of our accomplishments, our roots and our values. Family comes first and so does sharing. Despite many hardships, our people thrive through hard work and happiness.”
