Body of missing swimmer found at Sandy Hook identified

SANDY HOOK –Federal parks officials identified the man who died while swimming at Sandy Hook as a 25-year-old Red Bank man. Andros Vega-Pena was swimming with a group of people Wednesday evening at Beach B when he came into distress between 7:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m., said Daphne Yun, a spokeswoman for the National Park Service.… Read the rest of this entry »

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West Front Street Bridge To Close For Two Weeks In August

The newly constructed West Front Street Bridge, also known as the Hubbard Bridge, will be closed to motor vehicle traffic from 6 a.m. on Wednesday August 12 through Wednesday August 26, according to a statement by Freeholder Tom Arnone.

The bridge connects Middletown and Red Bank over the Swimming River.  It will be open to pedestrian traffic during the two week period.

The purpose of the closure is to allow utility workers to move overhead power lines off of the old bridge to newly constructed underground facilities, and to the contractor to reconstruct intersections on both the Red Bank and Middletown sides of the span.

Arnone said the other option was to have the contractors work in stages, over a twelve week period, which would have kept the bridge open but slowed traffic considerably for three months.  The chosen schedule, made in consultation with elected and administrative officials in both Red Bank and Middletown, will allow the bridge to reopen prior to the Labor Day Weekend and before the start of school.

“This schedule allows motorists to make adjustments to their travel plans for two weeks,” Arnone said.

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Red Bank Council President Art Murphy To Resign, Will Not Seek Another Term

Red Bank Council President Art Murphy

Red Bank Council President Art Murphy told MoreMonmouthMusingsthat he will resign from the borough council and he will not stand for reelection in November.  He expects to submit his resignation by Wednesday of next week.

“Yes, I am stepping down,” Murphy said when asked if he was resigning, “this has been in the works for a while. They’re (the Red Bank Democrats) are looking for my replacement.  I have a lot going on with my business.”

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Dyin for a quarter

Lyrics by Red Bank Council President Art Murphy

Someone going by the pseudonym “occupyredbank” has put Red Bank Council President Art Murphy’s drunken vulgar rant to music and published the tune on soundcloud.

Warning:  the lyrics are not work or child friendly.

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Authorities identify man shot to death in Eatontown

EATONTOWN – A 37-year-old Red Bank man has been identified as the victim of a fatal Friday morning shooting in the borough. Shortly before 12:15 a.m. Friday, Eatontown police responded to the entrance of Country Club Apartments, at the corner of Tilton Avenue and Country Club Road, after shots were fired at the location, the Monmouth… Read the rest of this entry »

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“Shock and Awe” Permeates the July Shore Fine Arts Scene

By April W. Klimley, Art Critic

The July 4^th weekend is a great time for gallery hopping. Many new exhibitions opened their doors last weekend, and I’m going to give you a run down on some of the most interesting—and provocative. The wide variety of artwork may surprise you, and some of it may even shock you.

A good place to start is at AJ Dillon gallery in Atlantic Highlands. The gallery has an exhibition that has been running all month called  “Stars and Stripes Forever.” It ends on July 4^th, but is well worth squeezing into your schedule.

Gallery owner Frank Leahy asked local artists to come up with their own interpretation of the American flag, or what they think of when they ponder the American flag. One interpretation that grabbed my attention was a large America flag hung sideways with Jimi Hendrix face painted on it. It’s called Don’t Tread on Red by Jana Moriarty. You’ll find it hanging in a place of distinction—a pillar-like wall to the right as you walk in the gallery.

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June Is a Great Month for Art Openings to the Shore—Not Just Weddings!

April W. Klimley

By April W. Klimley, Art Critic

June isn’t just for weddings, beach time or boating. The month has also brings with it a rebirth of creative energy and a potpourri of fine art openings, exhibitions, street art and murals. In fact, there’s so much to see—and so many exhibition openings— that it may be hard to decide what to see each weekend or even during the week. Let me help you decide by giving you a preview of what’s going on during the first half of the month.

This coming weekend there are two key openings taking place on the central part of the Shore. One takes place in Red Bank (June 6), the other in Shrewsbury (June 7).

Saturday June 6 head for the Art Alliance in Red Bank which is holding its final exhibit of the season—The Ebba Osborne Memorial Award Exhibition. A reception runs from 6 pmto 8 pm opening night with music and refreshments in the back room. The exhibit focuses on two themes—“Dreamy” and “Interior”—and a $100 prize will be awarded to the Best in Show. Asbury Park photographic artists Tom and Lois White are judging the exhibit. Their work will be on display in the Alliance windows.

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Stupid Parking Tricks in Red Bank

Red Bank Republicans and the business community are opposed to expanding the paid parking zone along Monmouth Street from Maple Avenue west to Bridge Avenue, and along a stretch of Bridge, according to reports on RedBankGreen.

Discussion to end a five year moratorium on parking fees in the area was tabled at Tuesday’s Council Meeting due to the absence of Mayor Pat Menna who is recovering from heart bypass surgery.  I wish Menna well and pray for his quick recovery.

I don’t know enough about the western Monmouth Street parking situation to opine, but if the businesses and Republicans think charging for parking is a bad idea, it probably is.   The wiring for the parking kiosks was installed in 2012 and 13 new kiosks will cost the borough $135,308.  $10,400 per kiosk, installed, sounds to me like more of a ripoff than $1 per hour to park.

What is really dumb about Red Bank’s paid parking is the coin operated meters in the heart of the business district located along side kiosks.

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West Front Street Bridge Reopened

Traveling through the heart of northeastern Monmouth County got a lot easier this week after State,County and Local officials celebrated the reopening of the West Front Street Bridge, AKA Hubbard’s Bridge, that connects Middletown and Red Bank over the Swimming River.

The five month long replacement project that came in as promised before the Memorial Day weekend.

The opening follows the construction of a new 488-foot long steel girder bridge to the north of the existing West Front Street Bridge.

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The Shore Fine Art Scene Is in Full Blossom

April W. Klimley

By April W. Klimley, Art Critic

Everything starts blooming in May—including the Shore art scene. All of a sudden, galleries and artists’ organizations are all holding openings.  It’s almost impossible to decide which to attend. The art scene may not be as broad and deep here as it is in New York City—where the auction houses sell the “best of the best” of modern during these weeks—from Picasso to Giacometti. But there’s a great deal of excitement and variety, and even more to come in June.

Opening this Friday the 15^th

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