Home Care In Red Bank, NJ

RED BANK, NJ — Two celebrity performers are set to visit Monmouth County this summer when they headline the Count Basie Center’s Centennial Gala.

On Saturday, June 13, Josh Groban will headline the event with special guest Jennifer Hudson.

The gala will honor Chair of the Basie Center Board of Trustees Jeremy Grunin, alongside Count Basie Center Turner Academy student productions and Capulli Mexican Dance Community programs, according to the event website.

“Performing live has always been one of the greatest joys of my life, and getting to share these nights with Jennifer, someone I admire so deeply, makes it all the more special,” Groban said of the tour he and Hudson will be on together.

“These shows are going to be emotional, celebratory, and full of surprises,” he continued. “I can’t wait to see everyone this summer.”

The Centennial Gala is part of the Count Basie Center’s 16-month “Centennial Celebration,” which commemorates the organization’s century-long presence in Red Bank and impact throughout the Garden State.

So far, the celebration has welcomed a variety of events and projects to Monmouth County, ranging from a new outdoor performance venue to the 2026 Roast of New Jersey and the installation of the Basie Center’s Walk of Fame.

In September, Jersey icon Jon Bon Jovi became an inaugural inductee of the Walk of Fame, alongside William “Count” Basie, for whom the center was named.

Their inductions were followed by Darlene Love and The Smithereens in December, who each became the Walk of Fame’s third and fourth inductees.

According to Basie Center officials, the Walk of Fame aims to honor artists who have performed at the Basie Center, made an indelible impact on culture, and whose contributions reflect the enduring power of the arts.

“The Walk of Fame is a permanent way to honor the artists who have left their mark on the Basie Center and the world, while creating a legacy that will inspire generations to come,” Grunin previously said.

“By starting with Count Basie and Jon Bon Jovi, we are setting a standard that reminds us all of the extraordinary talent and impact that has come through the Basie Center doors, and will continue to, for the next hundred years and beyond,” he continued.

The Count Basie Center's Centennial Gala will begin at 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, with doors set to open at 7 p.m. It will take place at the Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre.

To learn more about Groban and Hudson’s appearance at the gala, or to purchase tickets, you can click here.

The Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre is located on the Basie Center Campus at 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank.

How’s that for a short commute? Denholtz HG across Chestnut Street from one of the parking lots it will develop. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)

It’s official: Red Bank developer Denholtz has been crowned the borough’s designated developer for the 25-acre swath of parking lots, railyards, catch basins, and buildings in the shadow of the company’s headquarters by the NJ Transit rail station.

Thursday’s unanimously-approved resolution was no surprise and largely a formality. But it was another step forward in what would be the largest development in town, perhaps since Sigmund Eisner and his sons built a bunch of uniform factories a few blocks away.

The Planning Boards and Borough Council both last year gave the okay to the redevelopment plan that sets broad parameters for what can be built.

It allows up to 400 apartments in buildings up to five stories; some ground floor retail space; two new streets and green space around the historic train station building. Twenty percent of the apartments would be set aside as affordable housing for income-eligible applicants. Working plans currently call for about 345 units in the project.

The resolution passed at Thursday’s meeting requires the deveoper to enter into an “Interim Cost and Conditional Redeveloper Agreement” or a funding agreement, to create an escrow account of money that will be paid to the borough to cover borough costs associated with the project.

Early site concept plans shown so far don’t call for any revolutionary or cutting-edge plans. Rather, they show boxy apartment buildings that resemble, at least in the sketches, many others popping up along NJ Transit’s train lines in recent years.

The next stage in the process will reveal whether that remains the plan, or the company has something more unique up its sleeve. The devleoper must now submit a down-to-the-inch site plans that require another round of review and approvals by the planning board.

To sample some of redbankgreen‘s previous in-depth coverage of the train station redevelopment plan click here.

The project will become the latest in a growing portfolio of a real estate investment firm that now manages more than $2 billion in assets nationwide.

Last month, the company launched the Denholtz Wealth Exchange, described as a “tax deferred real estate investment platform” and it launched it’s first Delaware Staturory Trust Offering (DST).

A DST is a legal entity under Delaware law that allows a company to buy real estate, then sell interests to investors who own fracational interests and can receive income without managing the property. Oh, and if they sell, they can avoid capital gains taxes.

The train station redevelopment is a mix of properties owned by New Jersey Transit and adjacent properties Denholtz has bought up over the last decade.

New Jersey Transit already named Denholtz the designated developer for the parking lots and other properties.

redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331.

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Red Bank, NJ: The Borough of Red Bank has been awarded $1 million in federal funding to support the removal and replacement of aging lead service lines—an investment that strengthens the community’s drinking water system and advances critical public health protections.

Ensuring safe, reliable drinking water is one of the most important responsibilities of local government, and Red Bank has been taking that responsibility seriously for years.

With this federal support, the Borough can move even faster on its ongoing Lead Service Line Replacement Program, a comprehensive, multi-year effort focused on protecting residents and strengthening water infrastructure for the long term.

The funding was secured by Frank Pallone Jr. through the federal Community Project Funding process and is part of a broader $2 million investment benefiting both Red Bank and Matawan.

This investment reflects Red Bank’s consistent, proactive approach to addressing aging infrastructure. Rather than waiting until deadlines approach, the Borough began this work early—carefully identifying lead service lines and replacing them through a coordinated, systemwide plan.

“This funding helps us keep doing the right thing for our community,” said Billy Portman, Mayor of Red Bank. “We’ve made real progress already, and this support allows us to stay on track—protecting our water, improving infrastructure, and keeping costs from falling on our residents.”

Lead service lines are a known concern in older communities, and replacing them requires detailed, behind-the-scenes work that takes time, technical expertise, and sustained investment. Red Bank has approached this effort with care—balancing construction timelines, system evaluations, and ongoing communication with residents to minimize disruption while making meaningful, lasting improvements.

“This federal investment allows the Borough to continue making smart, long-term infrastructure improvements without shifting additional costs onto our residents. Replacing lead service lines is complex, technical work that requires sustained planning and resources. This funding helps ensure we can move forward efficiently, responsibly, and with public health as our top priority.”

Federal funding of this scale allows the Borough to continue this critical work without slowing progress or shifting the burden onto local taxpayers.

It also underscores the importance of strong partnerships between local and federal leaders in addressing essential infrastructure projects that directly impact residents’ daily lives.

As Red Bank continues to grow and evolve, ensuring access to clean, reliable drinking water remains a top priority. This investment helps the Borough build on the progress already made and move forward with confidence—keeping public health, accountability, and community well-being at the center of the work.

Red Bank Catholic suffered its first loss of the season against Long Island Lutheran (NY) on Sunday, but playing the No. 3-ranked team in the country prepared the Caseys for their biggest win so far.

Red Bank Catholic, ranked No. 1 in the NJ.com Top 20, rallied in the second half and defeated No. 2 St. John Vianney 62-51 on Tuesday night.

“I think that game was a great preparation for us because they’re all amazing players,” Red Bank Catholic’s Katie Liggio said of the game against Long Island Lutheran. “I don’t think coach (Joe) Montano could have scheduled us a better game to play before because that game really prepared us for the speed of the game and the strength of the players.”

Tuesday’s victory was the Caseys’ fourth-straight win over St. John Vianney dating back to 2024. For the Lancers, the loss was the first of the season after a win over St. John’s College High School (DC), which was ranked No. 8 in the country by ESPN.

St. John Vianney’s Madison Kocis also recorded her 1,000th career point with a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter.

“They’re obviously a really good team, they’re the best team I think we are going to play this year and honestly I think we’re all grateful that we get to play such a great team every year,” Liggio said of St. John Vianney. “Not a lot of girls get to do that so it’s a great environment. And yeah we pulled through today but we still have to play them probably three more times.”

St. John Vianney led 12-10 after the first quarter and the game was tied 22-22 at the half. Red Bank Catholic opened the third quarter with five-straight points from Addy Nyemchek as the Caseys took a 27-22 lead with 7:08 remaining.

A 3-pointer from the Lancers’ Madison Kocis cut it to 27-25 but another basket from Nyemchek made it 29-25 with 5:08 remaining. A 3-pointer from Elisabeth Lyons and a basket from Gianna Sano gave the Lancers a 30-29 lead with 3:22 left, but a basket from Lola Giordano again put Red Bank Catholic in front, 31-30, with 2:37 left in the quarter.

St. John Vianney’s Taylor Sofilkanich hit a free throw to tie the game 31-31, but a 3-pointer from Liggio gave the Caseys a 34-31 lead with 2:21 remaining. Another two free throws from Sofilkanich cut the lead to one, 34-33, with two minutes to go, but another 3 from Liggio and back-to-back baskets from Tessa Liggio and Nyemchek put Red Bank Catholic in front 41-33 with 14.2 seconds left.

A bucket from Sano with 1.9 seconds left made it a 41-35 game after three.

“I just think a lot of missed shots, they were finishing, they were really working together and I think that they were capitalizing on our mistakes,” Tessa Liggio said of the first half. “The second half in our locker room we talked about them and said we have to fix these things if we’re going to win. I think in the third quarter we really capitalized on their mistakes and that kind of pushed our lead and sometimes when we get a lead it’s hard to come back from.”

In the fourth quarter Red Bank Catholic outscored St. John Vianney 21-16 for the 62-51 final.

“I think one thing about our team is our defense turns to offense,” Katie Liggio said. “Once we lock in on defense and we’re really just moving everywhere, I think no team can really stop us because we work so hard on defense and I think that’s what separates us.”

Nyemchek led with a game-high 22 points, with 17 points coming in the second half. Katie Liggio finished with 15 points and four rebounds while Tessa Liggio contributed 10 points and four rebounds. Sophie Smith chipped in eight points and added two rebounds.

For St. John Vianney, Kocis led with 17 points, including four 3s. Sofilkanich recorded 10 points and nine rebounds while Lockhart added 10 points and seven rebounds.

“I think we used our defense turns to offense, I think most of our points was from our defense and getting a stop,” Tessa Liggio said. “I also think that we capitalized on Katie’s shooting ability and we capitalized on how much they were over-playing Addy, which kind of opened the floor and got her shots.”

Masked agents in unmarked cars took at least one person away in handcuffs in a brief but tense interaction captured on video by bystanders on Locust Avenue in Red Bank Tuesday morning.

It is unclear what agency the agents work for. Some of the armed agents appeared to wear no identifying garb, with hats and masks covering their faces. Others wore vests that read simply “police” or “Federal Officer.”

An email sent by a reporter to a spokesperson for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Newark was not immediately returned.

The garb and tactics closely mirrored those employed by teams of agents from ICE, the FBI, DEA and other agencies employed in the Trump administration’s nationwide immigration dragnets.

In a pair of bystander videos and several photos viewed by redbankgreen (see video above) agents travelling in a half dozen unmarked cars appear to arrest one woman, placing her in handcuffs and loading her into a grey SUV with tinted windows shortly before 10 am.

One video shows them questioning three different people, including the employee of a landscaping company whose white van appeared to have been stopped. (See photo at right.) It is unclear how many were detained.

Officers then use three cars to pin in blue SUV further east on Leighton and appear to be questioning the driver. They appear to let him go.

“That’s not the person you’re looking for, now go,” a bystander, believed to be the person filming yells in one of the videos. “You didn’t have a reason to stop him. Ridiculous.”

Then, she adds in Spanish, “In what world are we living?”

The five unmarked cars then head east on Locust Avenue and drive away heading south on Shrewsbury Avenue.

ICE and other agencies have maintained a consistent presence in recent months, having conducted similar operations over three consecutive weekends in November.

redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331.

Do you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen? Please become a financial supporter if you haven’t already. Click here to set your own level of monthly or annual contribution.