News
Borough Reaches Compromise On Renaming Locust Avenue
By John Burton
RED BANK - Locust Avenue will remain Locust Avenue, but it will receive an honorary designation as Justice O'Hern Avenue.
Mayor Pasquale Menna and four of the six-member Borough Council present at Monday evening's meeting agreed to amend a proposed ordinance that would have formally changed the name of Locust Avenue to Justice O'Hern Avenue, honoring Daniel J. O'Hern, the recently deceased borough native who had served as a justice for the state Supreme Court, as well as mayor and borough councilman earlier in his career.
When the ordinance was introduced at the June 22 council meeting, Locust Avenue resident Amy Goldsmith expressed some concern over the consequences to residents that would occur with the official name change.
Goldsmith stressed to the governing body that while she agreed with the idea of honoring O'Hern, she believed that changing the name of the west side residential street created an undue burden for those who lived there.
She suggested alternatives such as possibly dedicating the borough's municipal court, or erecting a monument on borough-owned property.
Goldsmith had even begun collecting names on a petition requesting that borough officials find another way of acknowledging O'Hern's contribution to the community.
"Everybody wanted to honor the judge but just felt there was a better way to do it," Goldsmith told the council on Monday.
In response, Menna on Monday offered a change to the original ordinance that would simply add a sign below the existing one making the name change an honorary one.
Menna said he had communicated with the O'Hern family, noting, ""They do not wish that this intent to do a nice thing be mired in controversy."
"There's no controversy here," Goldsmith responded, adding, 'we just wanted to honor him."
