City Council Meeting Eulogizes Longtime Resident Charles Renda

At Wednesday night's city council meeting, council members and members of the public took turns eulogizing a recently deceased city resident whose death they said would be a great loss to the city.

Charles Renda of Harvey Street, passed away on Aug. 12 at the age of 69. He practiced law in New Brunswick and served as a volunteer for entities around the city, including the New Brunswick Senior Center and the New Brunswick Free Public Library.

He was also a fixture at city council meetings, asking questions and giving feedback on resolutions at each meeting.

Council president Robert Recine described Renda as a "caring, civic-minded person."

Recine said that Renda started coming to meetings 16 years ago, when Recine began his time serving on council.

Renda had an interest in tomatoes and fig trees, and would often bring the fruits to him, Recine said.

"(It was) quite a bit of a shock to find out about (his death) and he will be missed," Recine said.

Resident Charlie Kratovil, who is running for a city council seat in November, praised Renda at length, and asked the council to turn the table at the front of the room at which they sit, so all members of the council would be facing the public.

It was a "dying wish" of Renda's, and something he brought up at meetings in the past, Kratovil said.

Recine said it would be "disingenuous" to turn the table at Wednesday's meeting, as they hadn't done it while Renda was alive.

However, a redesign was coming to council chambers in which the table will be turned to resemble a dais at which all council members will face the public, Recine said.

Kratovil said that Renda was a "watchdog over the council" who focused his energy on "positive things," and requested that the council consider naming something after him.

City resident and council candidate Yolonda Baker, a running mate of Kratovil, said she admired how Renda had "passion" about the issues he spoke about, and liked how he always spoke his mind at meetings and gave copious feedback to the council.

Recine suggested that anyone wishing to honor Renda's memory do so by volunteering around the city, as Renda was a longtime volunteer, he said.

The two young boys who were also talked about at length, as residents asked what the city could do to prevent future drownings.

New Brunswick Democratic Committeeman Cedric Goodman asked if the city could consider safety measures along the riverbanks, such as fences or "No Swimming" signs to deter people from entering the river. 

Recine said that the forthcoming community pool that is under construction at the will be available for city kids to use, and will be the site of a program that will provide swimming lessons through the school district for all fifth graders.

Dave Blevins, coordinator of the city's Play S.A.F.E. summer camp, said the program provides some swimming trips for the children involved. However, the boys were not enrolled in this summer's Play S.A.F.E. program, he said.

City activist Tormel Pittman asked the council why the police department's boat, used for patrol and water rescues and recovery, was not docked in New Brunswick, if needed for emergency situations.

Cpt. J.T. Miller of New Brunswick Police said the boat was docked in Edison because the New Brunswick Landing was not available when the department began using the boat, and because the Edison dock has 24-hour security, which the New Brunswick Landing does not.

New Brunswick Fire Department Director Robert Rawls said the fire department has two smaller boats that are kept locally, which were used in the search for the two boys and ultimately, retrieved them from the water.

A resident brought up the topic of starting a memorial for the two boys at the River where residents can come and lay flowers. City Business Administrator Thomas Loughlin said anywhere in Boyd Park would most likely be an acceptable place for a memorial.