Unanswered Questions Prompt Westside Summit

There was a time for grieving, a time for mourning, and a time for remembrance, and now it’s time for a change. More than a month removed from the stabbing death of Larry Yarbrough, Jr. there are still questions - still concerns - plaguing those who call the Westside of Red Bank home.

Now is the time to find the resolution.

On Saturday, an event called “A Time to Talk about Red Bank,” will be held to help unite members of the neighborhood, the larger community, and public officials in an open discussion aimed at resolving conflicts some say still remain following Yarbrough’s death.

Touted as an event aimed at bringing positive change, the meeting seeks discussion about. Community Organizer Linda Clark, who , known as “Froggy,” as well as this and another community meetings, said she’d like to bring awareness to the issues facing the borough and the west side of town.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty,” she said. “We’re trying to find some positive solutions, give people an opportunity to voice their concerns. I’ve had a lot of feedback come through and I’ve met with people on a one-on-one basis, but this is a chance for the community to discuss the issues they’re facing.”

An issue that was raised immediately following the arrests of two Hispanic men in connection with Yarbrough’s death and has yet to cease is what Clark and other’s in the neighborhood believe to be the presence of illegal immigrants.

Though she was quick to say the matter was not one of race, Clark said the lack of recognition and enforcement of ordinances limiting overcrowding in rental units makes it difficult to identify and track a criminal element that may be leeching into Westside neighborhoods.

Mayor Pat Menna has publicly defended code enforcement, saying that there have been relatively few incidents of overcrowding, and when there are still penalties have been levied against property owners. Still, Clark, and several other people who spoke at Yarbrough’s vigil, believe otherwise.

“My nieces and nephews have to walk these streets at night; I don’t even feel safe walking these streets at night,” she said. “I do think there’s got to be a way to bridge the gap in communication. We need to look for effective measures that identify the problem an create solutions.”

Clark said it’s not just a west side of town problem, but a Red Bank problem that affects all of the borough’s residents. She also lamented the attention, or lack thereof, that’s paid to neighborhoods on the west side of town.

There’s still the issue of Yarbrough’s death to deal with, too, she said. While two men were arrested with the Aug. 7 murder, Clark said the police and prosecutor’s office have been mum when it comes to providing more detailed information of that night. What’s been said publicly is that Yarbrough was stabbed while trying to defend a friend in a fight among a large group of people. His innocence has been claimed by officials like Menna, but when it comes to information about why the fight started that early Sunday morning, who was involved, or if it’s part of a larger issue, well, officials don’t have any words for that.

But, she said, the blame for neglect can’t fall squarely on the shoulders of borough officials. Residents need to make their voices heard. Instead of discussing issues amongst themselves, Clark said residents need to take advantage of the opportunities to address officials.

“It’s what we need. We need a behavior change in Red Bank,” she said. “There are things we need to discuss, let’s go to the ones who are in office, the ones who say they want to represent Red Bank and come up with some type of solutions.”

The event is being held at 3 p.m. at the Calvary Baptist Church on the corner of River Street and Bridge Avenue. It’s being hosted by the Count the Children Movement, Calvary Baptist Church, Pilgrim Baptist Church, Mt. Zion AME Church, and the Greater Red Bank NAACP.