Prosecutor: Former Cop, Gang Members Found Guilty After Major Racketeering, Drug, Weapons Bust

A jury returned guilty verdicts on Wednesday on most of the charges that a former Asbury Park police officer and a pair of criminal street gang members were facing during a trial of what was dubbed Operation Dead End that began in May, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced on Thursday.

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Fair Haven’s New Tennis Courts Unveiled

New tennis courts in Fair Haven Fields
Photo/Fair Haven Borough

The Borough of Fair Haven, in collaboration with Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Board of Education, has unveiled the new tennis courts at Fair Haven Fields.

Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony today, the Shore Conference Tennis Tournament, between the RFH Girls Tennis Team and Mater Dei broke in the brand new courts.

The tennis courts project background, from Fair Haven borough …

This construction project represents a significant capital investment in new and expanded tennis facilities at Fair Haven Fields, Ridge Road in Fair Haven. The project is unique in that five new tennis courts were jointly funded by the two separate public entities, through an interlocal agreement between the borough and the RFH Board of Education. The interlocal agreement was deemed one that would pare down costs significantly.

In 2016, the Borough’s four existing tennis courts, which were located in Fair Haven Fields, were old, crack- ridden and needed to be completely replaced.

At the same time, the RFH tennis courts were also in need of extensive repairs and that facility was unable to accommodate a high school tennis match in one location. Additionally, the regional high school was in need of more recreational space on their campus, which could be achieved by relocating their tennis court facilities.

With the support of the Fair Haven Borough Council and the RFH board, Fair Haven Borough Administrator Theresa Casagrande and RFH Business Administrator Frank Gripp pooled professional resources for both the interlocal agreement and construction and restoration plans for the courts and site.

Here’s how it works …

The borough and the board will split the total cost of the entire project. The interlocal agreement includes provisions for future court maintenance.

The joint project will provide the public and Fair Haven schools’ and RFH’s students with a new tennis facility for many years to come.

Sharing facilities and splitting the associated construction costs for these new courts enabled each public entity to save a significant amount of money, on behalf of the tax payers of both Rumson and Fair Haven.

The new courts will be home to the RFH Girls Tennis Team in the fall season and the Fair Haven Knollwood School and RFH Boys tennis team in the spring season.

Aside from limited school team use and borough-approved camps, etc., the courts will be open to the public. Two of the new courts have also been painted for pickle ball, a fast-growing, popular sport for active adults.

Bikes, skateboards, rollerblades, etc. are not permitted on the new courts, as they will diminish their condition.

— Press release from Fair Haven Borough

Rumson & Monmouth U Forge Partnership to Build Marine Research Facility on River

Monmouth University and the Rumson officials unveiled plans Tuesday to develop a new Monmouth Marine and Environmental Field Station on the swath of borough property located on the banks of the Navesink River behind borough hall.

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Retro RFH Football Boys

With the advent of the football season comes memories of old days when the RFH Band played on with more members, but many may not recall that the football team was small.

Band was big in the 1970s. But, going back more than half a century, like back to the 1930s, when RFH was Rumson High School, the football team appeared small. There was no regional. And the population was, well, small. There were sprawling estates, farms (with a lot of asparagus growing wild) and berries aplenty for picking.

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Memorial Set for Former Fair Havenite Chris Rumph, 65

The Fair Haven community is mourning the loss of former resident Christopher Rumph, who will be remembered at a service on Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Thompson Memorial Home in Red Bank.  

The following is his obituary, as prepared by his family and shared by Thompson … 

Chris Rumph
Photo/courtesy of Thompson Memorial Home

Christopher Charles Rumph was born on August 1, 1952 and passed away peacefully on September 22, 2017. Chris was a humble, hilarious, and giving man. He left the physical world in the comfort of his own home surrounded by his wife and children after a courageous fight against cancer over the last four years.

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Remembering Former Fair Havenite, RFHer, Neighbor, Carly Emmons

Carly Emmons
Photo/courtesy of Thompson Memorial Home

She had bright red lips, a pearly white smile, twinkly eyes and always a wink, a wave and some love for a neighbor. She was former Fair Havenite Carly Emmons and she passed away peacefully on Sept. 19 at the age of 84.

Her voice had a distinct ring. It was unabashedly friendly, even a bit exotic. She gushed community love when she said hello in the aisles of the Fair Haven Acme back in the 1970s — always the fashion icon of the supermarket, usually capping a tasteful outfit with some sort of fashionable hat as she waved enthusiastically with a, “Hello, dear!” and a cheek kiss and hug to all she met up with.

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