The RFH Tower Players are in rehearsal for their spring musical production of The Secret Garden. The spring musical at the high school is long standing tradition — and one that has come with much accolades for fine artistic work.
Category Archives: Local Life
A look, in photos, of latest area events, local everyday people and places.
Retro Whistle Stop Smiles; Timeless Celebration of a Fair Haven Icon’s Birthday
Today would have marked the 89th birthday of Fair Haven’s Frank Leslie Sr., owner of the iconic Whistle Stop. In honor of that, we are sharing this piece originally posted on July 20, 2016. Happy Birthday, Mr. Leslie! Thanks for the many smiles and simple good times!
By Elaine Van Develde
Sometimes all it takes is a jawbreaker, a slice of Elio’s pizza, pinball and friends all enveloped in a gingham-curtained room with a jovial giant of a dad host to make a bunch of kids smile.
Sometimes. Some simpler time back in time.
Continue reading Retro Whistle Stop Smiles; Timeless Celebration of a Fair Haven Icon’s Birthday
Serving Up Some Food & Company for the Soul Saturday
It’s that time of the year to feast on a heaping helping of down home good food and company meant to soothe the soul in more ways than one in Fair Haven.
The Fisk AME Chapel Soul Food Dinner at the church (on Fisk Street) in Fair Haven is on Saturday. This year, it features fried chicken or barbecue ribs, sides of collard greens, potato salad, mac and cheese, cabbage, green beans, yams, corn bread, rolls. We hear there may be pig’s feet for the daring. And, of course, homemade dessert of pie, cake or cobbler to top it off.
The festivities start at 11:30 a.m. and end, well, when the food runs out and/or the company is worn out. These folks always advise that you get there early. It may be called a dinner, but the food just may be gone by the conventional dinner time!
Price is $15 for adults and $10 for kids under the age of 6. Oh, and if you can’t get out of the house, you can call for delivery — 609-781-0231. Yes, they deliver!
These folks deliver not only a great meal, but old time Fair Haven company that warms the soul. That’s because the hosts are some of the founding mothers and fathers of the borough.
The people of the church have been rooted in Fair Haven since the 19th century. The names and faces are comfortingly familiar ones. (Check out our Retro Pic of the Day a bit later.)
They usually sell out, so get over to the church on time! See you at the chapel!
— Elaine Van Develde
Retro Dive into FHFD History
With the recent passing of Fair Haven’s Donny Frank — policeman, fireman and first aider — we are reminded of some history-making firsts for the borough that tend to get lost in the, well, passing of time.
So, here in the Retro Pic of the Day is an enlightening picture of a factoid that resurfaced like, say, a deep sea diver from the vast waters — sort of like Donny Frank and friends emerging with an expanded rescue idea for the Fair Haven First Aid Squad (or Corps) back in 1962.
Focus: Mangia! Spaghetti & Community Amore
The line to get into the annual Fair Haven Fire Department’s Spaghetti Dinner on Saturday night was as long, winding and enjoyable as a mouthful of spaghetti twirling on a fork, making its way into a hungry gullet.
The R-FH Area Weekend: Spaghetti & a Memorial
Well, the weather report for the weekend calls for temperatures warming up and a little rain. You could say that fair weather bodes well this weekend for a couple of Fair Haven events.
Continue reading The R-FH Area Weekend: Spaghetti & a Memorial
Scene Around: Misty Shrewsbury River
It was quite the hauntingly comforting scene on Tuesday — mist rising from the Shrewsbury River from the Sea Bright side to Rumson and all the way to Highlands.
Then the sun poked through the clouds, the mist evaporated and it was time for a little reflection … of the crystalline riverfront view onto the water and life in the Rumson-Fair Haven area.
Fair Havenite Sandi Richards-von Pier captured the moments.
Take a look … (and don’t forget to click to enlarge!)
Retro RFH Staged Bathing Beauties
In light of most everyone’s wish for warmer days and a big ol’ thaw for brighter, beachier times, we have decided to give you an encore of this classic look back …
Our Retro Pic of the (George) Day is one of warm wishes — for sun-filled, fun beach days ahead.
This crew of RFH girls entertained people with their own version of the Beach Boys’ Girls on the Beach at the RFH Freshman Follies in 1975.
Scene Around: Retired Knollwood Teacher & Grandkids Walk on Water
Why did the retired Knollwood School teacher cross the frozen river?
To teach her grandchildren to walk on water Rumson-Fair Haven area way? To get to the other side? Or, perhaps, to just celebrate a time-honored area tradition? Maybe a bit of all three.
Former Phys Ed and Health teacher Eileen Kubaitis, nonetheless, geared up, grandchildren in tow, and took the trek across the Navesink the other day when the water was frozen. How could one resist? When the weather is pretty frightful, but there’s such a simple adventure in the offing, the only thing to do is get walking — on water, or ice, as it were.
A lot of people in the area look forward to doing this when the water freezes, giving them a walking path across the river to the Middletown side.
Kubaitis and company were no exception. They were among quite a few others recently. Though, the retired Knollwood teacher tells us that they didn’t actually reach the other side, but came close. “We stopped about 20 feet away because at that point no one was in front of us,” she said.
Hey, they had fun and did their R-FH area civic duty to do their best to get to the other side!
Don’t try this at home, kids … at least until the ice freezes up again.
The big thaw has begun …
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures will reach a high of 40 degrees today with a low of about 26 tonight. Tomorrow, weather will be about the same with mostly sunny skies and a high of roughly 39 degrees.
Pierson Dey, U.S. Army: Knollwood’s Latest ‘Wall of Honor’ Inductee
Continue reading Pierson Dey, U.S. Army: Knollwood’s Latest ‘Wall of Honor’ Inductee
Retro McCarter Skate
It’s not as if most any adventurous kid wouldn’t try a little skating on thin ice in more ways than one. But, the ice was definitely thick enough at McCarter Pond in Fair Haven this one January day in 2015.
Merry Christmas from R-FH Retro!
Merry Christmas from R-FH Retro!
— Thanks to all our Facebook friends for the photos! All the best to all!
— Elaine Van Develde
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