Editorials, letters to the editor and other articles reflecting on iconic people, places and traditions related to them in the area.
By Elaine Van Develde
With the line officers in the Fair Haven First Aid Squad all women for 2016, we are reminded that it was not all that long ago that it was just men in the squad — really, until the 1980s.
Yet, there is another attribute of first aiders, among other emergency responders, that is worthy of mention. Many times, the calling to help the community is a family affair.
Continue reading Retro FH First Aid & Fire Company Family: The Langs
By Elaine Van Develde
It’s that time of the year for a longstanding Fair Haven tradition — photos at the firehouse with Santa.
This year, Santa’s coming to the firehouse between 1 and 3 p.m. on Sunday.
It’s another Fair Haven tradition you can always count on. So, the Retro Pic of the Day takes us back to Santa at the firehouse when it all started.
I remember …
Continue reading Tradition: Santa’s Visit to the Fair Haven Firehouse
Hey, purple! Hey, white! You look so good to me! Hey, hey, hey, purple! Hey white!
It went something like that — the cheerleader mantra out there on the basketball court. And, of course, what would a retro ode to RFH basketball be without a little rah-rah about the cheerleaders cheering the team on.
So, the Retro Pic of the Day pays slam dunk homage to cheerleaders on the basketball court. Well, they’re a special breed of cheerleader.
Take a close look. This little cross-dressing prank was played regularly in the RFH sports cheering of the 1970s.
In this special look back at an RFH Student-Faculty Basketball Game, the guys are donning the girls’ outfits, which were as completely different then as the basketball uniforms. The ol’ preppie plaid kilt skirt and crew neck sweater with knee socks and saddle shoes was it. Though these “gals” had to go with workbooks and sneakers, because the shoes just didn’t fit.
The cheering of yesteryear involved a lot of clapping, shouting and stomping. Oh, and pom-poms! And megaphones! There were no boas, but I think this crew may have worn them quite well. Cheers, guys!
Looks like a Fair Haven Kirman is leading the pack there! Recognize anyone else? And, hey, anyone remember a cheer or two? Slam dunk!
— Elaine Van Develde
It’s now common knowledge that 91-year Fair Haven resident Ray Taylor recently received a proclamation for his service to the country and borough.
The active 93-year-old World War II and Korean War vet has been seen at just about any and/or every event in town over the years, especially any involving veterans affairs.
So, the Retro Pic(s) of the Day take a look back at Taylor at some of those events: Chum Chandler’s memorial service, the Fair Haven Centennial Parade, Memorial Day and more.
Taylor, Mayor Ben Lucarelli said while reading the proclamation last week, embodies the spirit of Fair Haven and patriotism.
Yes, he does!
— Elaine Van Develde
By Elaine Van Develde
Call them all Tavolicious — the key fresh ingredients in just some of our favorite foods at Tavolo Pronto in Fair Haven.
Yes. Tavolicious. That works. They’re a special blend of uniquely Tavolo and just plain delicious. There are so many Tavolicious things at Tavolo.
Photo/George Day
It’s just about show time at RFH.
Fall is the time of the year that the stage is set for the first theatrical production of the school year.
This year at RFH, that production is The Faerie King’s Daughter.
But, back in 1974, something else was a stage happening besides the Tower Players’ show. It was a more, let’s say, talent diverse stage extravaganza involving anyone in the freshman class in one or a few group and/or solo acts. It was the RFH Freshmen Follies.
Photo/George Day
So, Halloween is over. But, some of the antics of RFH students of the past remain etched in our memories.
The Retro Pic of the (George) Day honors one of those kooky ghoulish guys.
We have no idea why this photo was taken or what he was up to here. And when we asked featured RFH alum Mike Grady those questions, he just shook his head.
“Goofing around,” was the basic response.
So, there you have it.
Here’s to goofing around at RFH in the late 1970s!
Nice grin for a guy playing dead, Grady! Breaking character is not allowed! Know who’s the one tending to this freak?
Thanks, once again, to George Day for this fabulous look back at RFH!
— Elaine Van Develde
Photo/Elaine Van Develde
They were putting the finishing touches on it Tuesday night. The Little Silver A&P is now an Acme.
The store, at 507 Prospect Avenue is open. According to the recording on the store’s telephone system, it is open the same hours as the A&P was: 7 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday; and until 10 p.m. on Sunday.
The Acme in Fair Haven has long been considered a special kind of meeting place for area residents.
When this editor’s mom went to “pick up a few things,” that usually meant her children would see her hours later. And, there were many times the conversation in the produce aisle took over so much that one of us had to go back to pick up what she forgot.
Well, we’ll see. With the extra couple of hours open, you never know who may meander over to Little Silver.
See ya at the Acme!
— Elaine Van Develde
By Elaine Van Develde
Sometimes it’s just a good idea to wing it.
Usually, chicken wings are pretty standard fare — a spicy, typically sopping morsel of an appetizer. There are usually standard variations, too: baked, fried, baked and fried, grilled and usually laden with a some sort of spicy sauce.
Photo/George Day
The year was 1977. It was an RFH Halloween.
Seniors of the Class of ’78 were geared up for some ghostly fun. They gathered in the Senior Commons and paraded around, and, yes, out of the confines of the RFH campus.
By Elaine Van Develde
It’s as good as it gets for anyone in the area and beyond — that classic lobster pizza at Val’s Tavern in Rumson.
The pie, as they call it, is pretty simple, yet has been a deluxe gourmet sort of pizza treat for many for decades.
It’s a thin-crust pizza flush with all the normal pizza stuff, but great quality, like the good sauce and cheese. Add to that some Brazilian lobster and, if you so choose, some hot sauce.
Photo/Elaine Van Develde
By Elaine Van Develde
There’s nothing like the wrap — of anything, really.
It represents a feeling of accomplishment — in a way. In show business, “Its a wrap!” brings on a sigh of relief and some celebration. In other circles, such as food forums, it prompts some speculation and, yes, satiation.
When you have an option of choosing a wrap to eat, for instance, it often represents several ingredients you like wrapped up in some sort of flour tortilla or variation thereof, a/k/a wrap.
A lot of area eateries offer a wrap version of a favorite luncheon-meat-and-cheese- or salad-stuffed something or other.
Then there are those who like to eat it raw — the wrap and its contents. For them there is such a thing as a collard leaf-stuffed vegan variety. And they have it at Seed to Sprout in Fair Haven.
As Lucille Ball said in her Vitameatavegaman commercial on I Love Lucy, “It’s tasty, too!”
So, as the first in Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect’s I’ll Just Pick weekly series, the pick of the week is the raw cashew collard wrap from Seed to Sprout — and from a non-vegan who really relishes a big fat meaty sub for some lunch solace on a bad day.
This wrap, enveloping the taste buds with a creamy, crunchy vegan catch-all, features a mash of organic raw cashews topped with alfalfa sprouts, shredded carrots, tomato and mixed with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and filtered water. Then there’s a nutritional yeast additive.
And, of course, the whole thing is wrapped up in a collard leaf. Call it a foodie Collard Patch doll.
Call it that, because even if you’re not a vegan, you may want to adopt this lunch lifestyle change.
It’s a cashew hummus sort of splendor all wrapped up and ready to healthily munch. Really.
Seed to Sprout opened a few months ago in July in the Acme Market shopping plaza, off River Road (officially 560 River Road, though), in Fair Haven.
Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School graduates Cara Pescatore and Alex Mazzucca own and operate the eatery, which is a second location to the original in Avon.
The menu is replete with all sorts of all-day organic vegan breakfast dishes: granola and yogurt parfait, sprout breakfast bowl and avocado breakfast sandwich.
Under the raw header, there’s also a sunflower burrito wrapped in collard and raw pizza.
There are also lots of grilled sandwich goodies, that are not quite what they sound like, such as the bacon cheddar melt, which features coconut bacon and not your average cheddar. The grilled avocado sandwich, RFHers tell us is a favorite, too, not to mention the seed salads and rice bowls.
There are also soups.
Check out the menu by clicking on the photo above or check out the website by clicking here.
Seed to Sprout is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Dinner is served at the Avon location on Thursday nights.
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