All posts by Elaine Van Develde

Police Report Burglary, Theft, Criminal Mischief

The following recent criminal incidents were reported by Red Bank police:

• An incident of criminal mischief was reported to have occurred sometime between Aug. 19 and 20 at Riverside Gardens. An unknown person(s) damaged the granite patio area of the park.

Sgt. Heather Pubylski took the report.

• A theft was reported to have occurred at the Chestnut Street Ice Rink on Aug. 20. Three people reported that someone removed their wallets, containing cash, credit cards, debit cards and drivers’ licenses, from their pants pockets in the locker room.

Patrolman Benjamin Springer took the report.

• A theft was reported to have occurred on Aug. 20 in the parking lot of the Count Basie Theatre on Maple Avenue. The victim reported that someone stole an iPhone, charger and folding pocket knife from the vehicle console.

Sgt. Juan Sardo took the report.

• An incident of criminal mischief was reported to have occurred on Aug. 22 on Monmouth Street. The victim reported that she observed an unknown male brake her rear passenger side car window and flee on foot.

Patrolman David Smith took the report.

• An incident of burglary was reported to have occurred sometime between Aug. 18 and 22 on West Bergen Place. The victim reported that someone entered her residence and stole jewelry — rings with diamonds, a watch with diamonds and a diamond necklace.

Patrolman David Smith took the report.

• A theft was reported to have occurred on Aug. 22 at Count Basie Park. The victim reported that her cell phone was stolen.

Special Officer Gregory Miller took the report.

Homecoming: Shannon Connor Brett’s Fair Haven

Shannon Connor Brett hasn’t been home in three years.

The 2001 Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School graduate, daughter of longtime Fair Havenites Dale and Mike Connor and sister to Allison married a Fair Haven fireman and U.S. Navy guy and moved to California. He’s stationed there.

The Connor family welcomed her, husband C. Thomas (Chris) Brett and their three children back to their old stomping grounds with a little hometown get-together Sunday — and just in time for the Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair.

Chris Brett is still a Fair Haven Fire Department member himself. His dad, Barry, was chief in 1994. His mom, Tricia, also an active member of the fire company, has been captain of the Fire Police three times. You can always find her at the Out Back serving ice cream at the fair.

And it’s no secret that Dale and Mike are longtime Fair Haven Fire Department members.

It’s a pretty sure bet that at fair time you can always catch them somewhere in the kitchen/dining room. This year, it’s likely there will be yet another Connor sighting.

Nothing quite like a homecoming at fair time. Take a look.

Welcome home Shannon and family!

— Elaine Van Develde

If you have a homecoming coming up in the Rumson-Fair Haven area, let us know. We’d be happy to stop by, get the story and take some pics.

Another Opening, Another Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair!

Tonight was the night! It was opening night of the classic Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair.

Friends, neighbors and firemen, new and old, once again forged their connections at the fair touted to be the largest firemen’s fair in New Jersey and probably the country.

The weather was fine and so was the company. Take a look.

(And don’t forget to click on the lower right icon to enlarge for the full view of the slideshow! Enjoy! See you at the fair!)

— Elaine Van Develde

Area Man Arrested on Cocaine Dealing, Weapons Charges; $100K Bail

A press release from Red Bank police:

On Friday morning, the Red Bank Police Department executed a narcotics search warrant at a South Pearl Street residence.

The search warrant was issued following a month long investigation by Lt.Robert Clayton into sales of narcotics from the home.

Police charged Marcus A. Rice, 32, of South Pearl Street with: possession of CDS (cocaine), possession with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute in a school zone, possession of narcotic paraphernalia, unlawful possession of a handgun, and possession of a handgun while committing a narcotics offense.

Rice was committed to Monmouth County Correctional Institution in lieu of bail set at $101,500.

* An arrest does not constitute a conviction.

Sea Bright: The Gulls on the Beach

 

The weather has been so season-appropriate that it almost looks like the seagulls have been dancing on the beach.

OK, maybe not dancing, but they’re seemingly sunning and hopping along — happily. OK, maybe they just see something good to eat and are anticipating a good grab and gobble.

Whatever the case may be, the gulls on the beach in Sea Bright are hanging out pretty close to humans.

Take a look at this human’s eye view.

— Elaine Van Develde

Police: Several Locals Arrested on Contempt, Non-Support Charges

The following recent contempt of court and non-support warrant arrests were made and reported by Middletown police.

• Sean Figaro, 21, of Garfield Avenue in Middletown, was arrested on Aug. 16 by Sgt. Anthony Bagileo on a contempt of court warrant issued by the East Orange Municipal Court.

He was released after posting $250 bail.

• Linda Wahler, 51, of Henry Street in South Amboy, was arrested on Aug. 14 by Patrolman Nicholas Fenezia on a contempt of court warrant issued by the Middletown Municipal Court.

She was released after posting $500 bail.

Continue reading Police: Several Locals Arrested on Contempt, Non-Support Charges

Police: Area Teen Arrested on Attempted Sexual Assault Charges; $350K Bail

The following recent arrests were made and reported by Middletown police. An arrest does not constitute a conviction.

• Michael Kiernan, 61, of Monmouth Avenue in Atlantic Highlands, was arrested on Aug. 13 by Patrolman Adam Colfer and charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI), possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of heroin.

He was released pending a court date.

• Jeffrey Rodre, 18, of Chapman Terrace in Middletown, was arrested on Aug. 15 by Patrolman Frank Mazza and charged with simple assault.

He was released pending a court date.

• Edward Gross, 26, of Nautilus Drive in the Leonardo section of Middletown, was arrested on Aug. 13 by Detective Albert Scott and charged with shoplifting and conspiracy.

He was released after posting $2,500 bail with a 10 percent option set by Judge Richard Thompson.

• Paul Ortiz, 52, of Ocean Avenue in Middletown, was arrested on Aug. 12 by Patrolman Adam Colfer and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, shoplifting, criminal mischief, possession of burglary tools and possession of crack cocaine.

He was held on $11,000 bail, set by Judge Richard Thompson.

Continue reading Police: Area Teen Arrested on Attempted Sexual Assault Charges; $350K Bail

State Police: ID of Boat Found in Sandy Hook Channel Confirmed

NJ State Police have confirmed that the sunken fishing boat found Wednesday morning in the area where the one named El Jefe was reported to have capsized is the same vessel.

“State Police divers confirm sunken boat is ‘El Jefe,'” a NJ State Police Twitter message said. “Presence of a body on board not confirmed. Activity suspended, will resume tomorrow.”

On Wednesday morning, when the boat was found, state police issued a statement saying it had not yet been confirmed that the trawler they found was the El Jefe.

It is believed that Captain Tom Andresen (stet), who docked his boat at the  Belford Seafood Co-op, Middletown, near the area where the incident occurred on Tuesday night, was on the boat, according to a Facebook post on the co-op’s page.

Not a member of the Belford Co-op, Andresen (stet) had been docking his boat at the Co-op inlet, according to Facebook posts.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Captain Tom Andresen tonight,” a Tuesday night post said.  “His boat, El Jefe, is reported to have capsized off the coast of Sandy Hook this evening. Captain Tom is said to have been on board alone, and has not been located, as of yet. We pray for his safe recovery … Mr Andresen is from New York, and has recently been docking his boat here in Belford.”

 

Sunken Boat Located off Sandy Hook

As the search continued for a fishing boat that was reported to have capsized off the shore of Sandy Hook Tuesday afternoon, NJ State Police on Wednesday morning announced that a submerged vessel, not yet determined to be the same one, was found.

A search was launched Tuesday afternoon, by state police, U.S. Coast Guard, NY Police and Fire departments and local emergency response units, for the 40-foot fishing boat named El Jefe that was reported to have sank at about 4:30 p.m.

Coast Guard reported in a release that debris purportedly from the sunken vessel was found in the water Tuesday night.

The search was called off last night, due to lack of visibility and prohibitive conditions, and resumed in the morning, when a sunken boat was located in Sandy Hook Channel near the spot where the El Jefe was reported to have gone down.

The El Jefe’s captain was known as a fisherman out of the Belford Seafood Co-op in Middletown, near where the boat was found.

The statement from NJ State Police Marine Services Bureau …

The New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau has located a sunken vessel in the Sandy Hook Channel.

A State Police vessel, commanded by Staff Sgt. Christopher Wozniak, located a sunken vessel at 8:55 a.m.

The boat was located near buoy 14 closer to the beach, using side scan sonar. State Police T.E.A.M.S. Unit divers are on scene to further investigate.

A vessel “Jefe” was reported missing last night and is part of the State Police investigation. At this time, we cannot confirm that the sunken vessel is the missing boat.

 

Simple Summer: Sunset Solace on the Dock

Summertime can be hectic. So, there’s nothing better some an end-of-day solo time to unwind.

And what better place in the Rumson-Fair Haven area than the Fair Haven Dock as the sun is setting?

For that reason, the Simple Summer feature of the week highlights solace and serenity at sunset on the Navesink River.

Any spot along the river will do. This spot just happens to be a favorite for many. It’s simple and it’s one of those best things in life that are free.

The view is a familiar one, but it never gets old. Neither does its calming effect.

Retro RIP to Rumson’s Don Blesse

By Elaine Van Develde

Don Blesse lived in Rumson for nearly half a century.

The U.S. Navy World War II and Korean War veteran raised his family in Rumson. And every Memorial and Veterans Day service you’d see the tall, gentleman front-and-center at Victory Park paying ode to fallen fellow vets, hat to his heart.

In fact, it was not too long ago, in May, when we last saw Blesse in his usual spot at the Rumson Memorial Day service.

Now we know that he will be missing at the Veterans Day service in November. That’s because he passed away at 89 on Aug. 12.

We remember Mr. Blesse. We knew his kids. We went to RFH with them. And while we did not know their dad well, we knew he was a vet. We knew he was a father of three. We knew he was excited a couple of years ago, when we chatted with him after a Veteran’s Day service, to soon be on his way to a visit with them.

Sporting his signature veteran’s hat, he modestly talked about how he was an aviation electrician who worked on aircraft carriers in the Atlantic Ocean during the war.

He was proud, yet soft-spoken and modest. You could see his love of country and hometown. He wore it in his smile and demeanor, his bride, the mother of his children still by his side, also smiling contentedly.

He said nothing about working tirelessly to bring that veteran’s memorial to Victory Park that day. We read that in his obituary.

Don Blesse died on Aug. 12 at his relatively new home in Red Bank. He won’t be at the next memorial service in town. His simple legacy will.

We missed his own memorial service. But, we haven’t forgotten him.

People like him shouldn’t be forgotten — people living their lives, cognizant of and considerate of the people in them, serving their country and community in modest, meaningful ways, doing the right thing.

It was nice to have that brief chat with that dad and man behind the kids we knew that one day, a couple of years ago. It was good to get that glimpse — however fleeting — of yet another person who had passed through our lives, in an unobtrusive way, through his children, through his sometimes everyday, sometimes grander contributions to the community.

“Speak to people.” It’s what Fair Haven Police Chief Darryl Breckenridge told us was his mother’s best advice to him in life.

She was right. One hello, one day, brought a little insight into a life and a nice surprise. And every time we saw Don Blesse after that, we remembered a little something about him.

Now we say goodbye, never forgetting the hello.

RIP Mr. Blesse. Condolences to Carol, Paul, Donald and Ken — and your  many friends and extended family.

Don Blesse’s obituary from Thompson Memorial Home

Donald Edwin Blesse, 89, of Red Bank died at home on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015.

He was born in Weehawken and lived in Rumson and Little Silver before moving to Red Bank three years ago.

He was a tall, friendly and kind man who willingly served for many years in the communities in which he lived and his church. After earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Business Administration from Rutgers University, he worked for Bell Laboratories for 38 years before retiring in 1987.

He honorably served in the US Navy as an Aviation Electrician’s Mate aboard aircraft carriers during WWII and the Korean War.

Continually steadfast in his faith as a member of St. George’s by the River Episcopal Church for 53 years, he served as church school Superintendent for 28 years, Canterbury Fair treasurer, sang in the choir and was on the Vestry.

In Rumson, he was on the school board, active as a leader in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, and in later years worked tirelessly to create a new veterans’ memorial in Victory Park.

He is survived by: his wife of 63 years, Carol Einbeck Blesse; three sons, Donald A. Blesse, of Lakewood, OH; Ken Blesse, of Fairview Park, OH; Paul Blesse, of Johns Creek, GA; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his name would be welcome to the St. George’s Outreach or Memorial funds, 7 Lincoln Avenue, Rumson, NJ 07760; www.stgeorgesrumson.org. In the notes section, please identify which fund.