A look, in photos, of latest area events, local everyday people and places.
The Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair is in full swing.
It runs through Saturday, Sept. 5. As a mid-week reminder of what it all means to people in the area, here’s a look at a few pre-opening night and opening night photos of the scenery in a different color tone — sepia.
It captures the retro aspect of this longtime tradition — or not. Either way, it’s an interesting perspective. Take a look.
— Elaine Van Develde
Remember those songs in the 70s you slow-danced to or sat in a dark corner and cried over during that teen break-up? Or maybe you blasted them in the car with your gal pals, willing him to come back!
Was one of them Sad Eyes or Hey There Lonely Girl? How about The Lion Sleeps Tonight? OK, maybe not that one.
They were classics. Still are. And, Robert John, the man who wrote Sad Eyes and sang all of them, hitting all those high notes perfectly, lives in the area.
Continue reading Going Retro with 70s Music Icon Robert John
By Elaine Van Develde
It doesn’t get any simpler or more enjoyable. A summer night spent at an impromptu music jam/record release party with rising stars.
The temperature was high and so were the spirits of a fortunate few who were treated to a few sets of serenading by Asbury Park-based country duo Williams Honor — vocalist Reagan Richards and instrumentalist and singer Gordon Brown.
The two made their way to Ron’s West End Pub to share their special night, calling it a “home” reminiscent of the type of places in Nashville, Tennessee where talent is typically honed in embracing musical improv nooks.
After doing separate stints in Nashville, the two, each with his/her own Jersey shore connections, wound up meeting in Asbury. Upon being introduced at The Saint, they struck up a kinship over music style.
That’s when their united melodious fight began. It’s a fight to keep their brand of country storytelling thriving through song in an area they think is prime for it but never gave the genre a fair shake.
They’ve now been going country strong for about a year. That year culminated in the record release Sept. 1. Another special surprise for them and everyone else was that they love to cover the iconic 1970s song Sad Eyes, and its writer and singer, Robert John, was in the drop-by audience.
No one was name-dropping, but Williams Honor was, well, honored.
And, what’s in that name?
The impetus for the Williams Honor moniker, the two said, was to honor both of their fathers, military vets. Richards’ father’s name was William. His dog tag dangles around her neck, an integral piece for her in her everyday jewelry draping.
“Some people are uncomfortable with it,” she said. “They say you’re not supposed to wear it as jewelry. But I like to have him (and everything he stood for) close to me all the time, so I can honor, remember him (and vets like him) all the time … holding onto him in a positive way.”
Brown’s father’s name is not William, but he said they chose to use Richards’ dad’s name as a sort of duplicate honor for both and multiple for all vets — thus the plural rather than singular possessive of the name in the group.
To honor the band’s namesake and the difficulty faced by families of those going off to war, the two said they wrote a song that puts a positive twist on the experience, albeit bittersweet.
It’s called Don’t Wanna Let You Go, and “we finished mixing it about 15 minutes before we came to Ron’s,” Brown said. “It’s the last song we finished for the record.”
“When people go off to war, when they go off into the military, there’s obviously the chance that they won’t come back,” Richards said. “Well, this is a very hopeful song on the record. This is about them coming back, and everybody being so proud, as we are …”
So it goes …
“Keep your father’s laugh he’s in everything you do, and we both know he’d be so proud of you … I don’t wanna let you go … And all that you need to know is I won’t let you go …”
You may not wanna to let Williams Honor go once you hear them.
Call it a rich simple summer experience.
By Elaine Van Develde
It’s been 32 years, but I can still see his face and that kooky Brylcreemed hairdo. I can still hear his crazy belly laugh and that signature “Take ‘er easy, buddy!” I can still see him slapping kids on the back, forever clutching his trusty clipboard, pencil perched behind his ear, sweat on the brow and finger wagging.
That’s the vivid, comforting ghost image of Bill Van Develde I still see and hear roaming around on the Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair grounds. He was head of the stockroom back in the 1970s and 80s and he was my quirky, big-hearted dad.
Continue reading Going Retro with the Fair Man in the Stockroom
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.
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
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
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.
Sometimes the New York skyline is so clearly visible from Sea Bright Beach, it seems as if you can reach out and touch it.
Here’s a simple black-and-white look at the sight in a series of photos.
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.
“It was a great time,” Rumson Police Chief Scott Paterson told Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect on Monday, chatting a little about the weekend’s ninth annual Rumson PBA Crab Tournament.
A local guy, he said, won. That guy — along with his boatload of crabbers — was Captain Don Schneider with a bucket full of 50 crabs.
The chief and several other crabbers were already out in crabbing waters by the time Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect arrived, but some sights were caught.
If you haven’t already seen it, check out the above slideshow of the scene around. And thanks to the Rumson PBA Facebook page for the pic of the winning crew! Congrats, Captain Schneider!
Grab a bag … or a booth — a Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair booth … and remember those who run it or ran it.
That’s what we’re doing. After all, what would that tradition be without the people who run and work the fair?
So, first in this fair booth series, today’s Retro Pic of the Day honors some fair ladies at the Grab Bag Booth, otherwise known as the balloon ladies. When kids don’t win a prize at a game booth, this is the place the parents take them to get some fair token — like a balloon.
You must be logged in to post a comment.