A look, in photos, of latest area events, local everyday people and places.
It happened on schedule. The new $21.9 million West Front Street (or Hubbard’s) Bridge opened just in time for Memorial Day on Monday, but work will continue.
The old, temporary bridge will be removed; and, with that, finishing touches on the bridge approaches and amenities will be wrapped up within a year or so, Monmouth County officials said in a release.
This Sea Bright Farmers Market butter, cheese and probiotic comes to you straight from the cow’s utters — the grass-fed cow’s.
That’s the scoop Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect got from Chris Stoner of Central Valley Farm.
“Yes, that’s my real name,” she said while explaining the makings of some special farm fresh products her farm sells at the market on Thursdays. “People always joke around with me and say, ‘What, exactly is it that you’re growing on that farm?'”
The truth, she said, is that they’re growing lots of vegetables and herbs, harvesting eggs from the chickens, and milking the grass-fed cows at least twice a day. And that organic milk is then churned into butter and turned into cheese, probiotic shakes and fruity treats.
“Yes, the butter, cheeses and shakes come right from the cow,” Stoner said. “Totally organic. Very yummy.”
The farm offers several different types of cheese, such as gouda, dill cheese cubes, ricotta, and the favorite, Jersey Cheese, is a soft, mild cheddar, she said.
We tried the farm fresh butter. It is a creamy organic dream. And it will, yes, melt in your mouth. We’re now convinced that there’s nothing better than fresh butter.
It’s not salty. “We use about a pinch of salt per four pounds, so if you like it a little saltier, you should add some on your own,” Stoner said.
[WRG id=3630]
It’s a sure sign of spring when the Sea Bright Firemen’s Fair starts.
And spring was in the air on the first night of the longtime area tradition Thursday.
The fair continues through Sunday: Friday, from 5 p.m. to midnight; Saturday, from 4 p.m. to midnight; Sunday, from 2 to 9 p.m.
Take a look at the photo gallery above for a glimpse into opening night of the fair.
Well, once we published our first in a series of good (old) neighbors and asked for nominations, it didn’t take long to get an onslaught of nominations to feature Fair Haven’s Chum Chandler as a shining example of neighborliness.
So, Chum is our Retro Pic of the Day good neighbor.
Chandler, who passed away not long ago, was a native Fair Havenite, RFH grad, local businessman, Fair Haven Fire Company lifetime member and just all-around quirky, personable character. Anyone who knew him would tell you that he embodied all that’s good in this slice of suburbia.
He was known as a tall order of tough pull-yourself-up-by-the- bootstraps love always ready to lend a hand, share a good joke, poke a little fun and spread his zest for life and, yes, the town that he loved.
The man who was known as a good neighbor to the entire borough also believed in paying it forward; and he did just that.
Thank you to neighbor Chum Chandler. People are paying your message forward.
It’s spring. Block party time has come.
And, with the advent of that sort of celebration of a neighborhood, we at Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect are taking a look back at good neighbors.
So, we’re kicking off what will be a daily ode with our Retro Pic of the Day honoring Ken Lockwood.
Lockwood lived in Fair Haven for 88 years, nearly as long as the borough’s existence. He moved to Fair Haven at the age of 2 and is now 93.
By Elaine Van Develde
Another Fair Haven icon has passed.
Ray Miller, a pioneer of Fair Haven small business and longtime community friend, died at 92 on Sunday.
So, we honor him today in our Retro Pic of the Day, courtesy of his daughter Peggy.
This day-in-a-life shot gives a focused picture of the Ray Miller so many knew back in the day. Gravelly voice curmudgeon-like manner always at a “high test” premium, there were countless memorable visits made by many a youngster and their parents to Ray Miller’s Exxon at the corner of River Road and Smith Street — even if you knew you might get a scolding.
Sunday was Mother’s Day.
And, we at Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect are thinking, the day should not just be one in which kids dutifully pay attention to the woman who pretty much, well, twisted her heart up and spit it out to ride a Big Wheel at 100 miles per hour with no helmet. OK, so that was a tad dramatic.
But, it’s not really just for all that jazz — though, it is important jazz. It should be about moms celebrating one another, especially to learn a little bit about one another’s roots in a tight-knit community such as the Rumson-Fair Haven area.
There are so many women in this area who served as unbreakable bricks in the foundation that is this community now. It goes back may generations. We are thankful for those women of all different motherly types — yes, different. Each unique and special in her own way. Each contributing in her own way. Each leaving her indelible fingerprint on many here, through generations.
You see, the strong community foundation that brought us all here is not about a number and a few borrowed phony promotional words — real estate value, flipping and the lingo concocted to make the sale.
The sale was made long ago and the value was tucked away in the hearts of some of these moms who were here when it all started, caring for one another through their community.
It’s about lifeblood — the lifeblood of, in this case, matriarchs who have bequested a legacy of true love.
They put the coffee on. Who’s bringing the crumb cake? Yes, crumb cake. When it comes to community, you can splurge a little to keep it sweet.
Take a look at our Retro Slideshow of the Day of some area moms from the past. Some are still with us. Some are not. But, they are remembered for their own contributions to one another and laying bricks in the foundation that is the Rumson-Fair Haven area. If you have a photo you’d like to add, of a mom from the past, email it to us at evd@rfhretro and we will include it in a gallery.
By Elaine Van Develde
He was known as a very cool dude and great teacher. He was Dewey Robinson.
He taught Social Studies at RFH and he coached.
By popular demand, Dewey Robinson is our Retro Pic of the Day in ode to deceased RFH teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week.
Boy, was he popular — and rightly so.
The man was just so totally cool, interesting and knowledgeable and he spread that wealth of good attitude and lessons to be learned on with finesse.
He died suddenly at 58 in 2008.
I did not have the pleasure of having Dewey Robinson as a teacher or coach (because I was always way too uncoordinated to play any sport). But I do remember him well. No RFH student could miss all that coolness in one teacher.
He just had a profound look of compassion in his eyes at all times — an empathetic one. He cared and it showed. He had a real relatable demeanor. Dewey Robinson had no trouble connecting with anyone. You didn’t have to know him to know that.
The evidence was always there, in the students he taught and coached, passing a bit of himself on to them always.
Dewey’s mom, Jeanetter Crowell, died not too long ago, him having pre-deceased her, regrettably.
She, too, was remembered for her sweetness and compassion.
“What a great teacher Dewey was and there is always a strong and wonderful woman behind every great and wonderful man,” Tamera Partington Dinklage said on the Fair Haven Facebook page when the death of Dewey’s mom was announced.
RIP, Dewey Robinson. You were appreciated. Thanks for paying your coolness forward.
By Elaine Van Develde
The Sea Bright Farmers Market is back in season and the goods are ripe for the picking.
In addition to the old favorites — Picklelicious, Fair Mountain Coffee Roasters, Harvest Moon Farm, Holly Jolly Jams, Neshanic Valley Beekeepers, Baker’s Bounty and Franklin Soapworks — there are also some small family-owned farm vendors that have joined in the second year of the outdoor locally grown, organically crafted shopping tradition in the Sea Bright Municipal Parking lot from 2 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays.
Those new additions include organic goodies, like Asian produce, herbs, free-range and grass-fed meats, farm fresh cheeses and from Green Duchess , Central Valley and Holly Hill and Harvest Moon farms. DIVE was also there offering some samples of corn and clam chowder.
[WRG id=3490]
It’s May. Countdown to Memorial Day weekend has begun and the unofficial start of summer is not far off. But whether or not Donovan’s Reef will make its comeback with summer is not yet clear.
The lot of the iconic Sea Bright spot has been cleared. The Hurricane Sandy-ravaged bungalow is gone. That all happened, after a static period, in December of last year.
Last word, according to Donovan’s Facebook page, was in February of this year. In answer to a patron’s query of whether or not the bar would be back and exactly when, ownership said, “Yes. Things are moving forward, just don’t have specifics yet!”
Since then, not a word. Only speculation. After Sandy, there was a time when a sale was pending. Then that changed. And in the summer of 2013, owners were saying that it would be back in 2014.
Plans for a larger Donovan’s, replete with on-beach Tiki bars and tree houses, were approved, after some delay, in 2014. And there was a plan to at least partially open with Tiki bars on the beach that year, as a teaser.
A Tiki bar and thatch umbrella have remained on the beach since.
The cleared lot and sea wall are fenced in. Small remnants of the original Donovan’s remain. And there’s a relatively new staircase over the sea wall to the beach, where Donovan’s deck and staircase to the beach was before Sandy. Another staircase is a few feet away for beach access.
One of the owners, Dr. Robert Carducci, died in February of 2014. The other is Bob Phillips.
Phillips was not reachable for comment.
There have been rumors of sales bandied back and forth for years.
But, as of now, the above gallery offers a glimpse into its present state — looking far from ready for an end of May, or even summer, opening.
Could that change?
Rumson-Fair Haven Restrospect will keep you updated.
— Elaine Van Develde
By Elaine Van Develde
Today is the first day of Teacher Appreciation Week.
So, the Retro Pic of the Day all week will randomly highlight fondly remembered RFH teachers who have passed.
The first pick brought to the attention of Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect was RFH math teacher Bill Kern, a former longtime Fair Haven resident.
Continue reading Retro Appreciation of RFH Teacher Bill Kern
You must be logged in to post a comment.