Category Archives: Local Life

A look, in photos, of latest area events, local everyday people and places.

Business Buzz, Local Life

Going Retro with Balderose Fine Foods

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John Rego, painter, puts finishing touches on the walls of Balderose Fine Foods in Fair Haven days before its initial opening. Photo/Elaine Van Develde
John Rego, painter, puts finishing touches on the walls of Balderose Fine Foods in Fair Haven days before its initial opening.
Photo/Elaine Van Develde

It was a year ago, almost to the day, that Balderose Fine Foods had its final opening.

We say final, because the eatery had a short-lived initial opening in 2013. Now, a year later, it’s our Retro Pic of the Day.

The story? After a partnership re-routing and some fiscal house cleaning, the gourmet specialty shop at the corner of Fair Haven and River roads took root with a second grand opening on Jan. 17, 2014.

It has since flourished as a local mainstay stop for breakfast goods, soups, sandwiches, salads, desserts, some organic packaged goodies and unique prepared take-home fine food dishes ever since.

The eatery’s namesake is Anthony Balderose, who operates the business and cooks. Once Balderose Fine Foods, LLC, the business was sold to Quirk, LLC on Jan. 7, 2014.

Balderose, a former executive chef at Balducci’s in Manhattan and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), had a vision to bring a New York-style gourmet shop to the area. His dream came true.

What’s your favorite Balderose food?

Local Life

By George! Going Retro with an RFH Photographer

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RFH 1978 yearbook photography editor George Day in his yearbook profile shot. Photo/RFH yearbook screenshot
RFH 1978 yearbook photography editor George Day in his yearbook profile shot.
Photo/RFH yearbook screenshot

Our Retro Pic of the Day is in honor of George Day, 1978 Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) photography editor.

George did some excellent work, not only at RFH, but all over the area in the 1970s, and before and after that.

He got in touch with Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect; and, we are thrilled to say, he will be collaborating with us on some fabulous Retro Pic of the Day posts. We just may call them Retro Pic of the George Day posts.

Thanks, George! Great to know that you’re out there and will be contributing to this site! Your talent is and always has been appreciated.

Local Life

Sunny Daze Down by the River

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On a spring day in 2013, best friends hunt for hermit crabs and soak up some sun down by the Navesink River in Fair Haven. Photo/Elaine Van Develde
On a spring day in 2013, best friends hunt for hermit crabs and soak up some sun down by the Navesink River in Fair Haven.
Photo/Elaine Van Develde

Our Retro Pic of the Day is a warm look back on one of those seemingly perfect days down by the Navesink River.

It was just one of those days — a day that the picture there was worth about 5,000 words on why the Rumson-Fair Haven area is such a great place to live.

The sun was shining, the scene was serene and, a couple of best buds waded in the water, made friends with hermit crabs and shared the wealth of their elating experience.

There’s nothing quite like the happy faces of kids enjoying life down by the river.

Local Life

Going Back to Post-Sandy Days with the Governor and Rumson Ladies

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NJ Gov. Chris Christie and Rumson women at a press conference announcing Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long's endorsement of the governor. Photo/Elaine Van Develde
NJ Gov. Chris Christie and Rumson women at a press conference announcing Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long’s endorsement of the governor.
Photo/Elaine Van Develde

Our Retro Pic of the Day takes us back a couple of years to post-Hurricane Sandy days when Republican Gov. Chris Christie was endorsed by Democratic Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long and it was news.

A press conference was held at Woody’s in Sea Bright. Once it was over, the governor posed for photos with many people, including these two Rumson ladies.

We won’t tell you who they are. Do you know?

Local Life

A Sunny Sweep Back with Clean Ocean Action

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Clean Ocean Action fall Beach Sweeps/Photos by Elaine Van Develde

Our Retro Pic of the Day is meant to warm you up in more ways than one.

It’s a reminder of cozy waterfront warmth at Sea Bright beach in the midst of this wicked winter chill. And it’s a warm-up and precursor of sorts to our coming feature on Clean Ocean Action’s recent 30-year anniversary, as the featured photo is from the organization’s fall Beach Sweeps.

With the non-profit spearheaded by lifetime Rumsonite, Cindy Zipf, The sweeps have become a twice-annual environmental mainstay in the area for decades now.

Clean Ocean Action loves to let people know some of the oddest things found on the Jersey Shore beaches during sweeps. What’s the  strangest you’ve ever heard of?

Stay tuned for our story. Congrats to Clean Ocean Action and Cindy Zipf!

 

Local Life

A Retro Look at RFH School Days

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Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School teacher aides of the 1970s. Photo/screenshot of RFH yearbook
Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School teacher aides of the 1970s.
Photo/screenshot of RFH yearbook

Aides. They are the unofficial mentors of our school days.

In this photo are some special ladies who had the sometimes daunting task in the late 1970s of trying to assist, with patience, some annoyingly energetic, mischievous Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) students.

They were the RFH aides. In the center of the photo is Nancy Dexter, who passed away last year.

Those pictured around Mrs. Dexter, many of whom have passed, are: Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Cupples, Mrs. DiNicola, Mrs. Parker, Mrs. Blake, Mrs. Waldron.

Remember Mrs. Parker singing over the loud speaker around Christmas time? Did you ever hijack the mic from Mrs. Cupples to announce your party? And, I’m pretty sure one of these ladies, very kindly, told me to go play in traffic when I got busted sending messages via paper airplane (that never landed where it was supposed to) to my friends in English lab.

Local Life

Sea Bright in Sandy’s Wake

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Hurricane Sandy damage in Sea Bright. Photo/Elaine Van Develde
Hurricane Sandy damage in Sea Bright.
Photo/Elaine Van Develde

Our Retro Pic of the Day features a glimpse of what downtown Sea Bright looked like a couple of years ago about this time of the year.

Storefronts were torn and boarded up. Debris was knee-deep. Damage was being assessed.

And, among those assessing the damage was a Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School graduate.

Do you know which grad at work in the featured (never seen before) photo?

Hint: He’s in the party photo gallery above.

Local Life

A New Year Gathering of RFH Grads

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By Elaine Van Develde

Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) grads and friends gathered once again on Saturday for the annual Grady party.

The Gradys, Mike and Kathleen, both RFH grads from Rumson and Fair Haven, respectively, have been hosting the annual reunion-like event for many years now. In addition to the touching base with the extended Grady family itself, it’s pretty much an annual guarantee that this is the place and time to catch up with RFH alumni, their spouses and friends.

Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect caught up with RFH friends there, some dating back to kindergarten.

Take a look at the gallery above. Just click on any photo and scroll. Know anyone?

And many thanks to the Gradys for their generosity and a fabulously festive evening!

 

Arts & Entertainment, Local Life

Going Retro with Rumson’s Barn Theater

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A production of Bye Bye Birdie at The Barn Theater, Rumson, circa 1977. Photo/Sally Van Develde
A production of Bye Bye Birdie at The Barn Theater, Rumson, circa 1977.
Photo/Sally Van Develde

Our Retro Pic of the Day brings us back to shows at The Barn Theater, formerly on Avenue of Two Rivers in Rumson,  in the late 1970s.

Pictured are a bunch of area high school students, from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional and other area high schools, performing a scene in Bye Bye Birdie.

It’s a bit blurry, due to the lack of focus, and perhaps unsteady hand, on the instamatic camera with the rotating flash cube, but it was one of many moments at the popular theater.

Do you know anyone in this picture? Check it out.

 

Local Life

New Year’s Day with Nature on Sandy Hook

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As the American Littoral Society sees it, New Year’s Day is the time to take a walk on the natural side.

That walk is a unique way to ring in the New Year, honor the memory of a local environmentalist, get some exercise and soak in some nature in a national park. It’s the Jan. 1 American Littoral Society’s 39th Annuual Dery Bennett Memorial Walk on Sandy Hook.

The longstanding traditional walk starts at 11 a.m. at the Littoral Society’s headquarters, 18 Hartshorne Drive, on the north end of Sandy Hook, or Fort Hancock.

Walkers, asked to bundle up and bring binoculars, will proceed to the end of the Hook where they will try to meet up, across the bay, with a group doing the same thing.

Upon completion of the walk, hot chocolate and lunch will be served at the Littoral Society’s office. Participants are also invited to bring a dessert. There will also be a rain barrel project presentation by a Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) student.

Derry Bennett, whom the walk has been named after since his death in 2009, was a Fair Haven resident and longtime director of the American Littoral Society (1968 to 2003).

The Littoral Society, founded in 1961 by scientists, fishermen and scuba divers, is a champion of marine environmental education and conservation.