A look, in photos, of latest area events, local everyday people and places.
‘Tis St. Patrick’s Day.
So, to honor the day with some local connection, our Retro Pic of the Day takes a look at Rumson’s Briody family, fondly referred to as The Briody Bunch.
The crew with longtime Rumson roots always marches, and rides, in the Rumson St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Here they are!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Tell us about your favorite “bunch,” or family of Irish heritage in the area.
By Elaine Van Develde
Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) graduate and lifetime Rumsonite Brittany Hopkins is prepping to take long trek for life in remembrance of two people who made an indelible impact on her life through their fights with and deaths to cancer — former fellow RFH grad, Alyson Raywood, and her grandmother, former Aberdeen resident Mathilde Altinger.
Both died in the fall of 2014 — Raywood on Oct. 11, 2014.
Raywood, 18, a member of the RFH Class of 2014 who is now a freshman at Boston College (BC), will join roughly 1,500 fellow undergraduates in a 12-hour American Cancer Society Relay for Life walk-a-thon, at the college this weekend. And she’ll be doing it in the name of Raywood and Altinger.
At Boston College, where there are 9,000 undergraduates, “it is the largest non-athletic event on campus,” Hopkins said. “On Feb. 22, BC officially hit the $1 million mark of fundraising over the past 8 years. We are the first university in Massachusetts to do this. Boston College is trying to raise $175,000 this year; and so far we have raised $102,000.”
Hopkins was motivated by the love of her grandmother and the perseverance of Raywood, a 2013 RFH grad. Though she said she wasn’t close with Raywood, she saw her grow sick and couldn’t help but admire her for her positive outlook and bright smile in the face of adversity.
Hopkins’ motivation catapulted her into the fundraiser walk. She felt it was the least she could do to help in the fight against the cancer that stole two people with pivotal, unassuming roles in her life and the lives of so many others.
“When Alyson passed away, it seemed like a part of Rumson passed with her,” Hopkins said. “You could see how distraught the community was. This was the same with my grandmother. My grandmother was the most genuine, kind, generous person that anyone could imagine. When I lost her, I lost a part of myself.
“My grandmother and Alyson were incredibly strong and could put a smile on anyone’s face. It was a shame to watch cancer take over them, but I know they’re still with us in a way. It’s sad that a disease can take such special people away. I hope that we can decrease the amount of people diagnosed and that one day we can find a cure.”
Hopkins is Corporate Sponsorship chair on the Relay for Life Committee.
She has set a personal goal to raise $3,000 and is $300 shy of it. She is appealing to the Rumson-Fair Haven community for a boost for the May 20 to 21 walk.
Check out Hopkins’ fundraising page for Relay for Life at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/brittanyhopkins
or contact Hopkins directly at brittany.1.hopkins@gmail.com.
You could say that the Saturday’s pet-friendly church service at Rumson’s St. George’s-by-the River Episcopal Church was a howling — perhaps hamster-ease squeaking — success.
Today and tomorrow are the days Fair Havenites are spending saying goodbye to lifetime resident Chum Chandler, who was also a 65-year member of the Fair Haven Volunteer Fire Company.
So, we felt it only fitting to honor Chum and his wife Bette, who predeceased him in 1996, in today’s Retro Pic of the Day.
The two were married on Sept. 25, 1955, daughter Carol Chandler-West said in a Facebook post.
“I was blessed with two special parents, and for giving me a wonderful life,” she said. “God Bless!!!”
RIP, Chum and Bette Chandler.
The upcoming weekend in the Rumson-Fair Haven area is all about pets getting religion, a goodbye to a community icon and some classic musical theater entertainment.
Starting on Friday night …
• It’s show time for an old favorite musical Godspell, a production by Monmouth Players at the old Navesink Library, the longtime community theater company’s home base.
Curtain is 8:15 p.m. this evening as well as Saturday and March 20.
There are Sunday matinees this weekend, on March 15, and on March 22 at 2 p.m.
Click here for more information.
On Saturday …
• It’s time for a sad goodbye, yet joyous celebration of the life of lifetime Fair Havenite Chum Chandler.
All are welcome to attend this celebration of the community icon and 65-year member of the Fair Haven Fire Department on Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Fair Haven Firehouse on River Road.
Click here for Chum’s obituary.
• And at 5 p.m., St. George’s-by-the-River Episcopal Church at 7 Lincoln Avenue in Rumson is holding its first pet-friendly, hour-long service.
All are invited to bring their pets to church. Dogs must be leashed and all other animals must be contained.
The service kicks off a new monthly tradition at the church.
Click here for more information.
Let us know if we’ve left anything out (at evd@rfhretro.com) and have a happy, healthy weekend, all! See you around the towns!
Photo/Elaine Van Develde
The third annual Rumson St. Patrick’s Day Parade was Sunday. And there were many familiar faces marching and on the grandstand.
One, in particular, on the grandstand for all three years of the new parade tradition, was emcee JoAnn Pileggi.
Pileggi, a TV journalist for NYC’s Fox 5 News and FOX 29philly, is a Fair Haven resident who is married to RFH grad T.J. Foderaro, a longtime journalist who comes from a long line of journalists.
A couple of years ago, this photo of Pileggi was taken as the Fair Haven resident was headed to a concert on the Fair Haven Dock with her children.
Do you know JoAnn?
Photo/Van Develde family
In light of the pending purchase of a new fire truck for the Fair Haven Fire Department, our Retro Pic of the Day offers a look back at an oldie.
New transport rules mandate that firemen can no longer ride hanging on the the back or sides of a truck.
But, there was a lot of that, like an indelible stereotypical snapshot, back in the day. Times have changed, but the dedication of the local volunteer firefighter, from generation to generation, has not.
In this photo, circa early 1970s, the guys are rolling out for a parade. They are in the back of the firehouse in their dress uniforms.
The guy hanging on the outside of the truck is none other than this editor’s dad, Bill Van Develde, a life member of the fire company and former captain of the Fair Haven Fire Police.
Did you know that the rules for riding on the outside of a fire truck had changed? Who’s inside the cab? And which truck is this? The Mack?
There was a wee bit of a chill in the air, but spirits were warm and bright on Sunday at the third annual Rumson St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Thousands lined East River Road to take festive trip to St. Paddy’s Day nine days early via hundreds of paraders.
Take a look at the above slideshow for a glimpse into Rumson’s new tradition.
Don’t forget to click on the icon in the bottom right corner to enlarge for a full view!
It’s comfort food and company for the soul — the annual Fair Haven Volunteer Fire Company’s Spaghetti Dinner.
The trek up those steps at the firehouse sets off a surge of soothing memories for any longtime Fair Havenite. The smell of sauce simmering on the stove, the familiar sound of a banquet room full of friends, the sight of the good ladies of the auxiliary serving meals and the kitchen … oh, the kitchen, where the guys who made the spaghetti and meatballs keep things cooking.
Then there’s Angelo, meatball master supreme. He watches over everything and keeps it all good.
Take a look at our slideshow above to get a glimpse into the evening and all things fine at the firehouse. Mangia!
Oh, and don’t forget to click the icon on the bottom right of the slideshow to enlarge it and get a full view!
The third annual Rumson St. Patrick’s Day parade is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
The relatively new area tradition has drawn hundreds of participants and thousands of viewers.
This year, the parade is dedicated to its first lead organizer, Michael Larkin. Fair Havenite and Fox 5 reporter JoAnn Pileggi is back for the third year as emcee; and the grand marshal is Philip Murphy, a Middletown resident with a Rumson connection who was U.S. Ambassador to Germany.
Take a look back in our slideshow revisiting the first Rumson St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
See you Sunday!
The upcoming weekend in the Rumson-Fair Haven area is flush with fun, festivity, remembrance and tradition.
To start, on Saturday …
• It’s been a longtime tradition of the Fair Haven Volunteer Fire Company — the annual Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser.
The sauce and meatballs are prepared under the tutelage of 85-year-old Angelo DePonti, a Red Bank friend of Fair Haven who has been a social member of the fire company for 25 years.
“I was born to cook and I love sharing my recipe and food with so many,” Angelo says.
The meal of spaghetti and meatballs, salad Italian bread, soft drinks and homemade desserts is made and served by firemen, Ladies’ Auxiliary members and fire cadets.
The dinner, from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday at the firehouse on River Road, is BYOB and costs $10 for adults and $5 for children. Oh, and take-out is available.
Mangia!
• Later on Saturday night, as a prelude to Sunday’s Rumson St. Patrick’s Day Parade is the parade’s Investiture Cocktail Reception fundraiser from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at The Salt Creek Grille in Rumson.
Tickets are $75. The price includes cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
And on Sunday …
• The third annual Rumson St. Patrick’s Day Parade marches into town beginning at 1 p.m.
The parade lines up at Victory Park and then proceeds east on River Road for about 1 mile to Piping Rock Park.
Last year, police estimated that there was a crowd of roughly 7,000.
• Also on Sunday, from 3 to 5 p.m. RFHers may pay their respects to former RFH teacher and coach Hal Lorme.
The service is being held from 3 to 5 p.m., with a prayer service at 4:30, at the Thompson Memorial Home, 310 Broad Street, Red Bank.
Photo/Elaine Van Develde
Our Retro Pic of the Day focuses on a gull on the beach in Sea Bright.
The intent of this pic is to get Rumson-Fair Haven people all ready for the warm weather ahead — of course.
What’s your favorite spot at the beach and what are you looking forward to most once the sun hits the shore?
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