Category Archives: Local Life

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

Retro RFH Ladies’ Club Times

RFH Ladies of the Round Table
Photo/ RFH Yearbook 77-78

A reprise in honor of forever RFH best friends … Cheers to Friday, courtesy of the RFH Ladies of the Round Table!

There’s a pair of besties in every crowd, or club. And there’s a club for just about everything, including things that likely would be frowned upon in the millennium.

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Retro RFH Cozy Winter Girl Gaggling

RFH girls gathering in the early 80s/Photo … Anne Kneuer

They call it a gaggle of geese, because when geese get together, they’re so excited to hang out that they are quite rambunctious. Well, maybe just have a lot to say. And they’re a close-knit bunch — just like this group of RFH girls from the early 80s.

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Scene Around: Faces of the 2024 Fair Haven Fire Department Leadership

When it comes to volunteer fire department reorganizations of the New Year, while members usually know who’s up next and for what position on the line of officers, it’s all formalized with official oaths of office on New Year’s Day.

Continue reading Scene Around: Faces of the 2024 Fair Haven Fire Department Leadership

Retro Rumson Fire Company Reorg

Rumson Fire Department line officers Joseph Brennan Slocum (chief), Bill Murphy and Kenneth Patrick Marass circa 1965. Photo/courtesy of Jo Ann Slocum Mazzucca
Rumson Fire Department line officers Joseph Brennan Slocum (chief), Bill Murphy and Kenneth Patrick Marass circa 1965.
Photo/courtesy of Jo Ann Slocum Mazzucca

The following Retro Pic of the Day was originally published on Jan. 4 2016. In honor of the Rumson Fire Department reorganization of the new year, we are offering a look back at the reorg of 1965:

As tradition goes in the Rumson-Fair Haven area, New Year’s Day is the day of swearing line officers in to the respective fire companies.

So, in honor of the time-honored tradition, the Retro Pic of the Day offers a glimpse back to 1965 and Rumson’s top line officers.

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Focus: Moonlighting the Murky Way into 2024

With the New Year on the horizon, sometimes it takes some moon glow to light the way.

The murky skies may mask the stars, but the moon tells us they’re there and always within a dreamer’s reach. And what’s not to reach for when the fuzzy picture becomes perfect with a moon waxing full standing in for the hidden star atop the evergreen.

Evergreen. It’s not just the live tree’s forever color that has a bright meaning. It’s what the murky sky masks — that evergreen riverfront scene. Always there. Always lit by the moon and stars behind the sky’s dank weather veil. Always attainable as we reach for the light, dazed into the New Year.

** Thanks to Fair Havenite Susan Culbert for the misty weather pics! She spotted the spectacular moon-topped tree on a trek down River Road before Christmas and the rest by the river. **

Here’s the weather forecast for the days ahead, courtesy of the National Weather Service

Retro Santa House Call

Santa comes to the Connor-Kelly home in Fair Haven circa 1980s
Photo/Connor-Kelly family

A classic reprise, just because … it’s Santa time!

Santa has begun making the rounds around the towns lately. You’ve likely seen him being whisked through the Rumson and Fair Haven neighborhoods on the firetruck over the weekend. It’s that time of the year.

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Scene Around: A Rumson Family’s ‘Shelter in Solitude’

Have you seen her? Probably. At the store, in the car, at local haunts, at charity events, at the schools, at church — and on stage, on TV … and in the movies. The latest you’ll see of her, other than around the towns, is on screen in the now streaming movie Shelter in Solitude.

She’s Siobhan Fallon Hogan. She’s a Rumsonite. And, among (or sometimes above) other things, she’s an actress. Rumson’s local celebrity. And seeing her in the movies these days means also knowing that it’s a Hogan family affair in independent filmmaking. Call it, rather, a Rumson family production/acting entourage of three RFH grads — her husband Pete and kids — and a character actress star/screenwriter imported to Rumson by marriage.

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Scene Around: Rumson DPW Toy Drive Santas

Rumson Department of Public Works’ 24th annual toy drive was a success.

“The Rumson DPW wants to Thank You for your support this Christmas Season. Hundreds of toys were collected and will be distributed to the Salvation Army and Child Family Services for this coming Holiday Season. THANK YOU!!” a social media by employee and Fair Havenite Nick Lenczyk said.

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Rewind: For Crying Out Santa!

George Clark shuns Santa with tears in 2012
Photo/courtesy of Ann Clark

A reprise, just because … this solitary Santa trauma was just too classic not to repeat. ‘Tis the season, after all. And, with this reprise, we kick off our Santa trauma series … just for fun. Really. Send us your most classic “happy Santa/miserable child” pics. There’s one in every photo album! Email yours to evd@rfhretro.com … We have mounted quite a collection, so don’t be left out!

Ho, ho, hoooooo and here we go again with a classic misery-doesn’t-love- Santa’s-company shot. 

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