Category Archives: Local Life

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

Focus: Throwing Sunny Shade on River Time

There’s nothing like a crisp, bright fall day down by the river. It’s nothing to throw shade on, unless, of course, an umbrella or several are involved at an iconic spot along the Navesink.

That spot would be Barnacle Bill’s in Rumson. The shade? Well, when the fiery sunshine sears that fuzzy warmth into your soul, the umbrella that shades takes the glare away, calling the view into vivid focus. Call it falling for the same old, yet always new, scene. The river time scene.

River time. It’s time forever well-spent — sunny side always up under the umbrella of a day completed down by the river.

Take a look and feel the fall riverside sunshine in your soul. (Click on one pic to enlarge and scroll. Enjoy!)

The sun is set to shine bright for the rest of the week, bringing another little waft of locals’ summer. Here’s the Rumson-Fair Haven area forecast through the weekend from the National Weather Service …

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Retro Cool CAT Stokes Campers

Some sixth grade Fair Haven boys at Stokes
Photo/David Struve

Well, the iconic Stokes trip happened last week; and, by all accounts it was a trip soaked with fun … and rain.

The tradition has been altered over the years. Most recently, the trip’s time of year changed. It now happens in the fall when it used to happen in late spring. It also now takes seventh-, not sixth-graders, tripping in the woods for a week of hands-on outdoor education. And there are no RFH senior counselors called CATs along for the trips of more recent, well, decades. 

Nonetheless, the longtime tradition is and always has been rife with tales of the trip.

This featured snapshot back into the woods in 1978 at Stokes focuses on a few RFH counselor guys (and a sixth grader) who seem to have happened upon some sort of sight or adventure. Lost boys? Perhaps. 

Continue reading Retro Cool CAT Stokes Campers

Retro Rumson Schools’ Tandy Techies

The Tandy and gifted and talented Rumson students
Photo/Red Bank Register archives

A reprise of a 2015 back-to-school Retro Pic of the Day …

Apparently, it was considered a gifted and talented trait in the early 1980s to be well-versed in the operation of a Tandy computer — or whatever you want to call it.

This Red Bank Register photo went unpublished in March of 1982.

Continue reading Retro Rumson Schools’ Tandy Techies

Retro RFH Surf Dude Chillin’

RFH Class of '78 surfing buddies Photo/George Day
RFH Class of ’78 surfing buddies
Photo/George Day

With the start of the school year and a rev-up of the RFH Surf Team beaching it and catching waves, we’re taking another a close-up and personal reprise look at that ’70s RFH crew of surfer boys catching cool waves (or beaching it) and sitting on top o’ the Sea Bright world. Most of these guys are actually still friends.

Continue reading Retro RFH Surf Dude Chillin’

Focus: Reuniting with RFH’s Class of ’73

They not only danced the night away, the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School Class of ’73 celebrated its 50th reunion with a full weekend of re-connecting.

Yes, that’s half a century. Yet, this crew is still in top partying shape, like it’s still 1973. The three-day gala had fewer “frees” sprinkled in than the senior schedule at RFH back in the day.

Continue reading Focus: Reuniting with RFH’s Class of ’73

Back to School & Walking the Rope

Our annual reprise of back-to-school memories and walking the rope in Fair Haven …

“But I don’t wanna walk on the rope next to her!” I cried from under my freshly-cut kindergarten bangs. “I wanna walk on the rope next to Pam!”

Pam was my neighbor. She was my best buddy.

It was 1965. It was the 60s. One thing’s for sure: Our Fair Haven kindergarten class was the last to have its first year of school at what was called the Youth Center, now the Fair Haven Police Station and Community Center on Fisk Street.

We kindergarteners were also the last to be tugged down the street on a rope, yes a rope, headed by an official-looking police-type lady.

Continue reading Back to School & Walking the Rope