Tragedy has struck the Fair Haven community. A 21-year-old member of the longtime Fair Haven Riley family has been killed in an accident while serving as a calvary scout in the U.S. Army.
Continue reading Condolences: Fair Haven Mourns Hometown Hero Jamie Riley, 21Category Archives: News
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Retro Peninsula House Swim Teaming
Photo/Facebook collection via Joanne DeStephano Garelli
It was teaming today — rain.
And in some parts of the Rumson-Fair Haven area, like Sea Bright, the precipitation and high tides were forecasted to bring the usual coastal flooding to Sea Bright — or pools of water taken to the street, at least.
So, in keeping with wishes for voluntary swimming (rather than doggie paddling across the street) and sunnier days, the Retro Pic of the Day takes us back to the mid-1970s a different kind of team — not teaming rain, but swim team(ing).
This is the old Peninsula House Swim Team. Check out those freestyle tans, toothy grins and suits. Remember Peninsula House, commonly dubbed P-House? It was a popular, affordable beach club to team up with RFH buds and join back in the day. Recognize any of the RFHers win this pic?
They’re all about the swim and sunny daze.
— Elaine Van Develde
Retro Rumson Snow Day Imps
Snow days … Students in the Rumson-Fair Haven area haven’t used one yet this school year. Still, the anticipation of one that comes along with a fouled weather forecast bring back a lot of snow-coated, mischief-laden memories.
Continue reading Retro Rumson Snow Day Imps
Scene Around: Rumson Breakfast Club
Photo/Sue Hill-Spakowski
When you talk about dogs in Rumson, it’s usually a bulldog you’re referring to, as in the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) mascot. But, there’s a new dog in town who is providing a dog’s eye view into Rumson life. That would be Nancy Spakowski.
Continue reading Scene Around: Rumson Breakfast Club
Iconic Spot: Farewell, Fromagerie; Hello, Rumson House
Photo/Elaine Van Develde
So, what’s in a name? An awful lot sometimes. When it comes to iconic spots in the Rumson-Fair Haven area, sometimes its all about a name — and the place behind that name and its power. The power of place. It’s mighty in small towns. It defines us and fills our hearts — that slew of memories all anchored in one small place that holds the power to invoke them.
There’s a lot of power in an iconic place like Rumson’s Fromagerie. It’s been a locals’ anchor for decades, since it opened in 1972, under the ownership of Hubert and Markus Peter. Through the many years of the swanky restaurant’s staple existence, management, ownership and menu shifts, the name of the landmark has always been the same — until now.
Continue reading Iconic Spot: Farewell, Fromagerie; Hello, Rumson House
Retro RFH Darkroom Days; Remembering Cliff Greene, 61
Hangin’ in the darkroom. There was such a thing at RFH in the 1970s. And it had quite the opposite renegade purpose of smokin’ in the boys room, as the ’73 Brownsville Station song mused.
Continue reading Retro RFH Darkroom Days; Remembering Cliff Greene, 61
Scene Around: Visit with Deer Friends in Rumson
Photo/Sue Hill-Spakowski
Oh, deer! That’s likely what Rumson dog Nancy Spakowski was thinking when she had a little visit with a family of deer while taking a stroll on Blackpoint Horseshoe Road today.
Continue reading Scene Around: Visit with Deer Friends in Rumson
Focus: Power of People 2018
People. People put the power of place into perspective. They pull us back into places we remember, milestones. They set us soaring toward our dreams, reaching for our own stars. They bring us down to Earth. They anchor us, our memories, our life journeys.
So, in honor of bringing the people in our lives, our communities, all into focus on the journey of one year in the Rumson-Fair Haven area, we offer a glimpse at the people around us in 20018. Relive. Remember. Treasure.
Happy New Year! Be sure to stop, take a look at the faces around you and embrace the memories created in 2019 …
Take a look back (and don’t forget to CLICK to ENLARGE!)
— Elaine Van Develde
Photo/Loujeanne Cuje 
Photo/FHFD 
Winning Itsy Bitsy Spider, Mom and Dad Photo/FHFD 
Focus: Power of Place 2018
There’s a lot to be said about the importance of place in people’s lives. It defines us in many ways. It brings us comfort. It triggers memories. It is a bookmark in our hearts. Oftentimes that important place is home.
So, to pay homage to the profound power of place in the Rumson-Fair Haven area, home, we offer a glimpse back to significant places of 2018 and many decades preceding it.
Happy New Year! Take a look and let the photos give a tug at your heartstrings. Remember.
(Oh, and don’t forget to click on each photo to enlarge and get the full view!)
— Elaine Van Develde
Focus: Fair Haven Holiday House Decoration Winners
Drum roll please … for, perhaps, the little drummer nutcracker boys on the front porch of the first-place winner of the first Fair Haven Holiday House Decoration Contest — the Ruscignos at 39 Parker Avenue.
Ben, Maria and Rocco Ruscigno added some special touches this year, they said. They collected PJs for ill children and their families at the Jersey Shore University Medical Center Children’s Hospital in an effort to give back the kindness they received when Rocco was ill one year. In an effort to make the drop-off spot as festive and easy to find as possible, spirits soared and their house got the deluxe decoration treatment. Maria announced that they dropped off “100 pairs of brand new pajamas” to Jersey Shore. She thanked all for the donations.
Congratulations to the Ruscignos!
Second place went to the family at 11 Country Lane with the beautiful array of white lights. If you’ve done your holiday lights drive with due diligence every year, you’ve surely seen and admired the display here.
And third place went to the folks at 77 Poplar Ave., whose home is adorned with lots of festive multicolored lights and decorations year after year.
All the entries were drive-by worthy. Take a ride around the borough to see for yourself. There were 13 that were entered in the contest. In the meantime, take a look at some photos of the winners. And don’t forget to click to enlarge!
RFH Football Champs Sign College Letters of Intent
Five Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) State Championship football players have made their college choices official.
The athletes signed letters of intent on Thursday, sealing their college deals.
The athletes and their college choices are:
• Evan Davis — University at Buffalo
• Alex Maldjian — Middlebury College
• Ryan McCann — Yale University
• Ian O’Connor — Lehigh University
• Henry Sullivan — Colgate University
Head Coach Jerry Schulte,
Coach Jeremy Schulte
Ian O’Connor (Lehigh), Evan Davis (Buffalo), Henry Sullivan (Colgate), Ryan McCann (Yale), Alex Maldjian (Middlebury).
This is the first signing day of the school year for football. Additional commitments will be made in February.
— Press release from RFH
Focus: Black & White Winter on the River
You’ve seen it before. The view of Rumson from Hartshorne Woods at sunset on a winter’s day is a stunning, stark one.
It’s simple. It’s black and white. It’s peace and landscape harmony.
Take pause and take it in.
Good night, Rumson-Fair Haven area.
— Elaine Van Develde
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