Find all the local news updates here
It’s spring. Block party time has come.
And, with the advent of that sort of celebration of a neighborhood, we at Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect are taking a look back at good neighbors.
So, we’re kicking off what will be a daily ode with our Retro Pic of the Day honoring Ken Lockwood.
Lockwood lived in Fair Haven for 88 years, nearly as long as the borough’s existence. He moved to Fair Haven at the age of 2 and is now 93.
By Elaine Van Develde
Another Fair Haven icon has passed.
Ray Miller, a pioneer of Fair Haven small business and longtime community friend, died at 92 on Sunday.
So, we honor him today in our Retro Pic of the Day, courtesy of his daughter Peggy.
This day-in-a-life shot gives a focused picture of the Ray Miller so many knew back in the day. Gravelly voice curmudgeon-like manner always at a “high test” premium, there were countless memorable visits made by many a youngster and their parents to Ray Miller’s Exxon at the corner of River Road and Smith Street — even if you knew you might get a scolding.
A press release from the Office of U.S. Attorney, Paul J. Fishman:
Two members of a large-scale drug trafficking organization Monday admitted conspiring to distribute heroin in Monmouth and Ocean counties, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Robert Ketcham, 28, of Bayville, and Kenneth Greenhow, 41, of Asbury Park, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court to separate information charging them each with one count of conspiring to distribute heroin.
In March 2014, 21 alleged members of the Britt-Young DTO, a drug trafficking organization named after its leaders, Robert Britt and Rufus Young, were charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to distribute heroin. Of those 21 individuals, 14 have pleaded guilty.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Between February 2013 and December 2013, Ketcham conspired with Young and others to distribute heroin in Ocean and Monmouth counties as part of the Britt-Young DTO.
From October 2013 through March 2014, Greenhow also conspired with Young and others to distribute heroin on behalf of the Britt-Young DTO. Ketcham and Greenhow were collectively responsible for distributing between 60 and 100 grams of heroin.
The narcotics conspiracy charge to which Ketcham and Greenhow pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and $1 million fine. Sentencing for both defendants is scheduled for Aug. 18, 2015.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, Red Bank Resident Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Richard M. Frankel, with the investigation leading to Monday’s guilty pleas.
The following is an edited press release from the Fair Haven School District:
Make Your Mark was the theme of the Fair Haven School District Art Show, featuring more than 1,000 pieces of original art.
“The art show is a great way to celebrate student talents and diverse ideas,” Knollwood School Art Teacher Kelly Fogas said. “The displayed works and items created throughout the year show the growth of artistic ability, conceptualization, and eagerness in our students.”
Students in Kindergarten through third grade at Viola L. Sickles School and in fourth through eighth grade at Knollwood School each contributed at least one project for display at the show on April 14.
This year’s show represented the district’s implementation of new standards in the Visual Arts program.
Those standards focus on essential questions to help develop both critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Fair Haven Visual Arts students are encouraged to create, present, respond, and connect their artwork to ideas that have personal meaning. This was reflected in the context of each of the displayed pieces.
Featured at the Art Show this year was a ceramics wheel and the Knollwood students’ creations from its use. The wheel was acquired as the result of a grant requested by and awarded to the Knollwood School Art Teachers by the Fair Haven Parent Teacher Association.
Also on display at the show was a variety of drawings and paintings as well as paper, wood and ceramic sculptures.
Fair Haven School District Art Teachers are: RoseAnn LaBrocca K-3, Viola L. Sickles School; Kelly Fogas grades 4 to 8, Knollwood School; and Chris Dudick, 5th and 8th grades, Knollwood School.
Art Show coordinators were Stephanie Bates and Marisa Coar.
By Elaine Van Develde
He was known as a very cool dude and great teacher. He was Dewey Robinson.
He taught Social Studies at RFH and he coached.
By popular demand, Dewey Robinson is our Retro Pic of the Day in ode to deceased RFH teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week.
Boy, was he popular — and rightly so.
The man was just so totally cool, interesting and knowledgeable and he spread that wealth of good attitude and lessons to be learned on with finesse.
He died suddenly at 58 in 2008.
I did not have the pleasure of having Dewey Robinson as a teacher or coach (because I was always way too uncoordinated to play any sport). But I do remember him well. No RFH student could miss all that coolness in one teacher.
He just had a profound look of compassion in his eyes at all times — an empathetic one. He cared and it showed. He had a real relatable demeanor. Dewey Robinson had no trouble connecting with anyone. You didn’t have to know him to know that.
The evidence was always there, in the students he taught and coached, passing a bit of himself on to them always.
Dewey’s mom, Jeanetter Crowell, died not too long ago, him having pre-deceased her, regrettably.
She, too, was remembered for her sweetness and compassion.
“What a great teacher Dewey was and there is always a strong and wonderful woman behind every great and wonderful man,” Tamera Partington Dinklage said on the Fair Haven Facebook page when the death of Dewey’s mom was announced.
RIP, Dewey Robinson. You were appreciated. Thanks for paying your coolness forward.
Yes, adoption is for seniors, too.
And Harley, a chihuahua mix currently residing at the Monmouth County SPCA, needs a loving home in which he can live out his senior years.
Harley, described as very sweet and affectionate and friendly with other dogs, needs a quiet home without kids. It takes him a little time to acclimate to new people in his life, but he does like to be held, according to his bio on the SPCA website.
He only weighs 12 pounds and doesn’t need to be walked a lot.
Check him out on film and see if he just might be the little old guy for you.
By Elaine Van Develde
The Sea Bright Farmers Market is back in season and the goods are ripe for the picking.
In addition to the old favorites — Picklelicious, Fair Mountain Coffee Roasters, Harvest Moon Farm, Holly Jolly Jams, Neshanic Valley Beekeepers, Baker’s Bounty and Franklin Soapworks — there are also some small family-owned farm vendors that have joined in the second year of the outdoor locally grown, organically crafted shopping tradition in the Sea Bright Municipal Parking lot from 2 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays.
Those new additions include organic goodies, like Asian produce, herbs, free-range and grass-fed meats, farm fresh cheeses and from Green Duchess , Central Valley and Holly Hill and Harvest Moon farms. DIVE was also there offering some samples of corn and clam chowder.
The following is a press release from the Rumson School District:
From soulful ballads by talented vocalists and stirring performances by accomplished pianists, to comedy and dance extravaganzas and even a hard rock performance, there was something for everyone at the Forrestdale Follies talent show.
Presented by the Rumson Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO), the Follies took place on the evening of April 16 in the school’s auditorium. Proceeds benefited the Rumson PTO.
It seems as if plans for future development at the Fair Haven Sunoco station have run out of the gas to drive them home.
One thing, though, seems pretty clear — that the site at 626 River Road won’t become another gas station.
The site has been completely cleared of underground tanks and remediated for safe development. But it’s static and empty, with no sign of any sort of comeback — not yet, anyway.
“There’s no tenant,” Fair Haven Mayor Ben Lucarelli said. “It’s in a state of limbo between Sunoco and someone who may or may not be under contract (to develop the site). The site has been decommissioned and debranded, so one would assume that was done for a transfer of title. Maybe, maybe not.”
Who that title would have been or is in the works of being transferred to, the mayor said he did not know.
As for the notion of another gas station, not only have the tanks to make that a reality been removed, but “that business model in a small town is shot,” Lucarelli said. “Any new gas station being built right now is something like a WaWa or a Quick Check, with 16-24 pump operations on big highways.”
There used to be several gas stations between Rumson and Fair Haven. Now each borough is down to one.
Fair Haven is in the process of reworking its master plan. There has been talk of some zone changes and alterations.
What sort of development do you think the site, now zoned for business, is ripe for?
[WRG id=3490]
It’s May. Countdown to Memorial Day weekend has begun and the unofficial start of summer is not far off. But whether or not Donovan’s Reef will make its comeback with summer is not yet clear.
The lot of the iconic Sea Bright spot has been cleared. The Hurricane Sandy-ravaged bungalow is gone. That all happened, after a static period, in December of last year.
Last word, according to Donovan’s Facebook page, was in February of this year. In answer to a patron’s query of whether or not the bar would be back and exactly when, ownership said, “Yes. Things are moving forward, just don’t have specifics yet!”
Since then, not a word. Only speculation. After Sandy, there was a time when a sale was pending. Then that changed. And in the summer of 2013, owners were saying that it would be back in 2014.
Plans for a larger Donovan’s, replete with on-beach Tiki bars and tree houses, were approved, after some delay, in 2014. And there was a plan to at least partially open with Tiki bars on the beach that year, as a teaser.
A Tiki bar and thatch umbrella have remained on the beach since.
The cleared lot and sea wall are fenced in. Small remnants of the original Donovan’s remain. And there’s a relatively new staircase over the sea wall to the beach, where Donovan’s deck and staircase to the beach was before Sandy. Another staircase is a few feet away for beach access.
One of the owners, Dr. Robert Carducci, died in February of 2014. The other is Bob Phillips.
Phillips was not reachable for comment.
There have been rumors of sales bandied back and forth for years.
But, as of now, the above gallery offers a glimpse into its present state — looking far from ready for an end of May, or even summer, opening.
Could that change?
Rumson-Fair Haven Restrospect will keep you updated.
— Elaine Van Develde
By Elaine Van Develde
Today is the first day of Teacher Appreciation Week.
So, the Retro Pic of the Day all week will randomly highlight fondly remembered RFH teachers who have passed.
The first pick brought to the attention of Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect was RFH math teacher Bill Kern, a former longtime Fair Haven resident.
Continue reading Retro Appreciation of RFH Teacher Bill Kern
You must be logged in to post a comment.