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Living the Dream: Umberto’s Anthony Fabbri’s Pizza Passion & New ‘Amici’ Place

Anthony Fabbri & family, Amici storefront & Anthony Fabbri
Photos/Anthony Fabbri & Elaine Van Develde

When Fair Haven’s iconic Umberto’s pizzeria closed, Anthony Fabbri, son of pizza icon Silvio, said his dad would have said, “OK. It’s time to go home.” Home, as he knew it, was where the heart was and his and his family’s heart was and has always been with their passion — pizza.

And now, just more than a year after the doors to the brick-and-mortar Umberto’s, Anthony, like his pop advised, has brought his passion back home again — right to his pizza-flipping heart.

Continue reading Living the Dream: Umberto’s Anthony Fabbri’s Pizza Passion & New ‘Amici’ Place →
Local Life

Retro Fair Haven Gals and a Fair Prize Boat

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The Fair Haven Fire Department girls showing the fair grand prize boat
Photos/FHFD, courtesy of Ray Bennett

A reprise in honor of the Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair coming back to town after a COVID-19 pandemic unheard-of hiatus last year. There used to be a prize boat at one time. Then there was a car. Now there’s the Super 50/50; and, in another altered tradition, tickets are on sale now, in advance of the fair’s comeback in a couple of weeks.

Summer heat’s on and the fair in all of it’s area coolness is coming back. What a prize! Right?

Speaking of prizes, we take you back to this reprise sequel of those firehouse girls-on-the-boat photos for a tidbit about fair winnings and reminder that the grand prize of all prizes, the Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair is on its way back.

Continue reading Retro Fair Haven Gals and a Fair Prize Boat →
Local Life

Scene Around: One Eyed Jack Sighting

One-Eyed Jack the parrot at Barnacle Bill’s Dock in Rumson
Photos/Elaine Van Develde

Call it the real macaw — up close and personal.

“Well, that made my night!” a woman could be overheard exclaiming after a chance meeting with a special parrot that broke the table wait tedium at a packed Barnacle Bill’s in Rumson on Saturday night.

Continue reading Scene Around: One Eyed Jack Sighting →
Local Life

Focus: Hazy Dock Daze & Tuesdays

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Fair Haven Dock on a hazy day
Photos/Elaine Van Develde

The view from the Fair Haven Dock is a bit askew if you’re fast forwarding from a sunny Monday to a hazy Tuesday with The Carpenters’ 1971 song Rainy Days and Mondays burrowing a massive ear worm in your head.

So, just going along with an updated Hazy Days and Tuesdays doesn’t get rid of the tune, just the lyrics. And then there’s the view from the dock. It seldom, if ever, gets one down.

In fact, it seems like there’s always a giant yellow smiley face, just like the 70s, calling all, like a siren, to the end of the dock. It’s that terminal sign that sunnier days always return. So, in anticipation of the sun and solace of the timeless view from the dock, take a look (click on one pic to enlarge and scroll), soak it up and smile.

Sunny days topped with sprinkles on top are ahead, according to the National Weather Service …

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Local Life

Retro R-FH Water Rescue Cruisin’

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Fair Haven First Aid Squad’s Water Rescue Unit circa early 1970s
Photo/FHFD media collection

It’s the heart of summer. And with summertime in the Rumson-Fair Haven area comes a tsunami of waterborne activity.

It’s the peninsula way of life. Always has been. And because of it, back in 1962, members of the Fair Haven Fire Department’s First Aid Squad created an underwater rescue team, as they referred to it. The team would exist for water rescue and recovery emergencies. It made sense.

Continue reading Retro R-FH Water Rescue Cruisin’ →
Local Life

What’s Cooking: Fair Haven Fish Fry

2015 Soul Food Dinner at Fisk Chapel, Fair Haven
Photos/Elaine Van Develde

Rainy days and Saturdays won’t get the folks at Fair Haven’s Fisk Chapel down.

They’re cooking up something good, as usual. It’s a fish fry this time; and it benefits the historic church in this Fair Haven niche.

The serving up of the good food and company starts at noon and lasts until the food is gone at the church at 35 Fisk St., Fair Haven,

Here are more details …

Local Life, Opinion

Retro Crazy Days of RFH Boys’ Summer

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RFH Class of 1979 guys on a day at the beach Photo/courtesy of Paul Hughes, Class of '79 reunion slideshow
RFH Class of 1979 guys on a day at the beach
Photo/courtesy of Paul Hughes, Class of ’79 reunion slideshow

A reprise in honor of sizzling hot summer days on the beach with some cool RFH guys … 

Remember that horror movie When a Stranger Calls? The babysitter  gets a repeated freaky call from a stranger asking, in measured terror tones, “Have you checked the children lately?”

Continue reading Retro Crazy Days of RFH Boys’ Summer →
Local Life

Retro Icon’s Summer Spirit

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Sea Bright icon Dizzy Dave parties on in his haunt
Photo/Facebook photo of Joanne DiStefano Garelli

A reprise in honor of the Sea Bright icon known as Dizzy Dave on his 70th birthday … There’s a birthday fundraiser going on for Dizzy Dave with a goal set for $4,000 to help him out. So far, $1,175 has been raised. Click here to contribute to making Dave’s 70th monumental. “Dave turns 70 on July 5th and it would be really nice for him to feel the love of all the people who know him in our wonderful town that takes care of its own,” said David Van Vliet, the organizer.

Nothing says local and summer quite like a glimpse into the past of a Sea Bright icon in his local beach element, albeit a likely polar bear plunge scenario here.

Continue reading Retro Icon’s Summer Spirit →
Local Life

Focus: Dawn of a New Week at the Dock

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Down by Fair Haven Dock at sunrise
Photos/Susan Culbert

Oh, what a beautiful morning! The tune is an ear worm of background music for this scene that started the day and week today in Fair Haven. And it’s not Oklahoma, either. It’s the Fair Haven Dock at sunrise.

The serene scene never gets old. And while the focus may be honed in on the familiar scene in this utopia, it changes every so slightly with each ripple of water, each sigh of contentment with each capture.

This dawn of this new day in the Rumson-Fair Haven area was freeze framed in warmth by Fair Havenite Susan Culbert.

A snapshot of embracing calm. Ahhhhhh …

The week starts with a forecast of sunny skies and warmth through Wednesday and some thunder and rain toward the end of the week, according to the National Weather Service. Take a look …