A day at the beach with Fair Haven’s Ray and Irene Miller Photo/courtesy of Peggy Miller
For former longtime Fair Havenites Ray Miller and his wife Irene, love endured 75 years.
Aptly, the love story between the 60-year Exxon station owner and his wife started with a first date on Valentine’s Day all those years ago when they were teens. They married after an eight-year courtship and never separated for 67 of the 75 years they knew one another — until Ray’s death in May.
As anyone can imagine, the two did a lot together. A lot can happen in 75 years, including the little things, like enjoying their summers at the beach.
So, since the season fits and the love of this Fair Haven couple is timeless, the Retro Pic of the Day honors both summer and love with a fun loving photo of Ray and Irene enjoying a day of frolicking at the beach decades ago.
We’re not certain whether or not it’s Sea Bright, but it’s likely.
Thanks to their daughter, Peggy, for providing the photo.
Hmmmm. Do you think he was about to toss her in? And what do you think they were saying to one another as this photo was shot? Ray was known for his jokes. Hmmmm.
Actor, writer, producer, director Billy Van Zandt with Lucille Ball Photo/courtesy of Billy Van Zandt
Everyone loves Lucy … well, a lot of people do — like this editor who shares the same birthday!
Yes, today is Lucille Ball’s birthday. She would have been 104!
And there’s one area guy, who got a jump start on his long successful writing, producing, directing and acting career at Rumson’s Barn Theater, among other very familiar classic community and professional spots in the area.
That guy is Billy Van Zandt. And the great comedic love and inspiration of his live, besides his lovely wife, actress Adrienne Barbeau, is Lucille Ball.
To know Billy or to have heard him tell tales of his life is to know that he doesn’t just love Lucy, but he adores her.
The writer (along with partner Jane Milmore) of and actor in many a successful stage farce and TV sitcom (movies and more) has always credited Lucy as his top comedic inspiration.
And, lucky and talented as Billy is, he had the honor of not only meeting Lucy, but producing a TV special all about Lucy entitled Lucy: The Very First Show for which he was nominated for an Emmy. He also had his dream come true when he acted alongside his comedic heroine in her final TV series.
Billy will tell you that he was scared to death to meet her for fear that his comedic goddess-like vision of who she was might be shattered. The opposite happened. He felt they were kindred comedic spirits and he was awestruck with her personality, professionalism and, well, comedic genius. He loved Lucy, to say the least, and remained friendly with her until the time of her death.
He said, though, the comedy queen did rule with a worthy, spiky scepter and was “tough, scary tough. She liked to rehearse a lot, work with her props a lot … and if you didn’t do things the way she wanted them done, it got ugly.”
He has joked about how Lucy even chided Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, working them to death. He has told the story of how Burton asked, “Who does she think she is?” and Taylor replied something like, “She’s the queen of comedy, dear … do it again.”
And we know Billy would! So would I, for that matter!
Bravo, Billy! Happy Birthday, Lucy! And, well, Happy Birthday to me, who also loves Lucy and wants to grow up to be just like her, too! Whaaaaaa!
Thanks to Billy Van Zandt for sharing this classic photo with us!
Oh, and, yes, Billy is the brother of rocker Stevie Van Zandt.
RFH Class of 1980 35th reunion at Salt Creek Grille Photo/Facebook post screenshot
Yes, the RFH Class of 1980 reunited after 35 years (OK, some still hang out together) over the weekend — or some of the class, anyway.
When these guys and girls graduated, the top song was Blondie’s Call Me and number two was Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall. Can you guess what number three was? Hint: the singer was another blonde female.
Class members tell us they were out and about at the classic Donovan’s Reef Tiki bar stop, where all RFH reunions traditionally start — well, except when the Class of ’78 had its reunion 10 months after Hurricane Sandy.
And the main event was held at Salt Creek Grille in Rumson.
So, in honor of the RFH Class of ’80, the Retro Pic of the Day is one of the gathering of classmates at Salt Creek.
Speaking of classmates, do you know which local official is an RFH Class of ’80 alum? Shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out.
Cheers, Class of ’80! Here’s to another 35! Well, five? Ten?
Thanks to Steve H-Minus for taking this pic and sharing it!
It’s a night when people in the community gather and get to know the police and their job better. It’s also a night for mixing, mingling and a little fun at the expense of, well, a little bit of dignity — like a dunk tank.
At Fair Haven’s National Night Out in 2012, Mayor Ben Lucarelli got a good soaking. He was a good sport.
So, in honor of all good dunkings to come at this year’s event on Tuesday, the Retro Pic of the Day takes a look back at that moment when the esteemed mayor went down — for a major dunk.
Fair Haven buddies from the RFH Class of 1980 in 1971 Photo/courtesy of Sandi Richards VonPier
The RFH Class of 1980 is having its 35th reunion this weekend.
What better time than to take a look back at some grads of that class?
So, in honor of the Class of ’80 and friendships formed many years ago that are still going strong, the Retro Pic of the Day takes a look back at a 1971 gathering of Fair Haven girls of the class when such bonds were forged.
Nothing like an old buddy.
Who in this crew do you think was considered the best dressed? Remember what the “in” style was then?
Thanks to longtime Fair Havenite Sandi Richards VonPier for this photo contribution!
It’s that time again — anniversary party time on Thursday for Coastal Decor in Fair Haven.
And with the River Road store’s annual anniversary/summer celebration comes some socializing, snacking and special prices.
The shopping party starts at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 10:30. “Bring a friend,” the store owners said in a Facebook release.
Coastal Decor is a favorite small business among Rumson-Fair Haven area residents specializing in shore-inspired interior design, furniture, accessories and jewelry.
The Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect Coastal Decor pick of the week for Business Buzz is the sterling silver New Jersey sea glass necklace.
New Jersey sea glass necklace Photo/Facebook screenshot
There are a couple of things people in the Rumson-Fair Haven area couldn’t wait for after a long, snowy winter — summer and the reopening of Donovan’s Reef in Sea Bright.
Well, both have happened. In fact, Monday was the hottest day of the summer yet, according to National Weather Service stats. And Donovan’s Tiki bar is back on the beach.
So, just to cool you down a little and serve as a gratitude nudge, the Retro Pic(s) of the Day offer a glimpse back to a cool snowfall on what was left of Donovan’s (which was pretty much flattened buildings and the Tiki hut) the winter after Hurricane Sandy’s devastation of the iconic place.
The sky had an orange hue that day that seemed to paint it with hope. It made snow look invitingly warm and for what was a chilling scene for Donovan’s devotees.
Well, it’s back and sporting the literal sign of the undaunted “Sandy Who?”
Donovan’s has brought a lot of friends and couples together over the years. It’s a tradition, really, for Rumson-Fair Haven area people. Did you meet your boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife, BFF or some other significant other or others in your life at Donovan’s? Yes? Of course, yes!
Tell us your story and send us your Donovan’s pics or email us at [email protected]. We’re putting together a Donovan’s Connection slideshow.
It’s been the subject of the Retro Pic(s) of the Day before and it is again — summer theater at The Barn in Rumson.
It was a place for local talent to gather, hone theatrical skills, have a lot of summer fun and entertain the masses in Monmouth County to boot.
One of the shows produced in the summer of 1977, which thrust lots of arts-thirsty area teens into myriad rehearsals and onto a stage, was Bye Bye Birdie.
As told in our last piece on The Barn, many RFH students were in the cast of the show. And one area resident who played Albert Peterson — the English teacher, no less — broke his leg during rehearsals.
Fair Haven afternoon Kindergarten Class of 1965 … There! I said it!
With all this talk about the little tykes transitioning from third to fourth grade, school being out for summer and, well, of course, graduation, there’s one milestone that’s been left out — kindergarten.
Back in the day — OK, waaaaay back in the day — there was a third school in Fair Haven for kindergarten. It was the Youth Center. People now know it better as the Fair Haven Police Station and by its newly adopted name that hasn’t quite caught on yet, and may never for us “older” folks still in town — Fair Haven Community Center. Phooey to that. Some things just need to keep a name for nostalgic purposes alone.
RFH 1978 graduation in front of the high school, replete with daisy chain
Photo/Daryl Cooper Ley
1979 RFH graduation at Borden Stadium/football field Photo/George Day
2013 RFH graduation on the football field got rained out
2015 RFH graduation at Monmouth University
Photo/Paige McCann
2015 RFH graduation at Monmouth University
Photo/Paige McCann
It’s a relatively new tradition for RFH to have its graduation at Monmouth University.
The venue is large. It’s where many of the high schools with larger graduating classes, by sheer virtue of population, have held graduations — mostly out of a need for more room. Middletown, which has two large public high schools, has held its graduations at Monmouth. And, before that, the PNC Bank Arts Center amphitheater in Holmdel. And some high schools have their graduations at Brookdale.
And, we at Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect are of the mind that the day was really about much more than flipping a burger and patting a good ol’ dad on the back.
It’s bigger than that. It goes way beyond your own dad’s back yard and a grilling or two.
Growing up in a small-town niche like the Rumson-Fair Haven area carries with it that family tie feeling. Some of us were fortunate enough to have great dads. Some not.
But, what we all somehow did and still do have is a strong kinship to the dads of our towns. Even if we just recall a look, a bellowing chide or a chuckle over some stupid kid thing we did, we remember the dads with whom we grew up.
So many of these men were volunteers we saw all over town, characters whose nuances or sayings we remember, or that one poor patient guy who ended up being the poor soul to pick us up when we were stupid enough to get caught hurling eggs and toilet paper on Mischief Night — or something equally as stupid.
Yes, we do and should memorialize our own dads. Believe me, I, for one, am still looking for that money tree my dad told me was in the back yard and that gal named Dumb Dori whom he said I emulated when lacking “street smarts” to a ridiculous degree.
Yet, I also vividly remember the calm, “I’m going to kill those idiots” smile on my friend Stephanie’s dad when he picked us up at the police station after following through on a really dumb dare. Then there was the “To tell you the truth, my friend, I don’t know” quote that consistently came out of Daryl’s dad’s mouth as he shook his head in wonderment over our mangled teen logic.
There were those dads for all of us — each leaving his own patriarchal imprint in our juvenile minds. For them we are grateful — for raising us here, for coming together to protect and nurture us and for offering a communal scolding or 100, for loving all their village’s children.
They were part of this community’s foundation — everyone’s founding fathers.
Our Retro Pic (or video) of the Day honors the area’s dads for those reasons and so many more. We don’t have nearly enough photos to encapsulate all the love and all of the dads, but this is a sufficient sampling to get the message across.
— Photos/courtesy of Rumson, Fair Haven family members via Facebook
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