R-FH Area Weekly Snapshot: Looking Back & Ahead, Weather, Tides, COVID & Pics

Under the Fair Haven Dock perspective … Photos/Elaine Van Develde

When the rain clears and the sun shines, shadows are cast. They offer a perspective of what’s behind, ahead and sometimes the view from beneath the surface. So, that in mind, we take a look back at last week, what’s to come this week and a little peek from beneath the surface in news, features and photos from under the Fair Haven Dock.

Do you see what we see? Click and enlarge each. There’s a little something to spot beneath the surface scenery in each photo. There’s also a beneath-the-surface historical tidbit to each piece of news.

Last week …

There was a day of no COVID-related deaths in Monmouth County. We took a look at the simple summer pleasure of fishing on the Fair Haven Dock. Rumson police announced that there were reports, only reports, of bull shark sightings in the Navesink River. Fair Haven’s Oktoberfest was cancelled. We took a look back at National Night Out and River Rats. And, in our most popular feature, the 90th birthday of former longtime Fair Havenite Lillian Lauer was celebrated.

Historical tidbits of each? There was a time-honored tradition at the dock that had nothing to do with fishing. The dock dive. Yes, we know it’s not permitted and probably never was, but there were no signs back in the day and kids used the activity as a sort of induction to being cool. If you got invited by the cool kids to jump off the dock, you were in! Yes, we know, don’t try this in 2020.

Bull sharks are known to traverse shallow waters, like rivers. However, police reiterated that the sightings reported had not been confirmed. The shark attacks that were the impetus for the movie Jaws happened in 1916. There is a theory that the attacks came from sea turtles. Hmmmm.

Oktoberfest, a relatively new tradition, was first held in October in the Smart Start Preschool parking lot on River Road. Remember the year it was in November?

National Night Out was originally a neighborhood event marked by people sitting on front lawns with front porch lights on. River Rats first set sail in the 1950s from the same spot at the end of Battin Road in Fair Haven.

And Lillian Lauer, now 90, ended up raising her family in Fair Haven after growing up a coal miner’s daughter in Pennsylvania. Her father was also a musician and she began her singing career performing his musical arrangements.

Now, on to this week …

The weather forecast is looking better than last week. According to the National Weather Service, most of the week will see sunny skies and moderate temperatures ranging from the high 70s to the low 80s. There is a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms after 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

Fair Haven Borough Council had its meeting Monday night. We’ll have more on the issues explored at the meeting.

The ever-iconic Fair Haven gym teacher John Measely passed away a few weeks ago. We haven’t forgotten him. His retro tribute is coming this week.

COVID-19 confirmed cases as of Monday in the R-FH area are: Fair Haven, 48; Rumson, 75; Little Silver, 49, up one from Sunday; Red Bank, 322, down five from Sunday; and Sea Bright, 13, up one from Sunday.

Monmouth County Clerk Grace Hanlon has issued a press release related to COVID and voting. The General Election on Nov. 3, she said, will be conducted primarily by mail-in ballots, but there will be limited polling locations open for voting on provisional ballots only.

“According to the Governor’s Executive Order No. 177, all registered and active voters will automatically receive mail-in ballots for voting in the 2020 General Election without the need to submit a vote by mail application,” the release said. “The Executive Order states that ballots must be mailed to voters on or before Oct. 5. The County Clerk’s Office will provide a postage-paid envelope for the return of the completed mail-in ballot; therefore, voters are not required to attach a stamp when returning the ballot via U.S. Postal Service (USPS). According to the Executive Order, voters can return their completed General Election mail-in ballots to the County Board of Elections via mail, drop box, in-person to the Board of Elections Office, or in-person at their assigned 2020 General Election Office at 732-431-7790, or may go to their assigned 2020 General Election polling place, which will provide access to an in-person accessible voting device on General Election Day. Per Executive Order, sample ballots will not be mailed to voters for the 2020 General Election, but a notice indicating voters’ polling locations will be.“

Tides, sunrise and sunset …

With the sun rising at 6:09 a.m. and setting at 7:50 p.m., high tides are rolling in on Sea Bright shores at 9:10 a.m. and 9:21 p.m. on Tuesday and low tide will roll out at 3:09 a.m. and 3:09 p.m.

Click here for tides, sunrise and sunset times for the rest of the week.

Our Retro Pics of the Day will focus on RFH reunions this week.

There will be more news, features, photos and tributes. In the meantime, we (all five of me) will see you around the towns!

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