Because Santa Claus is everywhere these days … our annual reprise …
By Elaine Van Develde
It’s that time of the year when a longstanding Fair Haven tradition comes to mind and heart — those classic kid photos at the firehouse with Santa. There’s the park. Then there’s the firehouse. That’s Sunday.
I remember …
Continue reading A Tale of Firehouse Santa Tradition 
This is our annual reprise celebrates the upcoming traditional pics with Santa at the Fair Haven Firehouse and continues our hunt for those classic pics of miserable children not enduring their mandatory torturous visit with Santa very well at all. Send us YOUR miserable children on Santa’s lap photos! Email them to [email protected]. We’re checking our list and waiting!
Sometimes no matter how hard you try, that classic Santa pic with the kids just goes terribly awry. And we’re pretty sure that this Sunday’s visits with Santa at the Fair Haven Firehouse will be no exception.
Continue reading Retro Firehouse Santa ‘Sleighing’
Where’s the fire, Santa? Or were you just out for a joy ride on the big white truck? Prospective answers are questionable in the face of the Santa sighting on Friday in Fair Haven.
The answers? Well, they say that once a year, Santa parks his reindeer-drawn sleigh at the Fair Haven Firehouse and hitches a ride on the flashing, blaring firetruck to greet all the good boys and girls in town and kick off holiday festivities and a tree lighting.
Everyone accepts it as fact. And considering the joyous holiday mayhem overriding usual inquiring little minds that won’t quit, no kid ever really wondered why he couldn’t just ride that sleigh a few blocks down the street. I mean, he had already made it all the way from that North Pole. What’s a few blocks more? Something’s elfin-like mysterious about this firehouse/fire truck affinity of ol’ Saint Nick’s.
Then there’s his obvious friendship with the firefighters (ahem, as witnessed in the featured photo). Hmmmmm …
Yeah, yeah, he sees and knows all. But, what’s the Santa deal with being sleighed by all things fire company?
OK. Suspicions of decades’ long Santa and his magic firefighter connection pretty much point to one thing: In his spare time, Santa’s a fireman. Well, he’s at least a firemen groupie.
My mother always told me that the firehouse and firetruck Santa we saw around town before Christmas was an elf subbing for the real deal. Na. Sorry, Mom. I think the other deduction is more on target. Ho, no? Ho, yes!
And, hey, kids, should the suspicion be true, it’s a double the Santa pleasure for you. Let’s face it, between the trucks, the firehouse, the reindeer, the suits (fire and red) and the lights, sirens and action, there’s nothing more magical.
Oh, right. There’s the volunteer spirit and smile. Wait. Does Santa stay at the firehouse until it’s time for more of those traditional photos there? Molly Pitcher? Hmmmm …
Cheers to the Santa spirit! And thanks to the fire company elves for capturing the moments.
— Photos/FHFD media
The following miserable children with Santa photo and narrative was originally posted in 2015. We just can’t resist featuring this classic again. Meet (or re-meet) the Harvey kids …
The search continues for Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect’s miserable children with Santa photos.
Continue reading Retro Santa Trauma II
Photo/Connor family
A reprise from Dec. 13, 2018, because everyone needs a little reminder of Santa time close up and personal …
As if one classic 1960s snapshot of a Fair Haven kid perched on Santa’s lap wasn’t enough … Clearly it wasn’t.
It’s the year without close Santa encounters. Santa came to town, but not to the Fair Haven firehouse, as with every year since the dawn of most area kids’ time. We’re told there have been some other masked, distanced Santa visits in 2020 pandemic holiday times, but the laptop visit is out, so is the firehouse extravaganza. So, in honor of the traditional visit, whispers, close-up scary gander at that beard, promises of being good and gifts, our annual reprise takes everyone back to that firehouse visit … or wherever … with Ol’ Saint Nick …
It’s that time of the year when a longstanding Fair Haven tradition has taken hold — photos at the firehouse with Santa.
It’s another Fair Haven tradition you can always count on.
I remember …
Continue reading Retro Santa Firehouse Visit TimesLongtime Fair Havenite and Fair Haven Fire Department First Aid Squad member, Nancy D. Hartman, lost her battle with ALS on Sept. 7. She passed away at home with her loving husband Larry by her side.
Continue reading In Memoriam: Longtime Fair Havenite, First Aid EMT Nancy D. HartmanIt’s that kind of holiday-laced weekend again. And there are a couple of events in the area that will have you humming, ho-hoing or strung up, in a festive sense.
On Saturday, if you’d like to venture a bit out of the Rumson-Fair Haven area, there’s a holiday gift of song that awaits you …
You are cordially invited to celebrate the holiday season with a festive after noon concert. Red Bank Area Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society will present RINGING IN THE HOLIDAYS — a fun concert of vocal harmonies — on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Ocean Township High School Auditorium, 550 West Park Avenue, Oakhurst.
This is a merry group of harmonizing singers. You really have to see them to get your spirits soaring.
The concert will feature traditional holiday favorites sung in 4-part harmony by the Chorus of the Atlantic — a group of male harmony singers under the direction of Craig J. Page.
Also appearing on stage will be the Matinee Idles, a group of retired men that perform for area organizations in the afternoons. The Matinee Idles will sing some favorites and share some laughter and good cheer, under the direction of Will McCain.
In addition, there will be some special guests … Ocean Chamber Choir from Ocean Township High School under the direction of Teddy Kernizan.
And Santa is rumored to show.
Tickets are $18 for general admission, $15 for seniors and students, free for children age 16 and younger. Tickets are available at the door. Please call ahead to buy your tickets and save $3 per ticket. Call 732-784-7343 and leave your name and phone number.
The Chorus of the Atlantic welcomes visitors to their rehearsals. They meet Tuesday evenings from 7:30 – 10 p.m. beginning Jan. 8, 2019 at the Red Bank Middle School, Harding Road, Red Bank.
And on Sunday …
Santa will park himself in a chair at the Fair Haven Firehouse from 1 to 3 p.m. to visit with all the good boys and girls around the towns and offer gifts and candy.
Word on the street is that Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick will also be seen riding around town in the fire truck from noon to 1 p.m. as a precursor to the classic holiday event.
And all through the weekend and beyond …
Let your holiday decorations shine and be judged, as Fair Haven sets in motion its new festive decor contest. Which house is the most festive? Only residents know for sure.
Here we go again … revisiting one of those unforgettable trips to Santa that may be all too familiar … Yes, it’s time again for a little remembrance of the time-honored holiday tradition of the not-always-so-smooth Santa visit at the Fair Haven Firehouse, among other festive places.
Continue reading Retro Scary Santa IVIt wasn’t the Addams Family, but Sunday’s Fair Haven Halloween parade certainly brought out a lot of creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky and altogether ooky friends and neighbors for a little marching and celebrating of the season of the witch, pumpkin, ghost and anything else of a fall haunting ilk.
Saying goodbye is always tough. It’s especially tough when you didn’t expect the person to go anywhere anytime soon. It’s what happened when 32-year-old Fair Haven native Will Jakubecy died suddenly. An especially tough goodbye had to be said.
Continue reading Saying Goodbye to Fair Haven’s Will Jakubecy
Photo/Elaine Van Develde
The marquee at the Fair Haven Firehouse is known as a spot for keeping residents in the know with announcements of all kinds.
Some are whimsical, fun messages, some little anecdotes, death announcements, kudos, birthdays, and plain ol events and townie updates.
Well, someone had a little fun with this one on Wednesday.
Who knows who posts those messages?
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