Tag Archives: Fair Haven

Local Life

R-FH Area Weekend: Music, Mangia & the Weather

2015 FHFD Spaghetti Dinner
Photo/Elaine Van Develde

What better way to take the chill out of the winter air than by kicking off the weekend with a little music at the hands of area musicians and finishing it with a homemade spaghetti dinner among community friends?

The soothing starts tonight with music by longtime Rumsonite and RFH grad, Kyle Ward and the Elk-Ward Duo at a new venue, the Long Branch Distillery, at the foot of Broadway from 8 to 10:30 p.m. Ward has been playing in the area for some time now, so this is a great time to catch up with him.

And, if a riverfront night of kicking back in traditional style and listening to local talent tickle the ivories is more your mojo, pianist Conor Quigley will be playing from 6 to 10 p.m. at the bar in The Molly Pitcher Inn.

And on Saturday in Fair Haven …

A real classic, down-home night is back! The now Angelo DePonti Memorial Spaghetti Dinner at the Fair Haven Firehouse from 5 to 8 p.m. upstairs. Spaghetti, meatballs and dessert will be served for a nominal fee to benefit the volunteer fire department.

The dinner is making its comeback from a pandemic hiatus and features, as always, the sauce and meatball recipes of former longtime Fire Company social member Angelo DePonti, who, for years, was there to concoct and oversee the making of the meals, stirring the pot and serving up some homemade sustenance with true love of community, a smile and a thumbs up.

The dinner, since DePonti’s death, has been dedicated to him. So, take a trip over and mangia to see what “That’s amore!” really means.

And the weekend is looking pretty tame, with a glint of sun showing some promise. Here’s the forecast. Enjoy!

Local Life

Retro Schwenker’s Pond Winter Wonderland Fun

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Kathy and Pat Reed and mom on a visit to Fair Haven’s Schwenker’s Pond circa late 1950s
Photo/courtesy of Pat Reed

With the hint of sun and tinge of milder weather these days, R-FH area people were popping up all over the great outdoors  for a little fairer weather respite.

Continue reading Retro Schwenker’s Pond Winter Wonderland Fun →
Obituaries

In Memoriam: Longtime Monmouth Beach Resident, Rumson-Raised RFH ’64 Grad, Patricia Ward Ruland, 76

Rumson-raised Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Class of 1964 graduate, Patricia Ward Ruland passed away peacefully on Dec. 3, 2022, after a short battle with cancer. She was 76.

Continue reading In Memoriam: Longtime Monmouth Beach Resident, Rumson-Raised RFH ’64 Grad, Patricia Ward Ruland, 76 →
Local Life

Retro 70s Fair Haven Fire Department Officers’ Line-Up

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They were officers and gentlemen serving their small town as volunteer emergency responders. Yes, it’s that time. Reorganization time.

Oh, there are classic New Year’s Day celebrations to usher in the new line officers in the fire departments — fire company, fire police and first aid. There are new chiefs and officers. We’ll get to who they all are for 2023 in Fair Haven.

Continue reading Retro 70s Fair Haven Fire Department Officers’ Line-Up →
Local Life

Retro RFH 80s Girls Auld Ichabod’s Acquaintance

RFH Class of ’83 girls’ Christmas night get-together at Ichabod’s
Photo/Jill Sorrentino

Well, we know full well that in the rare event auld acquaintance be forgot, there’s always a reminder of what was — and how unforgettable it is. This time the auld acquaintance is among a gaggle of girls who are all still friends from the RFH Class of ’83.

Continue reading Retro RFH 80s Girls Auld Ichabod’s Acquaintance →
Local Life, News

Focus: Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge Close-Up & Travel Advisory

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The Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge replacement is well underway. Here’s a photo gallery from a bit earlier in the fall and the latest update on construction directly from Monmouth County officials, including a travel advisory for Rumson-Fair Haven and Sea Bright area residents …

(Click on one of the photos in the above gallery to enlarge and scroll for an interesting close-up view of the activity and the original bridge.)

The following is bridge replacement activity, by area, for the week of Dec. 19. All work is scheduled for Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., weather permitting.

In Rumson and Sea Bright …

  • Two bridge pile deliveries are scheduled per day, Monday through Thursday.
  • Uniformed police will assist with traffic control during the deliveries.
  • Deliveries may now be scheduled between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. and will continue to avoid school drop off and pick up times. If the schedule changes based on field conditions, delivery may occur after 3:30 p.m..
  • For safe passage of all, the traffic delivery pattern involves temporary disruption of vehicle and pedestrian movement over the bridge and may affect traffic flow on Ocean Avenue (Route 36) in Sea Bright and Rumson Road (CR 520) in Rumson.
    • During staging of the pile deliveries, vehicle traffic across the bridge will be alternated in the westbound lane and the eastbound sidewalk will be closed.
    • During lifting and moving of the bridge pile to the trestle in the river, both travel lanes and sidewalks will be closed for approximately 10 minutes.
  • Additional bridge pile deliveries are anticipated every week, weather permitting.  With each delivery, vehicles and pedestrians may expect temporary lane and sidewalk closures as noted above.
  • Bridge openings for marine traffic will not be affected by the pile deliveries.

In Rumson …

  • Rumson Road will continue with one lane in each direction until further notice.
  • Flaggers or police officers may assist with traffic control during movement of construction equipment.

On the Shrewsbury River …

  • Work activity will continue in the water south of the bridge on both sides of the river.
  • The navigational channel width has been reduced from 75 to 65 feet. The reduction is expected to remain in effect until the fall of 2023.
Local Life

Scene Around: Where’s the Fire, Santa?

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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

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Local Life

Focus: Fall for a River Anchor of Warmth

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Whatever anchors your heart and floats your boat — like a crisp, sun-kissed fall day down by the river in Fair Haven.

Doesn’t matter if the boat floats. The heart fits. And it’s always anchored at the river for the soul of a Rumson-Fair Haven area kid. No matter what, when the sun’s rays warm the chill in the fall air, it’s always a reminder of what berths and soothes while cradling the heart in the warm embrace of a lapping tide down by the river.

It’s a toasty harbor, whether or not the sails are set. The boat, the heart, knows where home is — and it snuggles in, as the cold disappears with a memory and a dream of what there is “no place like.”

The sun is due to cast its rays this week, shining on the best of pre-winter moments …

Here’s the weather forecast for this week, courtesy of the National Weather Service:

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