Tag Archives: Fair Haven

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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Elections

Fair Haven Elections: A Chat with Incumbent Borough Council Candidate Meg Chrisner-Keefe, Democrat

Fair Haven’s race to fill two three-year Borough Council seats up for grabs pits incumbent candidates, Democrats Mike McCue and Meghan (Meg) Chrisner-Keefe, native Fair Havenites, against newcomers, Republicans Kristen Hoey and Andrew LaBarbera.

Here is R-FH Retro’s chat with incumbent candidate Meg Chrisner-Keefe …

Continue reading Fair Haven Elections: A Chat with Incumbent Borough Council Candidate Meg Chrisner-Keefe, Democrat →
Elections

Fair Haven Elections: A Chat with Incumbent Borough Council Candidate Mike McCue, Democrat

Fair Haven’s race to fill two three-year Borough Council seats up for grabs pits incumbent candidates, Democrats Mike McCue and Meghan Chrisner-Keefe, native Fair Havenites, against newcomers, Republicans Kristen Hoey and Andrew LaBarbera.

Here is R-FH Retro’s chat with incumbent candidate Mike McCue …

Continue reading Fair Haven Elections: A Chat with Incumbent Borough Council Candidate Mike McCue, Democrat →
Elections

Fair Haven Elections: A Chat with Mayoral Candidate Chris Rodriguez, Democrat

The mayoral race in Fair Haven pits two incumbents against one another: Republican Mayor Josh Halpern, who is running for his first full term after filling the unexpired term of former Mayor Ben Lucarelli; and, present Council President Chris Rodriguez, a Democrat who has served on the Fair Haven Borough Council since 2017 and is currently in the second year of his second full term.

Rodriguez’s first run for a council seat was in 2016. He lost that bid for election, but ended up serving in 2017 to fill the unexpired term of Aimee Humprheys who had resigned due to a move. He ran for his first full term in November of 2017 and won a full term, starting in 2018. He ran for a second term in 2020 and won. In all, he has served on the governing body for six years.

Here is R-FH Retro’s chat with Chris Rodriguez, who is vying for a first four-year term as mayor of Fair Haven …

Continue reading Fair Haven Elections: A Chat with Mayoral Candidate Chris Rodriguez, Democrat →