It was the year that Halloween wasn’t. It was 2012 and Superstorm Sandy had pummeled the Jersey Shore. It decimated Sea Bright and destroyed low lying parts of Rumson. Fair Haven was a bit war torn and powerless.
Beach cabanas landed like Dorothy’s house to the Witch of the East on West Park lawns. Boats were hoisted by surging water onto dock tops and back yards. Gunning Island, in the Shrewsbury River, was loaded with the moored belongings of Sea Bright and Rumson people. Trees were downed. Transformers exploded.
Sea Bright residents were homeless. The beach was in the road. Sea Bright Rising began with some good-hearted burger flipping by Woody’s owner Chris Wood and chef Onofrio Moscato. The U.S. Army National Guard was parked in the Sea Bright municipal lot. There was no electricity.
There was a curfew. At nightfall, people scurried back into their homes, if there was anything left to go home to, like moles burrowing into cold, still night. Things were awfully dark. And Halloween was cancelled. There was no treat in Sandy’s trickery, just in the kindness of those who were good neighbors.
The Fair Haven Fire Department Fire Police & Auxiliary Car Show made its 18th appearance on the firehouse grounds on Sunday.
In the hopes of having a bit more sun to shine on the day, organizers shifted it to the rain date from the originally planned Saturday event.
There was a big showing and turnout.
Take a look (and please forgive the blurriness of some of the photos. The photographer was a bit out of focus herself with a fall cold.) But, don’t forget to enlarge! Enjoy!
Marlena Redling, co-owner of Firefly Yogis, demonstrates a pose for the Sickles School third graders.
Photo/Fair Haven School District
Suzanne Mazzucca and Jess Patel left to right join the Sickles School third graders in a dance for peace.
Photo/Fair Haven School District
Shown at the Sickles School Pose for Peace event are: Julie Lombardo, Josie Lombardo, Olive Patel, Isabelle Mazzucca, Suzanne Mazzucca, Heather Lombardo, Jess Patel and Marlena Redling.
Photo/Fair Haven School District
John R. Choma, Jr. Photo/courtesy of Thompson Memorial Home
Lifetime Fair Havenite John R. Choma Jr. passed away on Sept. 28; and memorial services begin today, Sunday. He was 35.
Born to John R. Choma Sr. and Lorraine K. Choma, John was a lifelong resident of Fair Haven. He was employed by the maintenance department of the Middletown Township Board of Education.
New tennis courts in Fair Haven Fields Photo/Fair Haven Borough
The Borough of Fair Haven, in collaboration with Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Board of Education, has unveiled the new tennis courts at Fair Haven Fields.
Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony today, the Shore Conference Tennis Tournament, between the RFH Girls Tennis Team and Mater Dei broke in the brand new courts.
The tennis courts project background, from Fair Haven borough …
This construction project represents a significant capital investment in new and expanded tennis facilities at Fair Haven Fields, Ridge Road in Fair Haven. The project is unique in that five new tennis courts were jointly funded by the two separate public entities, through an interlocal agreement between the borough and the RFH Board of Education. The interlocal agreement was deemed one that would pare down costs significantly.
In 2016, the Borough’s four existing tennis courts, which were located in Fair Haven Fields, were old, crack- ridden and needed to be completely replaced.
At the same time, the RFH tennis courts were also in need of extensive repairs and that facility was unable to accommodate a high school tennis match in one location. Additionally, the regional high school was in need of more recreational space on their campus, which could be achieved by relocating their tennis court facilities.
With the support of the Fair Haven Borough Council and the RFH board, Fair Haven Borough Administrator Theresa Casagrande and RFH Business Administrator Frank Gripp pooled professional resources for both the interlocal agreement and construction and restoration plans for the courts and site.
Here’s how it works …
The borough and the board will split the total cost of the entire project. The interlocal agreement includes provisions for future court maintenance.
The joint project will provide the public and Fair Haven schools’ and RFH’s students with a new tennis facility for many years to come.
Sharing facilities and splitting the associated construction costs for these new courts enabled each public entity to save a significant amount of money, on behalf of the tax payers of both Rumson and Fair Haven.
The new courts will be home to the RFH Girls Tennis Team in the fall season and the Fair Haven Knollwood School and RFH Boys tennis team in the spring season.
Aside from limited school team use and borough-approved camps, etc., the courts will be open to the public. Two of the new courts have also been painted for pickle ball, a fast-growing, popular sport for active adults.
Bikes, skateboards, rollerblades, etc. are not permitted on the new courts, as they will diminish their condition.
The Fair Haven community is mourning the loss of former resident Christopher Rumph, who will be remembered at a service on Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Thompson Memorial Home in Red Bank.
The following is his obituary, as prepared by his family and shared by Thompson …
Chris Rumph Photo/courtesy of Thompson Memorial Home
Christopher Charles Rumph was born on August 1, 1952 and passed away peacefully on September 22, 2017. Chris was a humble, hilarious, and giving man. He left the physical world in the comfort of his own home surrounded by his wife and children after a courageous fight against cancer over the last four years.
Fair Havenite and 1980 Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) graduate Bradford (Brad) Feldmann passed away on Sept. 20 at Bayshore Community Hospital. He was 55.
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