Tag Archives: feature

Local Life, News

Decking the Halls: Rumson, Fair Haven Tree Lightings

It’s that time of the year in the Rumson-Fair Haven area — time for tree lightings, Santa, a holiday stroll, song, dance and some hot cocoa.

It all starts on Friday evening with festivities in Fair Haven …

Santa arrives at Memorial Park, at the corner of River and Fair Haven roads, by firetruck at 5:30 p.m. and will be visiting with kids and posing for photos.

The Christmas tree will be lit at 6 p.m. And in the midst of all of it, the classic holiday stroll will take place from 5 to 7:30 p.m. It is the classic annual local businesses’ holiday open house. All are invited to partake and enjoy some treats and, perhaps, good deals.

And on Sunday in Rumson …

The annual Christmas tree lighting is set for 5 p.m. at Victory Park.

As usual, it features Tim McLoone & the Shirleys with members of Holiday Express, the RFH Tower Singers and the Deane-Porter Third Grade Chorus.

Oh, and Santa will be there, too. And there will be the usual treats, including some hot cocoa to cap the warm tenor of the event.

 

Police and Fire, Rumson Police and Fire Files

Rumson Police Report: Burglary, Theft, DUI, Defiant Trespass

The following recent arrests and criminal incidents were reported by Rumson police. An arrest does not constitute a conviction.

Arrests

• Heriberto Cruz-Rios, 43, of New Brunswick, was arrested on Oct. 10 by Special Officer Michael Berger and charged with driving under the influence (DUI).

He was released pending a court date.

• Deisy Aguiar, 53, of Middletown, was arrested on Oct. 18 by Patrolman Richard Torres and charged with driving under the influence (DUI).

She was released pending a court date.

Continue reading Rumson Police Report: Burglary, Theft, DUI, Defiant Trespass →

Local Life

Rumson Garage Sale Serenade

By Elaine Van Develde

Suburban weekend garage sale perusing may be pretty common, but being serenaded by a local musical talent while doing so is not.

Yet, it happened recently at a Rumson garage sale. Longtime Fair Havenite and well-known pianist Teddie Caulfield decided to take a seat at a baby grand, tickle the ivories and entertain the folks who frequented her daughter and son-in-law’s (Daryl and Tom Ley) sale on Bellevue Avenue.

Someone in the family snuck up on her and caught the act on video. And it’s something special to hear.

Many know Caulfield from her piano playing at the Molly Pitcher for one of the area organizations and many events around the towns. In fact, she played on St. Patrick’s Day at the Knights of Columbus in Fair Haven.

Take it all in and enjoy a little show tune entertainment, courtesy of Teddie Caulfield. Thanks for the serenade, Mrs. C. See? You just never know what talent you may encounter while going about a typical suburban weekend of garage saling. Oh, and the piano? SOLD! And, yes, partly because of the demonstration treat.

Sorry, buyer, the pianist doesn’t come with the piano!

Do you know Teddie?

She is pictured above with RFH grad and actress Julia Mosby and her mom, Barbara.

Fair Haven Police and Fire Files, From the Meeting Room

Fair Haven: Lt. Bob Townshend’s Hometown Police Promotion

By Elaine Van Develde

You can call him Lieutenant — Fair Haven Police Lt. Bob Townshend.

The lifetime Fair Havenite and longtime policeman in the borough, surrounded by colleagues, forever friends and family, was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant at Monday night’s Borough Council meeting.

Continue reading Fair Haven: Lt. Bob Townshend’s Hometown Police Promotion →

Local Life

Focus: Fall Solitude on Sea Bright Beach

Gallery

It’s fall. All is quiet on the beachfront in Sea Bright.

Wind whipping, high tide crashing in, the stillness surrounding the choppy water is chilling, yet comforting.

It’s a familiar scene that envelops and soothes like hands clutching a  steamy cup of coffee on a cold day.

Ahhhh. Exhale. Take a sip of scenery.

— Elaine Van Develde

Schools Scene

RFH Spanish Teacher Gets Grant; Set for Conference in Cuba

Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Spanish Teacher Christina Gauss has received a Learning and Leadership Grant from the National Education Association.

The awarding of the $2,000 grant was based on her proposal entitled Cuba: One Year Later, in reference to the time that has passed since U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced their normalization plan.

The grant will allow Gauss to travel to Cuba in January, 2016 for an immersive cultural experience. While in Cuba, Gauss and fellow educators will participate in a Witness for Peace Delegation hosted by the People to People Organization.

“I am very excited for the opportunity to enhance my Spanish language skills while developing an understanding of the Cuban people, their rich cultural heritage, and their perspective on being at the forefront of social change,” said Gauss. “I am also looking forward to sharing my insights with students in all of my classes, and working to coordinate cross-disciplinary activities.”

The group plans to get involved with and learn about many aspect of Cuban life and culture, including:

• The literacy campaign that led to Cuba’s designation as an “illiteracy-free” zone by the United Nations;
• Current education practices for Cuban youth and communities
Local, sustainable agriculture;
• The current “drivers” of the economy;
• Cuba’s response to global climate change, a particular threat to island nations;
• Creation of the art that sustains the Cuban soul, and live performances at The Martin Luther King Center, a hub for community education and faith;
• Ecology as it relates to the earth, the community, and the mind.

Gauss currently teaches Spanish I, IV, IV Honors, and Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish at RFH. The activities she plans while in Cuba correlate directly to the AP Spanish Language and Culture Curriculum with a focus on contemporary life, global challenges, personal and public identities, family and community, beauty and esthetics, and science and technology.

Upon her return, Gauss will develop curricular materials, activities, and presentations to share her findings with her students.

— Edited press release from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School

Local Life

Rumson’s Charlie Puth and Chevy

Have you heard it? Seen it?

Rumson’s Charlie Puth just spread the word to the RFH Performing Arts Society (RFH Pas), via Facebook, that his Chevy (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles)commercial — using a coast-to-coast remix of his song “One Call Away,” partnering Atlantic Records and Chevy and featuring him, Brett Eldredge, Ty Dolla $ign & Sofia Reyes — is out and on YouTube.

It’s billed as a celebration of “the 2015 American Music Awards” on YouTube.

Check it out.

Puth also tells people on his Facebook page that if you pre-order his debut album, Nine Track Mind, you “get an instant download of “One Call Away” right now on iTunes http://smarturl.it/NineTrackMind.”

Puth graduated from RFH in 2010 and then from Berklee College of Music in 2013. An accomplished pianist and singer, he first gained notoriety when Ellen Degeneres discovered him via his YouTube channel and signed him to her record label eleveneleven. He is now signed with Atlantic Records.

Obituaries

Services Set for Fair Haven’s Ben Hamilton

A memorial service has been set for Saturday, Nov. 28, to honor the memory of forever Fair Havenite Benjamin “Ben” Barry Hamilton, who passed away this past Saturday at his home in the borough.

While “words of remembrance,” according to the obituary, will be shared at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at Thompson Memorial Home in Red Bank, the service will span from 1 to 4 p.m.

Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect is in the process of putting together a memorial tribute and slideshow to honor Ben.

In the meantime, here is his edited obituary from Thompson …

Benjamin Barry Hamilton,”Ben” 56, of Fair Haven, died at home on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015.

Born in Jersey City to George and Joan (nee, Shook) Hamilton, he was a longtime Fair Haven resident. Ben was a retired investment professional. His professional career spanned three decades trading securities in the United States and Asia.

Ben will be remembered for his love of the Jersey Shore, his passion for surfing and his forever search for the perfect wave. He always began each day in New Jersey or Nantucket reading the local surf report or driving to check out the waves.

A Rumon-Fair Haven Regional High School Class of 1977 alumni,  Ben went on to graduate from Hobart William Smith College in  1981, where he was a proud member of the Theta Delta Chi fraternity and participated in Hobart Lacrosse. He then received his master’s degree in International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University.

He was a past family member of the Sea Bright Beach Club and an active member of the Clean Ocean Action.

Ben was also a founding partner of the Navesink River Paddle Excursions.

Ben was predeceased by his parents George and Joan Hamilton. He is survived by: his brother, George L. Hamilton Jr., of Ocean Grove, ; his sisters, Jeanmarie Drucker of NY, NY, and Kate Hamilton Pardee, of Nantucket, MA; his nephews and niece, Richard Drucker Jr. and Hamilton Drucker, George L. Hamilton III, and Katelynn Hamilton; his aunt, Jean Prial; close friend, Wendy Ostrov Delehanty; and many loving friends.

There will be a memorial gathering to celebrate Ben’s life on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015, at the Thompson Memorial Home, 310 Broad St., Red Bank, from 1 to 4 p.m. with “words of remembrance” at 3:30 p.m.

Memorial donations may be made to the Benjamin B. Hamilton Memorial Scholarship, P.O. Box 8097, Red Bank, NJ 07701 or to the Fair Haven Fire & First Aid, River Road, Fair Haven, NJ 07704.

Schools Scene

Insight into Fair Haven Schools’ ‘Expectations for the Future’

Nearly 100 community members shared their visions for the future of the Fair Haven School District at a recent workshop.

Expectations for the Future, held on Nov. 11, was the second in a series of four workshops open to the public designed to help drive the district’s current strategic planning initiative dubbed FAIR HAVEN VISION 2020. The first workshop, held on Oct. 7, focused on “points of pride” in the present-day school district.

At the second workshop, facilitators Dr. Charles Ivory and Dr. Gerald Woehr, of the non-profit Education Information & Resource Center (EIRC), asked attendees to peer into the future.

“Envision a highly successful Fair Haven School District about three years from now,” Ivory told the group. “Then consider what factors are making make it great, and what steps had to be taken to get there.

“This your opportunity to ‘future think’ what you would like to happen for the children of this community.”

Continue reading Insight into Fair Haven Schools’ ‘Expectations for the Future’ →