Rumson-raised Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) alumnus, David John Kondrup, passed away, surrounded by his loved ones, on Dec. 26. He was 67.
Continue reading In Memoriam: Rumson-Raised RFH Alum, David John Kondrup, 67
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
Where’s Frosty? Well, he and his family have apparently decided to take a stand, celebrate the holidays, bridge tend a bit and soak up the view of the Shrewsbury River.
Continue reading Scene Around: A Bridge to Frosty?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot? The words of the 18th century Scottish ballad gone New Year’s Eve classic really means, “Should we forget old friends?” Of course not.
Continue reading Retro RFH Guys’ Auld Acquaintance
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 …
In Rumson …
On the Shrewsbury River …
There’s a Santa in every crowd.
Well, there was at least an elf- or Santa-hatted, ugly sweatered, light and garland-draped bunch of festive fiends on a holiday cheer-missioned pub crawl on Thursday afternoon into the night.
Yes, the cheer-filled crew of revelers in all things holiday set out on a their 19-year traditional 12 Bars of Christmas crawl for a good cause — the sub-title, Caroling for Coats. Revelers were asked to bring a coat and join in. Christmas trees were donated to Lunch Break, too.
The crawling, though, that’s another Christmas story …
The crawl started and ended at Val’s in Rumson with a finale of song by Jerry Hat Trick and the Flatliners. All showed up with their selves, not halls, appropriately decked and hopped on the trolley from Val’s to the first stop at Bahr’s Landing in Highlands.
With an invite to all to catch up with them at whichever stop you wanted, the die hard crawlers went, after Bahr’s, to Chubby Pickle, Off the Hook, Rum Runner, Rory’s Pub, Woody’s, Ocean House, Tommy’s Tavern & Tap, Barnacle Bill’s, Victory Park Tavern, Salt Creek Grille, Murphy’s, and, again, Val’s.
We’re not sure exactly how many coats were collected this year, but the group boasts a 19-year tradition of “spreading Christmas cheer and the warmth of over 10,000 coats …”
Cheers!
** Thanks to RFH grad and longtime Rumsonite Doug Borden for the glimpse into the evening with the photos! **
Well, the RFH Winter Concert this week was a smashing success. Songs were sung by the Tower Singers, the instrumental groups played on and color guard twirled. And, the show had a special guest — The Grinch, a/k/a Evan Callas with, of course, the Tower Singers.
Continue reading Retro RFH Winter Concert Singing & Playing
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
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:
“Ho, no you don’t!”
That’s what little Fair Havenite Rafer Roberts was likely thinking after he was plopped on scary Santa’s lap for a minute of terrifying quality time and pics in 1978.
Continue reading Retro ‘Ho, No!’ Santa Time
Let’s hear it for the … RFH spirit? Something like that.
Considering the close call with Group II State Championship over the weekend for RFH Football, it seemed called for, or cheered for, to revisit a cheer of a different kind — the staged kind, courtesy of the guys.
Continue reading Retro RFH Staged Team Cheer
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