RFH students of the 1970s take some free time outside in the nice weather. Photo/George Day
Finally! The spring weather on Monday was perfect for a little sunning and sitting on that grassy knoll outside — somewhere outside.
So, the Retro Pic of the (George) Day pays homage to that idea with a look back at a few RFH students taking in some springtime and, perhaps, touched a bit by spring fever.
This one has made the rounds before and, surprisingly, while the shot is of four RFH students back in the 1970s, photographer George Day tells us it was not taken at RFH. Know where it was taken?
And, of course, guess who’s who in the photo. The couple to the right were a pretty steady item for a while in high school, as memory serves this slightly rusty old RFH alum editor. The other two guys? Well, one is still in Rumson and a dad to RFHers present and past. The other is a well-known funeral home owner and former Fair Havenite.
Everyone who knows them can usually count on running into one, the other or both around the towns for one reason or another — from school event to memorial.
Know these RFH alumni?
— Elaine Van Develde
Thanks, once again, to George Day for this RFH gem!
It was a triple threat with a promise to deliver funds to a good cause. Present and future Broadway stars sang, danced and acted their hearts out on stage at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) last week to raise money for homeless youth.
Performers came from Broadway and several area high schools in a show that ended up bringing in $30,000 for Covenant House of Asbury Park.
The high school students involved came from RFH, Red Bank Regional, Shore Regional, Howell, Henry Hudson Regional, Colts Neck, Freehold Regional. And Kick Dance Studio and Lakehouse Music Pros performed as well.
Emceed by Broadway’s Brian Walters, the Broadway stars on stage were: Rob Evans, Rebecca Pitcher and Carter Calvert.
Take a look at the slideshow above for a glimpse into the evening. If you’d like to donate to Covenant House, click here for more information.
Seven student athletes from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) took part in National Signing Day on April 13.
Surrounded by coaches and family members, they put pen to paper and made their college choices official at an event held in the RFH Lower Library at 10 a.m.
RFH students and their sports and college choices are:
• Bram Bruno, University of Pennsylvania, crew;
• Brendan Edwards, University of Delaware, crew;
• Maren Gierlatowicz, University of Miami, crew;
• Jeremy Johnson, Elizabethtown College, lacrosse;
• Caroline Kostecky, Gettysburg College, soccer;
• Zachary Rataski, Johnson and Wales University (Miami), track and field;
• Brianna Worobel, Skidmore College, soccer.
— Edited press release from Rumson-Fair Haven Regonal High School
RFH sophomores Anthony Paolantonio and Stephen Appezzato (left to right) perform Naïve by the Kooks.
Photo/RFH
Sophomore Mia Sourlis performs I’m Yours by Jason Mraz at the annual RFH Talent Show.
Photo/RFH
RFH senior Michael Frissora performs John Mayer’s No Such Thing.
Photo/RFH
RFH senior Kate Sustick performs Tears Dry by Amy Whitehouse.
Photo/RFH
Call it a night of fun, entertainment and charity RFH style.
It was the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Talent Show and it showcased 18 student acts on April 7 with the proceeds from the show donated to the American Cancer Society.
“A great variety of music and talent, coupled with creative hosts and judges’ commentary, made this year’s talent show the best one yet!” RFH Student Council Advisor and Spanish teacher Yannell Maglione said.
Of the 18 acts, three were chosen by judges Bill Grillo, RFH music director, and Stefania Flecca, English teacher.
In the end, first prize was awarded to the group that performed David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, featuring Paddy Ahimovic and Matt Bavuso. Katie Person claimed second prize with her dance performance to Sinner. Third prize went to Anthony Cinko and Tristan Kilper performing Nothin’ on You by B.o.B. and Bruno Mars.
The cast of student performers for the evening …
• Joe Esposito, Rob Lenza, Joe Monte, and Noah Sullivan – Grand Theft Auto by Fall Out Boy;
• Mia Sourlis – I’m Yours by Jason Mraz;
• Fiona Lenahan – Original Piece;
• Julia Handerhan and Rogan McGarvey – Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd;
• Ally Calvanico, Emily Cooner, Leigh Forsyth, Jenny Greener, Brian Incremona, Rachel Makstein, and Bailey Newsome performing a mashup of Love Yourself and Photograph;
• RFH Dance Team Members – Dance Mix;
• Max Connery – piano piece;
• Kate Gagliardi – This Is Gospel by Panic! At the Disco;
• Paddy Ahimovic, JC Liang, and Kate Sustick – Tears Dry by Amy Winehouse;
• Michael Frissora – No Such Thing by John Mayer;
• Sophia Maita and Jen Sandoli – Can’t Make You Love Me by Bon Iver;
• Stephen Appezzato, Calvin Bruno, Henry Manelski, and Anthony Paolantonio – Naïve by The Kooks;
• Emma Singleton – Fix You by Coldplay;
• Matt Bavuso and Peter Hogan – Mrs. Handerhan, a rendition.
This year’s Talent Show was hosted by RFH seniors Olivia Teevan and Danny Trocchia and physical education and health teacher Eric Zullo and organized by the Student Council.
— Edited press release from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School
Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) senior Alex Perkins got the silver. He’s a skiing champ again — this time garnering a the second-place silver medal in a national competition.
Members of the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Cooking Club volunteered at the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation’s Soul Kitchen Community Restaurant in Red Bank recently.
Working with Soul Kitchen’s Front-of-House Manager Dolly Bonilla, the RFH students on April 16 cleaned off and set tables as well as organized menus for that evening’s crowd.
They were also given a tour of the facility’s garden, which provides fresh organic ingredients for meals, by gardener Robin Grossman. The students learned more about what the Soul Kitchen means to the local community.
“Hope is Delicious” is the motto of the Soul Kitchen, which provides healthy, organic, and locally grown food in a restaurant setting. For paying customers, there are no prices on the menu. Instead, they are invited to “pay it forward.”
A donation of $10 covers the cost of one meal, and anything extra helps defray the cost of someone else’s meal. Nonpaying patrons of the Soul Kitchen can perform volunteer work in exchange for family meals. Those who volunteer in exchange for meals are guided through their tasks by Soul Kitchen staff members, giving them a step up in qualifying for jobs in the restaurant industry.
The Soul Kitchen treats all customers with dignity and respect, while uniting communities and forming healthy and lasting relationships through food.
Volunteerism is very important to the success of Soul Kitchen, and there are opportunities available for those who would like to help out by busing tables, cleaning, stocking items, or serving. More information can be found at jbjsoulkitchen.org.
RFH students who volunteered their time were: Tori Hyduke, Christy Jadevaia, Katie Kane, Michaela Lake, Julia Marascio, Jenna Sandoli, and Becky Unsinn. They were accompanied by RFH Library media specialist Linda Wien Murray and English teachers Cassie Fallon and Lauren Grumbach, who are the club’s co-advisors.
— Edited press release from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH)
Since its inception in 2001, the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Education Foundation’s aim has been to enrich the learning experiences of students both in and out of the classroom.
Night of FUTURE Broadway Stars, a musical event benefitting homeless youth in Asbury Park, will rock the auditorium at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School on April 14 at 7 p.m.
“I want you to know that I am so sorry I didn’t make the effort to get to know you in high school,” a Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) graduate said to classmate Chef Rossi last Thursday after the reading and signing of her book, The Raging Skillet: The True Life Story of Chef Rossi … at River Road Books in Fair Haven. “I’m ashamed to say that I was one of those girls. And, yes, I was afraid of your Sex Pistols t-shirt.”
That was Lisa Malle Pritchard fessing up — owning who she didn’t even realize she was or if she even was. But who it was didn’t really matter to Rossi. It was what she said and when she said it that mattered.
The comment came in a very modest tone from that one blushing RFH prepster sandwiched in one corner of the room that was filled with RFH grads, the defunct but ever-enduring Barn Theater’s tribe, and a few nouveau admirers from afar and now close up.
In a real turnabout in perspective and persona from RFH 1970s, when she was the one who dropped many a jaw, the comment was met by touched, gape-mouthed Rossi and a demure “Oh, my God. Wow. Thank you so much for that. Moments like this make it all worthwhile. Can I give you a hug?”
And she did.
It was one of those awww/aha moments. For Rossi, the anti-chef, anti-preppy who was and is immersed in both worlds by default and devastating talent, things had come full circle with her homecoming. She was home again and everyone was feeling at home with her.
The moral of the Rossi story, which is one she promises there will be yet another book to explain and cook to, is that, yes, you can come home.
And not only can you come home, but you should, as she sees it.
“The real truth is that I wasn’t all those things that you were so afraid of back then,” the raging anti-chef said, pointing out that there was plenty of “Oreo crack” left to munch on. “I was just a little Jewish girl who liked Barbara Streisand.
” … Luckily, I was blessed with an enormous amount of chutzpah and a filthy mouth.”
Yes, you can come home, according to Rossi, especially this home. The theory is a Wizard of Oz sort of combo. It has something to do with always having had the power and not having to look any farther than your own back yard for what was in your heart all along — or something like that.
As Rossi put it, aside from her life highlight moment of Susan Sarandon eating her sun dried cranberry on the money spot (go ahead, figure that one out) …
“I’ve been going around the country on this book tour, but this is the stop that really pulled at my heartstrings. I graduated from RFH. I’ve got a lot of my buddies here today. So, even though I ran away from (this) home, got sent to live with the Chassids and other stories along the way, you know, every time I come back here I do feel like I’m coming back home. You’ve made that all possible.”
And so Rossi’s story goes, because, as someone in the audience piped up, “We love you,” followed by a usual cast (of characters) party at Barnacle Bill’s.
Home. Sweet … Oreo Crack and sea salt brownies.
Check out the slideshow above for a glimpse into the evening with Chef Rossi.
RFH Cooking Club members participating in Empty Bowls 2016 fundraiser for the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties are, from left to right, Emily Boak, Jenna Sandoli, Advisor Linda Wien Murray, and Michaela Lake.
Photo/RFH
Enjoying the fare and fun at Empty Bowls, an RFH fundraiser for a local food bank, are (from left to right) Bill Handerhan and his daughters Sara and Julia.
Photo/RFH
The community came out in force recently for the annual Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH)-sponsored Empty Bowls fundraiser, getting roughly 8,700 meals to those in need.
The event , held in the RFH cafeteria on March 3, raised $2,900 for the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties which amounts to the roughly 8,700 meals.
Empty Bowls is named for the situation faced by local families struggling to put food on the table. Each year the event is open to the public and features beautiful original artwork in the form of bowls crafted by RFH ceramics students. For $10, people purchase one of the ceramic bowls as well as soup, bread and dessert.
Cups and Cakes Bakery in Rumson and Crazees Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt in Rumson served as community sponsors of the event.
A variety of soups was provided by members of the RFH school community, including staff members. Breads and desserts were provided by the RFH Cooking Club as well as RFH staff, students, and community volunteers.
RFH ceramics students as well as members of the RFH Character Education Club and RFH Cooking Club provided a helping hand. Sophomores Brian Incremona and Leo Maita provided music to dine by.
This year’s fundraiser featured a lucky chance drawing for ceramic pieces donated by local artists Lauren Bellero, Denise Ciolino, Steve Jaskowak, Greg LaPlaca, Judi Tavill, and Zack Wilson.
Event coordinators were: RFH Art Teacher Zack Wilson, library media specialist Linda Wien Murray, and guidance counselor Jason Lippart. RFH parent volunteers were Marianne Velcamp, Jen Shaw and Annie McGinty.
The Empty Bowls Project, now in its 25th year, is an international grassroots effort to raise both money and awareness in the fight to end hunger. More information can be found at www.emptybowls.net.
The Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties alleviates hunger though child nutrition programs, a mobile pantry, a senior food program, and nutrition education.
For more information on how you can help as a volunteer or by donating, visit www.foodbankmoc.org.
— Edited press release from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School
Yes, Rossi, as we all know her, is coming home to RFH land tonight!
The RFH grad and premier “anti-chef” of the hipster Brooklyn scene has written a memoir about her not so Orthodox Orthodox Jewish upbringing in a preppy Rumson comprised of short stories accompanied by relevant recipes.
Rossi was a kinky-haired, butt-smoking punk rocker with a raucous mouth in a Lilly Pulitzer RFH world in the 1970s and early 80s. Her look wasn’t one that people in these parts were exposed to very often. Neither was her “I am who I am” attitude. She’s still rocking it — in a more staid way, but definitely rocking.
So, it’s only right that the Retro Pic(s) of the Day pay homage to the RFH friend, star caterer, author and master of many other things — like, from day one, being her authentic self and being damn good at it.
Check her out in these priceless pics from her ol’ RFH days. Kids! The middle shot is of her and her infamous not-so-Rumsonite parents, Marty and Harriet. Oh, and by the way, the double shot is her RFH yearbook pic. Yes, we know, most RFH yearbook pics are taken in a natural setting and I can’t recall any, except this one, in which the grad sporting wearing pink feather earrings. It was usually Monet or pearl studs. And, where’s the Fair Isle sweater and turtle neck??
In just over a month, Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) drama students will be setting the stage at New York University’s (NYU) Forum on Educational Theater (FOET) to bring awareness to teen harassment and bullying in an production dubbed The Bystander: A portrait of Apathy.
Bystander was written by RFH English teacher Suzanne Sweeney, who is also the high school’s drama director.
With the performance slated for April 24, the students are not only the performers, but the producers of the narrative short drama with a message.
The above YouTube video gives a glimpse into what’s coming at NYU.
The RFH students performing in The Bystander are: Gianna Casale, Vaughn Coleman, Emily Cooner, William Dey, Matthew Hughes, Jeremy Nives, Jane Pavluk, Eli Rallo, Paige Russo, Lisa Sandoli, Ben Segall, Kelli Tuttle, and Alissa Zack.
The student directors are Gianna Casale, Eli Rallo, and Alissa Zack.
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