The Christmas spirit is being awakened this weekend by lights, cameras and the sounds of sirens as Santa Claus comes to two towns via firetruck, townies get festive, trees are lit, holiday poses are struck, kid games are played and crafts are sold.

The Christmas spirit is being awakened this weekend by lights, cameras and the sounds of sirens as Santa Claus comes to two towns via firetruck, townies get festive, trees are lit, holiday poses are struck, kid games are played and crafts are sold.
They got hosed. It was a modern suburban scene that looked like a vintage city kids’ summer spree. But it wasn’t. It was just yesterday. And it was in a small town — Rumson.
It’s been a Memorial Day of the traditional kind in the Rumson-Fair Haven area. The day, usually kicked off by parades in Rumson and Fair Haven and solemn services at Victory and Memorial parks, respectively, brings people in the communities together. Groups, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, honoring those who sacrificed their lives in service to the country, is the usual visual.
Continue reading Retro Rumson Eighth Graders’ Memorial DayThey made a Navesink splash.
The water rescue units of the Rumson and Fair Haven First Aid squads made their inaugural water run of the season with the Nav-e-Sink or Swim race patrol out of Victory Park in Rumson today.
Are you a good witch or a bad witch? Witch is which? Either way, or both, the temperature just seems to keep rising like warm thoughts of a cooler day for best buddies.
Continue reading Retro Rumson Kids’ Witching HourYou could call these sunny fall days the dog days of river time. Really.
Continue reading Focus: Sun-Sopped River Dog DaysA classic reprise in honor of those summer days down by the river. Some things never change, except maybe swimwear …
Yes, real summer’s here. And the haze these days is bringing us back to a bit of a Rumson riverfront daze.
Continue reading Retro Rumson Pier Summer Sunning DazeThey rallied for the rivers in Rumson.
The 4th Annual Rally for the Two Rivers Eco-Fest, hosted by Clean Ocean Action (COA) on Saturday at Victory Park was a success, organizers said. Hosted by Clean Ocean Action (COA) and the Rumson Environmental Commission (Rumson EC), the event designed to raise awareness of waterway mindfulness for a healthy environment had about 200 attendees.
Continue reading Focus: An Eco Rally for the RiversSeasons change, so we think. We’ve been summoning a full-on spring since the season’s long-awaited onset. Yet, there seem to have been more dank than sunny, soothing days.
Continue reading Focus: Summoning a Rumson SpringtimePress “Play.” Sometimes light peering through stark, hazy darkness is a beacon to play time that’s drawing near. It can transport a daydreamer to past play, too. Warmth. Vision. Clarity. Contentment.
The pin spotlights scream silence — peace. They remind: There is a light to follow forward and back. Each spot shines a light on one memory at a time, bringing focus to the haze, bringing back the warmth. Each spot draws us to a brighter tomorrow, too. Each reminds: There’s a way out of the dark haze, forward or rewind. Either takes us back to the same place. Home.
When two iconic playtime scenes — an otherwise bustling iconic Victory Park or Barnacle Bill’s gathering haven — are somber and still, it’s then that one can see the power of place clearly. Feel it deeply. The more stark, the more profound. The more simple, the more black and white, the love of home.
Get lost in the light to find your own way home.
— Photos/Elaine Van Develde for R-FH Retro only (CLICK on one to enlarge and scroll. Enjoy!)
And lighter days are coming to the area. Here’s the week’s weather forecast, courtesy of the National Weather Service, for the Rumson-Fair Haven area …
Rumson Recreation has announced that new Family Fun Nights are to be hosted at Victory Park.
The nights, on Sept. 2 and 9 from 6 to roughly 7:30 p.m. will feature concerts by The Band of the Two Rivers and DJ MO Talent, respectively.
Rumson Rec asks that attendees bring their own chairs, blankets and snacks for the festivities. With Band of the Two Rivers there will be music, socializing and the river view.
With DJ MO, there will be some “family fun music” and contests.
The days have been dank on the banks of the Navesink River.
Yet, sea gulls seem to always seem to settle into a bit of hovering and hanging out at Victory Park in Rumson.
Year after year, damp days or not, they always come back home, lie many this time of year.
It’s another familiar scene down by the river. You’ve seen it before. Take a look again … It never gets old.
— Elaine Van Develde
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