Community Corner

The Days of Rugrats Down by the River

Get the answer to and some history about our photo question last week.

By Elaine Van Develde

Down by the river, I shot … a photo.

It was a photo taken last week of a small spot down by the river that most call the Navesink, but some will argue is the North Shrewsbury (I'll get to that). It's a place where kids have gone seemingly since the dawn of time to take sailing lessons in the summer.

It's also a niche that many have thought of as their own little sliver of beach for some riverside reflection. It's modest. It's as pristine as it gets around here. And it holds many memories for those who were raised in the area.

It's the River Rats boat launch. While it is managed by the boating club and mostly serves that purpose, the spot is and always has been a sort of refuge for thinkers, daydreamers, dog walkers and, well, sometimes kids who pack up their backpacks and declare parental war over something as futile as an uncool lunch with the "I'm running away from home" threat.

A bag of Doritos, a good friend and some quality river time usually cured me. I can still hear my dad hollering as I darted down the street with the "house" chips and a can of cream soda, "Write when you get work!" I'm writing, Dad.

It's been a while since I last ran away — all the way to the foot of Battin Road — from home.

And, yes, River Rats has been around for quite a while, since, well, the Navesink was actually called the North Shrewsbury. It was the North Shrewsbury, because it was just an extension of the Shrewsbury River and Rumson and Fair Haven were part of Shrewsbury Township.

"Fair Haven and Oceanic circa 1890 (Rumson was renamed in the early 20th century) Rumson's original names were Oceanic and Port Washington," said River Rats guru Robert Grant in Fair Haven Facebook page post. "Both Fair Haven and Oceanic were neighborhoods within Shrewsbury Townwship. Most of the communities in Shrewsbury Township seceded from the township in the early 1920's, perhaps a little roaring 20's bravado."

River Rats has actually been around since 1954, he added, and "was formally incorporated in 1960 as a volunteer, non-profit educational organization. We provide instruction in the art of sailing and a love of the water for children in the greater Fair Haven community."

And the he-man and she-woman parent rebels club had many members, judging by the other comments. Funny, but didn't it always seem like you were the only one there? You, your rebellion and the river? Some things never change and that's a good thing.

River Rats did take a bit of a Hurricane Sandy beating, though. However, it's back and all spiffed up for the season of sailing and, well, reflecting. Take a look at the photos above and share your memories with us. Come on …



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