Kind Burger Owner: 'We're Down, But We're Not Out'

"We've been speechless by the outpouring of help," Sea Bright business owner Anthony Cafaro said.

On the Monday before Thanksgiving, skies were overcast in Sea Bright and there was a damp, bone chilling wind. The sidewalks, crowded in summer with beachgoers, are now narrow corridors made up of the destroyed innards of the downtown's businesses. Directly across from the public beach is what's left of Kind Burger, the popular burger joint opened this summer by the Cafaro family of Rumson, with a special gluten-free menu in honor of their six-year-old daughter Olivia. Where a few weeks ago the aroma of grilled beef flowed through it's open garage-style front windows, now there is stench of sewage. Gone is the bright, modern space with chic black chairs and butcher block tables. Inside the dark cave-like shell, Kind Burger owner Anthony …

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Threat of Flooding High in Rumson

Residents in low-lying areas who haven't evacuated should head to RFH High

The streets of Rumson and Fair Haven were quiet early Monday afternoon, with businesses largely closed, motor vehicle traffic light and residents hunkered down in their homes or shelter. However, the force of Hurricane Sandy is unsettling the Navesink, as docks and marinas start to take on water. The prospect of a river surge concerns Rumson Mayor John Ekdahl. "What's really surprising us... some of the areas we evacuated (Sunday) were flooding at low tide," Ekdahl said. Rumson experienced 12-foot tides early Monday, the mayor said. "We came near records this morning." As Sandy tracks to impact southern New Jersey perhaps more significantly than Monmouth County and points north, the mayor is largely concerned with "significantly higher …

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Hauntin' and Hangin' Around in Rumson

Hauntingly festive Halloween characters found hanging

As Halloween creeps closer, more and more creatures of the night rear their heads and are, sometimes, seen hanging them. Patch took a tour of Rumson recently and found some ghoulishly good things hanging around in one spot, in particular, that has become a notoriously haunting spot for the season. A story is coming on this especially spooky spot. In the meantime, we're still on the hunt for haunts. We're focusing on creepy creatures found "hanging around" this week. Have you seen any creatures hanging in your neighborhood? Let us know and upload your own photos directly to this story or email them to elaine.develde@patch.com. Until then, take a look at what we found hanging around in Rumson and see if you can guess where these ghastly …

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LAST CHANCE: Rumson PTO Book Fair

The fair started on Saturday and runs through Friday

Rumson PTO Scholastic Book Fair is in full swing. Having started on Saturday, with guest teacher readers, a 50th birthday party for Clifford the Big Red Dog and successful bake and mum sales, many books were sold and revenue realized.  Several boxes of books were collected for donation to  the Asbury Park Boys & Girls Club and the Red Bank Head Start Program. Thursday night will feature a new event entitled "Treats With A Treasured One."   For that night, students have been asked to invite a grandparent or special adult to bring to the fair. The 50/50, which has already surpassed $500, will be drawn that evening at 7:45 p.m. In addition, raffles for gift baskets, which include Kindles and Nooks, will be ongoing with winners announced at …

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Rumson Eighth-Grader Fundraising for Breast Cancer Cause

Abigail Kelly to sell breast cancer awareness t-shirts at football games

For eight-grader Abigail Kelly, the topic of breast cancer awareness hits close to home. She has family fighting the fight. Now in its second year, Abigail, a Rumson resident who is a student at St. James School in Red Bank, will be holding her “Go Pink or Go Home” t-shirt and bake goods fundraiser on Sunday, Oct. 14,  starting at 9 a.m. during the Rumson-Fair Haven Youth Football games at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School's Borden Stadium.  Abigail will be selling the t-shirts she designed to raise funds for breast cancer awareness. She has enlisted the help of Firehouse Specialty Shop, Red Bank, in designing the t-shirts and hopes to sell out.  The shirts will be sold for $15 each and pink bracelets will be sold for $1, with all …

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Barnacle Bill's Tradition: Is it 'Peanuts'?

The longtime tradition at the Rumson bar and grill of peanuts and good company has come to an end over lawsuits and allergies. Has society become overly litigious and hyper-cautious?

For decades, the comforting crunch of peanut shells underfoot, a table with a riverfront view and a standing appetizer of mindless shelling, munching and good company is what many people in the Rumson-Fair Haven area have counted on from Barnacle Bill’s. Going through those auto-pilot motions of walking in to a place where old friends meet, scooping up those peanuts, cracking and catching up is something that has been known to soothe the local soul like hot chicken soup on a cold day. Granted, some people don’t even like chicken soup, but if it’s what’s been passed on to them as a staple comfort, it’s what brings them back to that good, warm feeling inside — like those peanuts at Barnacle Bill’s. It’s pretty simple. It’s a tradition. Call …

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Erica Melone

3:42 pm on Thursday, October 18, 2012

Wait.....they let lefties sit at the bar????   more ›

Bulldogs Win 'Battle of Ridge Road' 9-3

Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School's Bulldogs are on a winning streak, 4-0. Share your pictures from the game on Patch!

The Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School Bulldogs won the Battle of Ridge Road last night against the Red Bank Regional Buccaneers, 9-3, making the team's record a perfect 4-0 for the season so far. The Buccaneers fell short in the Battle to a steady team of Bulldogs.    The Bulldogs, now 4-0, were heavy favorites. But RBR Coach Nick Giglio felt that an inconsistent offense hurt his team's chances. The Bucs seemed perpetually on the verge of breaking the game wide open, only to lose momentum. The pattern began early, and never let up.     In the first quarter, the Bucs defense beat back the Bulldogs' first drive. But a deep Bulldog punt forced the Bucs to begin their possession at their own eight-yard line, with senior Ross Gisondi at …

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New Teachers in Rumson Schools

All were present at Thursday's Board of Education meeting

The Rumson Board of Education hired several new teachers at its Thursday night meeting. They took a moment to smile and pose for Patch. The teachers' experience and backgrounds were not available, but principals of Deane-Porter and Forrestdale schools listed their names. The new additions to Deane-Porter are: Alison Haugh, Megan Garrity, Jane Sieg and Kaitlyn Brennan. The new teachers at Forrestdale are: Brittaney Flynn, Jamie Fitdmaurice and Kelly Wilson. When more information on the new additions to the Rumson schools' staffs becomes available it will be added.

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Former Rumson Property Owner and Family Indicted in Mortgage Scheme

Twelve-count indictment alleges fraud in Toms River, Lakehurst, Howell and Wall, among other towns

  A local developer, his niece, who owned property in Rumson, and other family members have been indicted in connection with an alleged mortgage fraud scheme dubbed "Operation Family Affair." Christopher Colatrella, 40; John T. Colatrella, 49; Alexis Colatrella, 27; Vincent Veritas, 24, all of Wall; Delores Cittadino, 79, of Long Branch; Martin D'Amato, 27, of Colonia, and Clara Carr all were named in a 12-count indictment handed up by an Ocean County grand jury in Toms River. Christopher Colatrella owns Wall-based CMC Holdings LLC; John T. Colatrella, his brother, owns Colatrella Properties; Alexis Colatrella, John's daughter, is a former employee of Mortgage Line Financial Services, as is D'Amato. Alexis Colatrella was listed as having …

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In Their Opinion ...

The Demise of the Local Gas Station

Longtime Rumson and Fair Haven resident Chris Brenner remembers a time when the two towns were flush with full-service gas stations. Tell us your stories about local gas stations and the owners that knew everybody's name.

Growing up in Rumson and living for Fair Haven for over 45 years, I find myself pointing out to my kids as we drive through town, what used to be this and that. “Crazees used to be Dairy Queen” and “Video on the Ritz was a Cumberland Farms.” Usually this is met with teenage eye-rolls, but something did occur to me the other day ... What happened to all the gas stations? Let’s take a little spin through the towns, and see if you remember all the gas stations that once were: Rumson • Corner of Ave of Two Rivers and Ridge Road, across from the Oceanic Library, is now a professional building. It was once was home to a Mobil station. • Corner of River Road and Carton Street, up until recently Rumson China & Glass, once was an Aamoco station. • …

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