Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect (R-FH Retro) is a hyperlocal news website dedicated to the Rumson-Fair Haven area, its people and history with a unique twist — the perspective of a 54-year resident with an award-winning journalistic background.
Daily, news, features, photo galleries, event coverage and retrospective opinion pieces, dubbed Retro Pics of the Day, are offered to the site's readership for free.
A coffee table book featuring iconic spots, people and photos of this peninsula utopia I called home for more than half a century is also now in the works. It will also offer a unique reading twist.
R-FH Retro was created out of pure love of home and is dedicated to the memory of my parents, Sally and Bill Van Develde. They brought their family to Fair Haven decades ago and harbored a deep love of the community until their deaths.
It is my wish, as it would be that of my parents, to continue to bring free daily news, features, photo galleries, memorial tributes and unique pieces to readers. Help is needed to make that happen, though; and, our local advertisers are suffering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Equipment needs updating. The site needs to be maintained. Daily expenses to keep things going must be paid. This staff of one needs a little community help to get by and continue bringing R-FH Retro to you every single day. The site, in its more than five-year existence, has never made anywhere near a profit.
The savings used to create and maintain R-FH Retro dried up in the first year. A Fair Haven girl needs to survive, but has always hated to ask for help.
So, in the interest of striking a balance between modesty and "a girl's gotta live on more than love alone," I have decided that leaving the "help" up to those who can and want to by asking to "buy me a cup of coffee" is a nice solution.
With a click, you can help keep the site going and help fund the creation of an R-FH Retro-themed book. The donation amount is up to you. Times are indeed tough and any amount is truly appreciated, even if it's $5.
Donations of $75 or more will get the patron a sponsorship ad on the site with a link of their choice. R-FH Retro gets up to 30,000 hits per month. Exposure is great for any advertiser, especially those in the area.
Help R-FH Retro help you. Keep it casual with love. Buy me a cup of coffee. Tell me your story.
With love of home and words,
Elaine Van Develde
R-FH Retro publisher/founding editor
