FAIR HAVEN – For 10 years, Benjamin Lucarelli has been the mayor of Fair Haven, a borough of roughly 6,000 nestled among Red Bank, Little Silver and Rumson along the Navesink River. Fair Haven’s annual Fireman’s Fair brings thousands to the borough, incorporated in 1912, and many small businesses and restaurants serve the residents and surrounding community year-round. After his decade of leadership, The Two River Times decided to ask the mayor some questions about himself, how he got involved in town and about the future. Here’s what he had to say.
The Two River Times: How did you become involved in local politics?
MAYOR BENJAMIN LUCARELLI: In the mid 1990s I was playing ball at Fair Haven Fields with my son. I offered to help some people who were working at the concession stand and learned of other volunteer opportunities. After a few weekends volunteering to help build the stand and arranging for the roof to be donated, I was asked to become a county committeeman. A decade later I was asked to join the Fair Haven Borough Council and in 2012 I was elected mayor.
TRT: What is an accomplishment during your time as mayor you are proud of?
LUCARELLI: I received the greatest recognition for my work establishing bike lanes in town and for the county policy that enables municipalities to add bike lanes on county roads. In 2015 I received the Advocate of the Year Award from The Bloustein School of Planning at Rutgers and was invited to the U.S. Department of Transportation where I had the opportunity to meet with Secretary of Transportation Anthony Fox. But my proudest moments are the times when I can help residents solve their issues or assist them in advancing their career goals in government.
TRT: What are the pandemic-recovery challenges Fair Haven faces in 2021?
LUCARELLI: The one big challenge we are tackling now is helping our seniors get the COVID-19 vaccine. We have started a program with our library staff to help seniors overcome the technological barriers to signing up and securing an appointment. Recently, thanks to a program established by Sen. Declan O’Scanlon and Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso in conjunction with the VNA, headed by Fair Haven’s own Chris Rhin, we will be able to secure vaccines for our seniors in the near future.
TRT: Describe your perfect (pre/post- COVID-19) Saturday in Fair Haven.
LUCARELLI: A perfect Saturday would be to take an early morning 30- to 50-mile bike ride, followed by a nice cool down walk with my wife, Francoise, and our Bernese Mountain dog, Loulou, at either Fair Haven Fields or Huber Woods. We would end the day by being with friends around the fire pit in my backyard.
TRT: You’ve been Fair Haven’s mayor for a few years. Tell our readers something about yourself they don’t know.
LUCARELLI: I am now in my 10th year as mayor. It has been an honor and privilege to serve the community in which I have raised my family. We recently became grandparents, so I am looking forward to spending time with my family. We also enjoy visiting with my wife’s family in the French Alps where we will eventually retire.
This article originally appeared in the March 11 – 17, 2021, print edition of The Two River Times.
