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Posts Tagged ‘Ocean Grove United’

After a Rocky Start, Ocean Grove Groups Come Together

Posted in Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, tagged , , , , , on January 23, 2013 | 8 Comments »

CMA Director of Operations Bill Bailey shows photos of storm damage. Ralph delCampo (left" and Dale Whilden look on. Photos by Mary Walton

Camp Meeting Director of Operations Bill Bailey shows photos of storm damage. Ralph delCampo (left) and Dale Whilden look on. Photos by Mary Walton (Left click to see the photos enlarged)

By Charles Layton

A new spirit of good will and cooperation blossomed on Tuesday night, when leaders of the Camp Meeting Association and all of Ocean Grove’s major civic groups met to discuss storm recovery.

It falls to the Camp Meeting, as owner of the beach, to raise money and plan and execute the work of repairing the boardwalk and beach facilities.

However, others have a major stake, and up to now some of them had felt isolated, uninformed and frustrated. Merchants had complained because neighboring towns seemed to be moving ahead with rebuilding plans much faster than Ocean Grove. Other local groups said they wanted to help raise money for the beach and boardwalk, but their members hesitated for fear that donations for storm relief would be commingled with the Camp Meeting’s other funds and activities.

Camp Meeting officials organized Tuesday night’s meeting with those concerns fully in mind. “We’re all in the boat together and we all need to row in the same direction,” said Ralph delCampo, the Camp Meeting’s interim administrator. He and Camp Meeting president Dale Whilden pledged to keep everyone fully informed going forward. They also asked for everyone’s input, including their criticisms. But no criticisms were voiced on Tuesday night.

Those present included leaders of the Home Owners Association, the Historical Society, Ocean Grove United, the Fishing Club, the Chamber of Commerce and the Ocean Grove Beautification Project.

In laying out their plans for this year’s fund-raising campaign, DelCampo and other Camp Meeting officials stressed again and again that funds for the boardwalk and beachfront will be “totally separated” from all other funds. (Contributors can write “Boardwalk & Beach Front” in the memo field of their checks to have the donations routed to that separate account.)

The Camp Meeting officials said the entire beach will be open by Memorial Day and that most of the boardwalk will be operational, as will the beach office, bathrooms and changing rooms. And they discussed engineering issues in considerable detail. Bill Bailey, the Camp Meeting’s director of operations, used aerial photos of the beachfront to explain how different types of dune structures, bulkheads and barriers had functioned during Hurricane Sandy, and which of those might best prevent damage in future storms.

At the end of the meeting, Rich Lepore of the Chamber of Commerce expressed optimism about the summer season. “We’re going to do everything we possibly can do to drive home the fact that Ocean Grove is open,” he said.

Gail Shaffer of the Historical Society suggested that all of the organizations present should state on their websites that the OG beach will be open this summer. Others talked about plans to help with fund raising. Connie Ogden of OG Beautification said “We intend to go full blast” in providing decorative plantings along the boardwalk and elsewhere. Luisa Paster of Ocean Grove United suggested sending news releases to The Coaster on a regular basis.

Camp Meeting development officer Karen Adams began the meeting with an explanation of this year’s fund-raising campaign. She said the Camp Meeting normally needs to raise about $1 million, but this year the need is much greater. The cost of fixing the boardwalk and beachfront is estimated at $3 million, she said. Assuming that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides 75 percent of that amount, the Camp Meeting would need to raise another $750,000. Thornley Chapel is also in need of $500,000 worth of renovation (not related to the hurricane), and $100,000 must be raised for repairs to the storm-damaged auditorium roof. Insurance will cover the rest of the auditorium costs.

Karen Adams (center) describes the fund-raising campaign. Listening are Carol Woidt (left) of OG Beautification and Mary Ellen Tellefsen of the Chamber of Commerce.

Karen Adams (center) describes the fund-raising campaign. Listening are Carol Woidt (left) of OG Beautification and Mary Ellen Tellefsen of the Chamber of Commerce.

Ordinarily, the Camp Meeting would simply put donations for all those projects into a single fund. However, Whilden said, “We fully realize that probably the majority of the community is primarily interested in the boardwalk,” and therefore “there will be no commingling of funds. They’re completely different funds.”

Whilden said the Camp Meeting has already raised $190,000.

Bailey led a technical discussion of beach barriers and dunes. He said the Camp Meeting believes the reason the portion of the boardwalk from the pavilion to Seaview Avenue held up so well was because the dunes along that stretch of beach were constructed on top of a rubble wall buried beneath the sand. This rubble wall had been installed following a 1953 nor’easter. It has performed so well that the Camp Meeting would like to use that same type of structure along the entire length of the beach. However, “ultimately, it’s going to be all about the money,” Bailey said, “and those rubble walls are expensive.”

The Camp Meeting also discovered that a sheet steel bulkhead in front of the boardwalk at the south end had provided good protection there. Engineers have been helping the Camp Meeting study these and other options for rebuilding.

Bailey said the reason Ocean Grove did not announce its rebuilding plans as quickly as other towns was that the Camp Meeting wanted to first determine which structures will best prevent damage in future storms. “We’ve got to get this right,” he said. “We’re investing a lot of money. We’ve got to study it.”

DelCampo said Ocean Grove needs to avoid what happened in Spring Lake, where the boardwalk was damaged by Hurricane Irene in 2011, the town rebuilt it immediately, and then it was destroyed again just one year later by Hurricane Sandy.

According to Bailey, here is what visitors to Ocean Grove can expect by Memorial Day:

  • The beach will be open in its entirety.
  • The south end boardwalk – from the beach office to Bradley Beach — will be restored.
  • From just north of the beach office to just north of McClintock Street the boardwalk will not be in place, but beach access points will be provided.
  • From the pavilion to the north end the boardwalk will be in place.

Still unanswered is the question of access to Asbury Park. As a temporary fix. there may just be an asphalt pathway.

Also, before summer, the Camp Meeting will send volunteer rescue divers out to retrieve submerged offshore debris.

The Camp Meeting officials said they still had no word as to whether FEMA will agree to provide any funds for restoring the boardwalk. Neither do they know when FEMA might announce that decision. For background on that, see this previous story.

Bailey uses aerial photos to illustrate the performance of a boardwalk bulkhead

Bailey points to an aerial photo showing how the beachfront looked before the storm

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Camp Meeting Association Seeking Funds to Rebuild — – Cost Could Be $3 Million. FEMA Money a Possibility.

Posted in Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, tagged , , , , on December 4, 2012 | 11 Comments »

As planks are removed from the damaged boardwalk, they are saved in piles for possible reuse. Photo by Mary Walton

As planks are removed from the damaged boardwalk, they are being saved and evaluated for possible reuse. Photo by Mary Walton

By Mary Walton

The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association estimates that it will cost roughly $3 million to restore the boardwalk and pier damaged by Hurricane Sandy, interim administrator Ralph delCampo said Tuesday.

The cost for the pier alone is estimated at $500,000 to $750,000. In addition, the insurance policy which covers the damaged roof of the Great Auditorium, now under repair, has a $100,000 deductible.

DelCampo emphasized that the estimates are preliminary, given many questions about how to proceed. “We want to enhance the kind of construction,” he said. “We do not simply want to replace the boardwalk. What did we learn from other towns?”

One thing they learned is not to follow the example of Spring Lake, he said. After last year’s Hurricane Irene demolished the boardwalk there, the town rebuilt it in nearly identical fashion, only to lose it to Sandy.

In fact, planks in the heavily damaged section of the Ocean Grove boardwalk between the south side of the pavilion and the beach office were recently replaced at a cost approaching $300,000. “All of that money just went to the ocean,” delCampo said. That section, known as the Middle Beach, now must be completely rebuilt.

In probing why the pavilion itself and the boardwalk north of Seaview Avenue survived almost intact, initial credit went to the dunes. No one is discounting their importance, but, in addition, the Camp Meeting discovered that a hidden bulwark of massive boulders and rubble lies beneath them. “We believe that’s what saved the boardwalk and dunes,” delCampo said.

Dale Whilden, president of the board of trustees, who joined delCampo in a conference call with Blogfinger, said the boulder wall was built in 1953 following a major storm. Post Sandy, he discovered drawings and documentation in his files. “I had forgotten,” he said. “A couple of trustees remembered it vaguely.”

Under discussion now is extending that bulwark south in tandem with new dunes. DelCampo said the Camp Meeting is working with consulting engineer Peter Avakian and with local contractors in designing a plan. At present, the Middle Beach boardwalk is being systematically dismantled and inspected for structural integrity, a process that will take about three months. “We will remove joists and planks and even some of the pilings and save them to be reused,” delCampo said.

At the same time, he said. the Camp Meeting has hired a consultant “to help us work through applications.” Topping the list of potential funders is the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA will pay 75 percent of the cost of approved projects and up to 100 percent under certain circumstances. Gov. Christie has asked for the higher amount.

The Camp Meeting is also seeking private contributions from people in the community. delCampo said he was intrigued by Belmar’s “Buy a Board” campaign, which allows contributors to pay from $25 to $5,000 for individual planks, with their name and board level displayed at beach entrances.

The topic of private donations came up at meetings the Camp Meeting held last week with representatives of the Ocean Grove Home Owners Association and with Ocean Grove United. Both groups praised the meetings as positive but expressed reservations about a glossy fund-raising flyer titled “Let’s Rebuild” mailed to Ocean Grovers in late November. It stipulated that checks should be made payable to OGCMA “with ‘Now & Forever’ in the memo line.”

Home Owners president Ann Horan said her understanding is that the Camp Meeting’s “Now & Forever” fund is money that “they could take and use it for whatever they want. We think they should make it more specific.”

OGU raised a similer objection. The organization has a history of friction with the Camp Meeting, most recently over the speaking engagement of actor Kirk Cameron last summer for a Sunday worship service after Cameron had made anti-gay remarks in a television interview. Last week’s meeting between OGU and the Camp Meeting fulfilled a Camp Meeting pledge to improve communication between the two groups.

The flyer was a major topic at the meeting. “People are not comfortable giving to a general fund,” said OGU co-chair Harriet Bernstein. “They would certainly be willing to give to an earmarked fund with some accountability.” She and co-chair Luisa Paster told the Camp Meeting officials, “Everyone wants to help, but they want it dedicated to the replenishment of the beach and the boardwalk.”

Bernstein and Paster suggested that the Camp Meeting consider holding a fundraiser and also forming a coalition of community organizations to drum up financial support for rebuilding.

The Camp Meeting also met with board members of the Ocean Grove Chamber of Commerce, but the “Now & Forever” issue did not come up at that meeting, said Chamber president Rich Lepore, owner of Smuggler’s Cove on Main Avenue. “I’ve heard it more from customers,” he said. “They want to give but they don’t quite know how.”

Whilden explained that the press of time was why people were asked to donate to a general fund rather than one earmarked for rebuilding. At the time the fund-raising flyer was sent out, he said, “We were planning an immediate response. We didn’t have a strong idea of where the money ought to go. We wanted flexibility to put donated funds where they needed to be.” He said that if donors specify a preference in the “For” line of their checks, such as “boardwalk” or “pier,” or specify the intended use in a letter, the Camp Meeting is legally obligated to use the money for that purpose.

Meanwhile, delCampo said, the Camp Meeting development committee is meeting Thursday and will be coming up with an alternative “for those who don’t want to give more broadly.” In addition to donations for beachfront damage, he added a plea for funds to help pay for the auditorium repair. “We cannot forget the auditorium. It is a central focus of the community as well,” he said.

 

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Boardwalk Pavilion Case Closed. New Jersey Civil Rights Division Issues Its Final Decision

Posted in Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, tagged , , on October 24, 2012 | 7 Comments »

By Charles Layton

The state’s Division on Civil Rights issued its final conclusion Tuesday in the Ocean Grove boardwalk pavilion case.

As had been expected, the agency’s director, Craig Sashihara, accepted without modification a January ruling by a state administrative law judge that the Camp Meeting Association discriminated unlawfully in denying an Ocean Grove couple permission for a same-sex civil ceremony at the pavilion.

Harriet Bernstein and Luisa Paster. Photo by Paul Goldfinger

The case of Harriet Bernstein and Luisa Paster attracted national attention over the conflict it presented between gay civil rights and religious beliefs espoused by the Camp Meeting. It can also be viewed as a socially transforming event in the recent history of Ocean Grove.

The issue awakened a sense of unity and activism on the part of what had been a sizable but until then rather quiescent local gay community. It sparked heated debate among members of the Home Owners Association. It brought into being Ocean Grove United, a local civil rights group. It is the reason one sees blue and yellow equality banners on numerous houses around town.

However, it never became a landmark Constitutional case, although at one point the Camp Meeting attempted, unsuccessfully, to take the matter into federal court. Instead, the issue remained within the domain of the state Division on Civil Rights after Bernstein and Paster filed a complaint with that agency in 2007.

The Camp Meeting, which owns the boardwalk and all its accoutrements, had a history of renting out the open-air, wood-framed pavilion for community events, including weddings. But when Bernstein and Paster applied for permission to hold their civil ceremony there in 2007, the Camp Meeting refused on religious grounds.

The case went from the Civil Rights Division to an administrative law judge, who concluded that the Camp Meeting had violated the state’s law against discrimination. The Civil Rights Division could then have adopted, modified or rejected that decision, but on Tuesday it upheld it.

Sashihara, in his opinion, wrote that the boardwalk pavilion was a public accommodation because the public had been invited to use it and the pavilion received direct tax support from the government — a tax exemption under the state’s Green Acres program. A condition of the tax exemption was that the property be open for public use by all “on an equal basis.” Sashihara’s reasoning echoed the earlier findings of the administrative law judge.

“We are thrilled,” Bernstein said. “They have lost on every level.”

The decision includes no award of damages to the plaintiffs, nor did Bernstein and Paster request any. In fact, as applied to them personally, the case is moot. Six months after filing their complaint, they conducted their civil ceremony on the fishing pier.

Tuesday’s decision does indeed bring this long, highly-emotional case to a close so far as the Civil Rights Division is concerned. However, under the law, the Camp Meeting could still choose to take an appeal to the state Superior Court, Appellate Division. Court rules require that such an appeal must be filed within 45 days from the date of the decision.

The Camp Meeting had no immediate comment.

UPDATE: The Camp Meeting issued a statement on Friday, October 26, saying its board of trustees would schedule a meeting to decide whether to appeal. For that, go here.

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Camp Meeting Revenues Fall Short This Year — Leaders Aim to Break Ground on North End Redevelopment in 2013

Posted in Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, tagged , , , on September 3, 2012 | 37 Comments »


By Mary Walton

As the 2012 Labor Day weekend drew to a close under cloudy skies, the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association reported a somewhat gloomy financial picture at its traditional season’s end review.

Operating income of $3,164,000 fell $39,000 short of operating expenses. Contributions to the choir festival, Camp Meeting week and other special events were down by $24,500 over last year. And ticket sales to the Saturday night entertainment programs experienced an especially severe drop. They totaled 20,347, compared to 27,588 in 2011, a 26 percent decline that resulted in the lowest profit margin in eleven years.

Dr. Dale Whilden, CMA president, attributed the fall off in Saturday night attendance to competition from new entertainment outlets in the surrounding area, particularly Asbury Park. The loss of revenues when Johnny Mathis cancelled his August 11 appearance was another factor. Whilden added, “And the economy has got to be a part of this.”

On the bright side, as of Aug. 20 beach revenues had outpaced expenses $928,000 to $760,000. Beach profits, however, cannot be used to defray operating losses.

More than 100 people attended the meeting, which was held this year in the Youth Temple rather than its customary venue, the Bishop Janes Tabernacle. In another change from past years, the meeting was closed to the media.

“This meeting is targeted for supporters,” Ralph del Campo, interim chief operating officer, told this Blogfinger reporter before the meeting began. I was invited to sit in, but told not to report. He explained that people were under the false impression that the CMA was a public entity, which has not been the case since it was a municipality running Ocean Grove, a role now occupied by Neptune Township. He noted that as a religious organization the CMA is not obligated to make its sessions public. There was no explanation for why the change was suddenly enacted. In fact, Blogfinger has covered the meeting in past years. “We’re not trying to hide anything,” Whilden chimed in.

The change in policy was not announced during the meeting, and Bonnie Graham, a reporter for the Coaster, took notes throughout. Graham was unaware of the no-reporting rule until I made an issue of it during the questions and comments session that concluded the meeting. I asked that the CMA reconsider its policy in the interest of openness. Graham also objected to the rule against media reporting, and afterward said she was shocked and mystified. Trustees apparently were not aware of the decision either. “What’s that all about?” one asked me.

On another subject, Joan Caputo spoke for Ocean Grove United, a gay advocacy organization that has often been at odds with the CMA, most recently over the appearance of actor and evangelist Kirk Cameron, the author of harsh anti-gay remarks. After an OGU protest, Whilden and other CMA officials met with a group from the organization to hear their concerns. Caputo thanked them for having “in many ways opened their hearts and taken the time to meet with us, to listen and to share. Let the dialogue continue.” She made her remarks available to Blogfinger.

CMA Trustee Douglas E. Arpert responded to a questioner who asked the status of the North End development of condos, homes and a hotel. The CMA and a company called WAVE (Wesley Atlantic Village Enterprises) are co-developers. Arpert told Blogfinger they hope to conclude a redevelopment agreement with Neptune Township by the end of the year and to break ground in 2013.

After the meeting Del Campo and Whilden sat down with me to review the information that had been presented at the meeting, so that it could be included in this article.

In addition to financial news, they said that the search for a chief operating officer is nearing its conclusion. After an initial round of searching last year failed to produce a suitable candidate, the search was widened in the spring. The search committee received more than 30 resumes, and has narrowed the field to three, all men. The committee will conduct interviews in September and expects to name the new officer by year’s end.

In other statistics of interest, the most popular speakers this summer were Ravi Zakarias, who drew 2,900 Sunday morning worshippers this past Sunday, followed by Kirk Cameron, 2,300, and Tony Campolo, 2,058.

Neil Sedaka attracted the largest Saturday night crowd, 2,722, followed by Diana Krall, 2,470, and Michael W. Smith, 2,316.

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Equality Flags Stolen

Posted in Blogfinger News, Neptune Township News, Ocean Grove news, tagged , on August 20, 2012 | 9 Comments »

By Charles Layton

Equality flag, symbol of Human Rights Campaign. Photo by Charles Layton

At least three equality flags were stolen from homes in Ocean Grove over the weekend.

A man named John, who lives on New York Avenue, said he and his daughter went out to dinner on Saturday night, and when they got home he noticed that his flag had been ripped off. “They literally ripped it off the side of the house with such force that the metal of the flag holder was broken in half.”

He said the next day, when he called the police, a neighbor said, “Oh my gosh, mine is missing too.”

He figures the thefts occurred between 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

Irene, who lives on the western end of Heck Avenue, said she only noticed the theft of her flag, along with its pole, on Sunday, while looking at photographs. She said she had taken a photo of her granddaughter’s lemonade stand on Saturday and the flag was in the picture. Then she took a photo of a flower in front of her house on Sunday and saw that the flag was missing. “So I’m pretty sure it happened Saturday night,” she said.

Both Irene and John said that when they reported the thefts the police asked questions that led them to think the police were trying to establish whether or not the thefts could be classified as hate crimes. The blue and yellow flags are the symbol of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the country’s largest civil rights organization for gay equality.

Irene said she was particularly disturbed because the thief had to unlatch her gate and come into the yard, “and he came right up to my front steps and took it.”

“And my dog didn’t bark, which I’m not too thrilled about either,” she added.

After hearing of these three thefts, Harriet Bernstein, co-chair of Ocean Grove United, sent out emails asking whether others may have had their flags stolen. If so, she was urging that they report the thefts to the Neptune police.

“A number of people have had flags stolen in the past,” Bernstein said, “but it hasn’t happened in a few years.”

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PEACE TALKS — “We can work together, we have a lot of things in common, and we all love Ocean Grove.”

Posted in Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, tagged , , , on July 29, 2012 | 13 Comments »

Flags on a porch on Mt. Carmel Way suggest coexistence. Photo by Mary Walton

By Charles Layton

On Saturday, the ice broke.

After years of distrust and outright hostility, leaders of the Camp Meeting Association and Ocean Grove’s gay rights community found a way to come together. Or so they seem to hope and believe.

The CMA’s president, Dr. Dale Whilden, and eight CMA trustees showed up for lunch at the home of Harriet Bernstein and Luisa Paster, co-chairs of Ocean Grove United. Other OGU board members were there. So was Stephen Goldstein, who heads the state’s leading gay advocacy group, Garden State Equality. So was Randy Bishop, Neptune Township’s gay mayor, who lives in the Grove, and Congressman Frank Pallone. And so were five gay and lesbian high school students from North Jersey, along with a parent of one of the students and the sister of another young man who is gay.

The first thing these people did was share a cold buffet lunch. Then they crowded together in the living room/dining room area for conversation.

“We made certain the Camp Meeting trustees and the kids all sat near each other,” Bernstein said. “Each and every one of these teens spoke about their own experiences of being bullied because they are gay.”

Whilden said afterward that he and the other CMA officials “were impressed with these kids. They had insight and courage and just a perspective I’m not sure we all grasped as well before the meeting as we did after the meeting. These are brave kids. They’ve been through a lot.”

Members of the CMA and Ocean Grove’s large gay and lesbian population have had an antagonistic relationship since 2007, when the CMA refused to allow Bernstein and Paster to use the boardwalk pavilion for a civil union ceremony. They and other gay residents fought back, forming Ocean Grove United as a civil rights organization. Blue and yellow equality flags appeared on porches all over town.

A law suit over the pavilion issue made national news. It was resolved just this past January when a judge ruled that the CMA had violated New Jersey’s anti-discrimination laws.

By that time, tempers had moderated somewhat on both sides, but then came Kirk Cameron, a visiting minister who provoked the gay community all over again by making insulting remarks about gays on national television.

On Friday, when Cameron made his appearance in the Great Auditorium, Bernstein and Paster led a silent demonstration outside.

But at the same time, they extended a hand to the leaders of the CMA, in the form of the luncheon invitation, which those leaders accepted.

The gay teenagers took center stage during the living room discussion, describing how it feels to be persecuted by one’s peers and attempting to explain that when religious leaders make harsh public remarks against gays they feed such persecution.

Bernstein said a straight girl at the meeting, whose brother is gay, “explained how Kirk Cameron’s words really affected them, how hurtful they were, and how those are the same kinds of words they’ve been hearing since middle school, from kids who were bullying them.”

“They drew the connection,” Paster said, “that such words from people like Kirk Cameron – public figures – make it easier for other people to use similar words. It has a ripple effect.” Cameron had said on CNN that homosexuals were destructive of the foundations of civilization.

Paster and Bernstein said these teenagers’ testimony seemed to make a genuine impression on the trustees. “One trustee who had a career in education commented that he had seen the same thing in the school system,” Paster said. “He validated exactly what the students had said. He had seen it first-hand.”

Whilden not only agreed that the trustees had been impressed, he predicted that a new day might be at hand in Ocean Grove. “It seems to me we’ve gone to another level of friendliness and neighborliness,” he said. “We’re not going to agree on everything. But we can work together, we have a lot of things in common, and we all love Ocean Grove.”

After about 2 ½ hours the meeting broke up without any specific plans for followup. However, both sides agreed that the dialogue would continue.

One concrete suggestion, made by one of the teens, Corey Bernstein (no relation to Harriet), was that the gay organizations and the Camp Meeting might work together on some sort of anti-bullying event in Ocean Grove.

New Jersey’s new anti-bullying law designates the first week in October as a “week of respect,” during which schools are asked to teach the consequences of intimidation and harassment. That week might be a good time for some kind of Ocean Grove event, Corey Bernstein suggested.

Whilden later told me that such an October event could be a practical problem, because the CMA’s program committee meets in the middle of that month to decide on events. “So I’m not sure that we could put something together this year … but I hope that’s not going to be discouraging to the kids.”

Change may take time, Whilden said, but he thinks there is a new “level of community awareness.”

“We don’t expect people to change their views,” Harriet Bernstein said. “They’re going to follow what they believe. What we’re asking them to do is be more sensitive to the diverse population that lives in Ocean Grove. And that I think they can do.”

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Camp Meeting to Break Bread with Gay Leaders

Posted in Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, tagged , , on July 27, 2012 | 16 Comments »

By Charles Layton

Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association officials will have lunch on Saturday with leaders of local and state gay rights advocates. The topic: Camp Meeting speaker Kirk Cameron’s condemnation of homosexuality.

Cameron was also invited, but declined.

According to Ocean Grove United’s co-chairs, Harriet Bernstein and Luisa Paster, the invitation to the Saturday luncheon was extended by Corey Bernstein (no relation), who is 17, a New Jersey resident and a leader in the movement against the bullying of gay and lesbian teenagers. He says he “endured brutal bullying at my former school because I am gay.”

Corey Bernstein

His invitation, addressed to Cameron, said in part: “In a kind, respectful and constructive way, we’d like to talk to you about the pain your words about being LGBT have personally caused me and other LGBT youth… We yearn to grow up in a world that provides us dignity and safety. That is our simple, most heartfelt dream.”

Cameron, a featured speaker at the Great Auditorium this weekend, has ignited protests because of a March 2 CNN interview in which he said homosexuality was “unnatural” and “destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization.”

While continuing its support for Cameron, the Camp Meeting Association has recently expressed an interest in establishing a dialogue with members of Ocean Grove’s gay community. The CMA also issued a statement last month saying it “does not support derogatory remarks about any groups or individuals.”

Kirk Cameron

Saturday’s luncheon is to be at the home of Harriet Bernstein and Luisa Paster. They said CMA President Dale Whilden and six or eight CMA trustees will attend. This was confirmed by Ralph Del Campo, the CMA’s acting administrator. “A few of us will be going and we’re looking forward to it,” he said.

Also attending will be members of Garden State Equality, a New Jersey gay rights organization, and some teenagers who have stories to tell about being bullied because they are gay.

Bernstein and Paster said in an email that they were “thrilled” that CMA officials “will be able to hear the personal stories of these young individuals.” One of the messages gay rights advocates are attempting to send is that harsh anti-gay rhetoric by religious leaders encourages bullying and helps generate a climate of persecution against gays.

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OG TidBits: Work Resumes at 91 Cookman; Protest Planned at Great Auditorium

Posted in Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, tagged , , , , on July 25, 2012 | 8 Comments »

91 Cookman

1. After various delays, builder Jack Green is resuming work on the restoration of the long-neglected house at 91 Cookman Avenue. Green said he received a building permit from the Township on Wednesday, which clears the way for the rehab. He bought the derelict property last summer for the purpose of restoring it to something resembling its original condition, and then reselling it. “I would hope to have it on the market the early part of next year,” Green told us on Wednesday. The house is classified as one of Ocean Grove’s “key structures,” meaning it has special architectural significance. Before Green acquired it, it had suffered such damage from weather and neglect that many feared it might have to be demolished. (For previous stories on this house, type “91 cookman” in the search field at the top right corner of this page.)

Kirk Cameron

2. On Friday at the Great Auditorium, Ocean Grove United is planning a quiet and peaceful protest of the appearance by anti-gay celebrity Kirk Cameron. Cameron’s scheduled appearance and OGU’s opposition have been the subject of controversy recently, particularly in certain Christian and gay media outlets. (Google his name and “Ocean Grove” to find them.) OGU began urging the Camp Meeting Association to withdraw its invitation to Cameron following a March 2 interview on CNN, during which he said homosexuals were “destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization.” While refusing to disinvite Cameron, the CMA has said it does not expect him to disparage gays and lesbians during his appearances here. Cameron is scheduled to speak on Friday evening and again on Sunday morning, on the topic of traditional marriage.

3. Here are some street parking changes: Ocean Grove will soon be adding a new handicapped parking space on the north side of Abbott Avenue 93 feet east of the intersection of Abbott and New Jersey. At the same time, the handicapped space near the corner of Abbott and Lawrence Avenues will be eliminated. Also, a 35-foot loading zone will be added on the east side of Ocean Avenue beginning 60 feet south of the intersection of Ocean Avenue and westbound Ocean Pathway. The Township Committee is scheduled to approve these changes at its next meeting.

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CMA Trustees Stand By Kirk Cameron. His Comments About Gays “not intended to be divisive or hateful.”

Posted in Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, tagged , , on June 18, 2012 | 30 Comments »

(NOTE: This story was updated at 5 p.m. Monday to include new information.)

By Charles Layton

The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association issued a statement on Monday in which it stood by the planned appearance of anti-gay celebrity Kirk Cameron at the Great Auditorium, while also stating that it “does not support derogatory remarks about any groups or individuals.”

Kirk Cameron

The statement came after many weeks of intense criticism and debate over Cameron’s scheduled appearance, including a local flurry of letter-writing, emails and plans for a protest demonstration. The reaction was due to the former child actor’s remarks in a March 2 CNN interview, in which he called homosexuality “unnatural” and “destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization.”

Cameron is scheduled for two speaking engagements in Ocean Grove in late July, marking the opening of “Camp Meeting Week.”

Here is the full text of the Camp Meeting’s statement:

“In response to concerns raised regarding Kirk Cameron’s scheduled appearances, over the last several weeks trustee representatives of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association met with various constituent groups culminating in a special meeting of the full Board of Trustees. The three-hour long meeting included a conversation with Mr. Cameron, during which he clarified his public comments. He assured the Board that his comments were not intended to be divisive or hateful and he reaffirmed his ministry’s commitment to demonstrate love to all people. The OGCMA does not support derogatory remarks about any groups or individuals. Mr. Cameron’s appearances in Ocean Grove are dedicated to strengthening marriages and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“The Board expressed its commitment to building bridges, encouraging dialogue, and improving relationships within the community. The mission of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association is to provide opportunities for spiritual birth, growth, and renewal.”

The statement was issued under the name of Ralph del Campo, the Camp Meeting’s interim administrator.

Reached by phone later in the day, del Campo was asked what specific plans the Camp Meeting had for building bridges and encouraging constructive dialogue. “Well, the first thing,” he said, “is to continue to listen to the different constituent groups that exist in the community.” He said it was “too soon to develop specifics” as to how further dialogue might proceed.

Asked who these “constituent groups” are, he named Ocean Grove United but declined to name other groups or to say how many groups were consulted. “I’d rather not comment on the other groups,” he said. (Ocean Grove United had called on the Camp Meeting to cancel Cameron’s appearance and instead “bring an individual who fosters equality and diversity and whose definition of love is inclusive.”)

Asked whether Cameron might discuss the issue of homosexuality during his appearances here, del Campo said Cameron would present exactly the same seminar he presented at the Great Auditorium last year. He described that seminar as very successful and said “the issue of homosexuality was never brought up last year.”

Ocean Grove United said, in a press release, that it was disappointed at the Camp Meeting’s decision to feature Cameron as a speaker. “The Camp Meeting Association is of course free to promote whatever ideas and values it chooses,” the release said, “but it seems to us somewhat counterproductive to the fulfillment of its mission to endorse prejudice and hostility toward those of its neighbors who seek nothing more than to participate in building families, communities, and our nation as a whole.”

OGU said that although the controversy had created “unnecessary divisiveness” in Ocean Grove, “it has also led to some initial exchange of viewpoints and openness, and we look forward to further communication with the CMA to build bridges.”

Cameron, 41, is best known as an actor for his role on the 1980s television sitcom Growing Pains. He is part of an evangelical Christian ministry that emphasizes family issues.

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CMA’s Kirk Cameron Controversy is Heating Up

Posted in Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, tagged , , on June 7, 2012 | 63 Comments »

By Charles Layton

The planned appearance of a controversial anti-gay celebrity in Ocean Grove is starting to make news.

Today’s Asbury Park Press contains a story about the dispute.

In March of this year, the former child actor Kirk Cameron, an evangelical Christian, drew protests from the gay community for calling homosexuality “unnatural” and “destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization.” The comments were in a nationally-televised interview on CNN.

Cameron is scheduled for two speaking engagements at the Great Auditorium this July, and the gay rights organization Ocean Grove United has asked the Camp Meeting Association to disinvite him.

“If someone had made a racist or anti-Semitic remark, would you want to be sponsoring that individual?” Harriet Bernstein, co-chair of OGU, told the APP.

Neptune Mayor Randy Bishop was quoted as saying he would be disappointed if Cameron brought his “hate speech” to Ocean Grove. “I’m sorry that he’s going to be here,” Bishop said. “Bringing a lot of emphasis to this just helps [Cameron] sell his books.”

Dale Whilden, president of the Camp Meeting, said the association’s trustees plan to meet this month to vote on whether they still want Cameron as a featured speaker. “We want to do our best to make a decision that will be respectful to all the people in the community,” Whilden told the APP.

He said Camp Meeting officials had met with opponents of Cameron’s visit and that they also plan to meet, in private, with those who support his visit before taking a vote.

Cameron is best known for his role on the 1980s television sitcom Growing Pains. He has also appeared in movies. He currently participates in a ministry that teaches creationism, Christian family values and other tenets of Christian fundamentalism.

Emails have been flying in Ocean Grove in recent weeks regarding Cameron’s appearance here, letters are being written by people on both sides of the issue, and some within the gay community have advocated a protest at the Great Auditorium if Cameron appears.

As things now stand, Cameron is scheduled to speak on Friday, July 27, on the topic “Love Worth Fighting For,” billed as a “marriage event.” He is scheduled to speak a second time on Sunday morning, July 29, marking the opening of “Camp Meeting Week.”

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Ocean Grove Is Ranked Number One In Same-Sex Couples — Barely Edges Out Lambertville. Asbury Park Ranks Third.

Posted in Blogfinger News, Charles Layton, Ocean Grove news, tagged on August 13, 2011 | 2 Comments »

By Charles Layton

Ocean Grove has 45.1 same-sex couples per 1,000 households — the highest ratio in New Jersey — according to a report on mycentraljersey.com, a Gannett Company website.

In a photo finish, Lambertville came in second with 45.0 same-sex couples per 1,000 households. Asbury Park was third with a ratio of nearly 43 per 1,000.

Those numbers put all three places ahead of such well-known gay meccas as San Francisco.

The numbers are from a study conducted at the University of California at Los Angeles, based on U.S. Census data.

Oddly, the Gannett story leads with Lambertville having the second-greatest concentration of same-sex couples. Only in the 10th paragraph does it mention that Ocean Grove came in first.

This arrangement of the facts prompted one of our citizens to complain on Ocean Grove United’s Facebook page. He wrote that he found it “a little annoying” that the story led with Lambertville’s second place. “Why not lead with #1 — OG???”

To read the Gannett story, go here.

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Photo News: Ocean Grove United Hosts a Street Party

Posted in Blogfinger News, Photo News, tagged , on August 6, 2011 |

Pilgrim Pathway, between Cookman and Clark, on Saturday evening

Photos by Charles Layton      Party music by Marcia Ball:


Connie Ogden went Hawaiian (Jim Eberle not so much)

Mick Hale was the DJ

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