Fletcher Lake. c. 1999. No condos at the south end. Paul Goldfinger photo
40 years ago, the citizens of Ocean Grove fought off a proposed condominium on the South End of Fletcher Lake. It has been done before and can be done again!
Note that citizens formed a group to fight this thing. That citizen opposition was loud and insistent, and it plus the rejection of the idea by the Fire Department ultimately finished off the plan.
This 2 part video is shared by someone who is familiar with this precedent setting event.
Wake up and smell the sweet aroma of history in Ocean Grove. Thanks to the friend of OG who sent this to us.
Monmouth Battlefield State Park. Photograph atop Combs Hill. By Paul Goldfinger 2014. . Click once to enlarge.
Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor Blogfinger.net
The Battle of Monmouth took place in the vicinity of Monmouth Courthouse in Freehold.
On a blistering hot day on June 28, 1778 the land that is now Monmouth Battlefield State Park was the site of one of the longest battles of the American Revolutionary War.
From the “State Parks Information”: “Here at Monmouth, Washington restored a reputation battered by defeats in 1777. In the day-long battle in the hills, wood lots, farm fields and meadows, the main Continental Army, retrained at Valley Forge, repulsed attacks by the main British Army.
By the end, over 600 men were dead, dying or wounded and the Continental Army held the field.”
The vista above is from Combs Hill where the Continental Army had placed their artillery.
The park is a beautiful place where you can visit, picnic, ride horses or sleighs. The visitor center is near where I was standing to make this photograph. The address is 16 Rt 33 Business in Manalapan.
I enjoy photographing battlefields, although this is only my second. The first is Gettysburg which we have visited quite a few times. Battlefields are evocative of so many qualities of man including bravery, fighting for right and freedom, loyalty and sacrifice.
It seems as if you can time- travel back in such a place as this, and that is an emotional experience.
I tried to capture that mood in this photograph which is much better felt in black and white than with color. —
Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net
BAND OF HM ROYAL MARINES: “Main Theme from Saving Private Ryan” (2006) Written by John Williams.
Paul Goldfinger Photo. Pont du Gard in southern France. Click onceto enlarge. Tri-X collection.
Roman engineers designed this 3 tier aqueduct in the first century to provide water to the Roman colony of Nimes. It was used for centuries, but now it is mainly a tourist attraction. We posted a closeup of its structure on Blogfinger . The link is below.
Allenhurst Beach Club. Paul Goldfinger photo. As seen from Deal. 2014. Click once to enlarge. This facility is happily owned by the people of Allenhurst.
Heroes’ Park North End Ocean Grove. Paul Goldfinger photo. 4/15/26. Serviceberry. (shad) tree on the left. Cherry on the right. The trees in this park were donated mostly by neighbors.. Blogfinger.net organized that event with the help of the Neptune DPW.
TEDDY THOMPSON. “I Don’t Want To Say Goodbye.” From the movie Brokeback Mountain.
Eileen at the Café Volan in A. Park where someone else was making her coffee for a change. Paul Goldfinger photo. 2016. Re-post.
By Paul Goldfinger. Editor @Blogfinger.net
We recently got a new coffee bean grinder. We get our beans from a roaster in Hackettstown called Greene Brothers. They have the best Kenya AA. In our house, although Eileen is the chief cook and I am the chief bottle washer, she does defer to me for coffee making.
I insist on carefully following every single special step (filtered water, fresh roasted beans, commercial style drip machine by Bunn, burr grinder by Capresso, etc). It’s just a peculiarity of mine. I am truly a coffee fusspot. It’s too bad coffee isn’t grown around here be cause I would go to meet the farmer.
The new coffee grinder has a transparent top where the beans go, so it looks like there is no top at all. I went to pour the beans into the grinder, but they just bounced off the top and spilled all over Eileen’s kitchen. They rolled around with a clatter like some kind of rogue pinball machine run amok. She, who is so meticulous about her kitchen and everything else, looked on in horror. She knows that I am fundamentally sloppy, but she cannot get over it. Eileen (NMI) is so detail oriented that my nickname for her is “Minutiae” (Actually I would love to make this her middle name since she doesn’t have one.)
The challenge was to pick up the beans one at a time without crunching them underfoot. When I tossed them into the grinder she was incredulous. “What’s the big deal,” I said. “The coffee will get very hot, and nothing can live in that coffee. Besides, you can eat off your floor.” Well, to be precise, we never eat off the floor.
She has a way of rolling her eyes in total disgust. At times like this she is likely to say, “How can you be so inept when you can put a pacemaker wire into someone’s heart?”
I have no answer for her. I tell her that we will need some more Greene beans soon. She says, “I have enough. I’m serving them for dinner.”
“No, no.” I protested; “I don’t mean the green beans; I mean the Greene beans!”
“ And also,” I whined , “I’m sorry I spilled the beans.”
Eileen just looked at me and said, “I wish you wouldn’t spend so much time in my kitchen.”
The historians at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church of Ocean Grove researched the history of the church located at 80 Embury Avenue and decided to create a self-guided walking tour of the town of Ocean Grove.
They published a booklet (cover above) which offers a fascinating content of places and people, including photographs, that defines what they describe as a “faith-based way of life” in the Grove. The writers are Karl and Pam Schweizer of Ocean Grove.
The booklet says that “Ocean Grove is a vibrant example of ‘living history,’ or more precisely, ‘living Christian history’ much of which can be visually recaptured by meandering through the town and exploring its extraordinary landmarks and scenes.”
As such, the tour provides 24 sites to visit including a number of homes as well as places such as the Great Auditorium, Thornley Chapel, and the Beersheba Well among other locations.
#5 on the list is “The Beegle House” at 113 Mt. Hermon Way which was assigned this new name by the St. Paul writers.
According to the St. Paul’s historians, the Rev. Henry Barnett Beegle (1818-1895) lived at that address. The booklet shows a photograph from that era along with today’s 2018 version. Beegle was appointed Superintendent of the OG Camp Meeting Association after Osborne resigned in 1871. He also served as the first pastor of St. Paul’s Methodist Episcopal Church which was originally located where the Arts Center currently stands.
Photograph used in the walking tour booklet can be found in Ted Bell’s book of Ocean Grove Images. Bell’s photo is not dated, nor is the image in the walking tour booklet.
The tour booklets are available at the Historical Society of Ocean Grove and at St. Paul’s Church.
As for the Beegle House being assigned a historic name, that’s fine, but given the current demographics (the Goldfingers live there,) we can’t help but call it “The Bagel House.”
Here is a link to our article about the 19th century recordings of music in the Great Auditorium.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net May, 2019 re-post.
Remember the Coneheads? Jane Curtin and Dan Aycroyd. Well, that name has taken on new meaning, because ice cream fans in the Grove, not having Nagles to stand in line for, will now find Days open every day through the season.
We went there today and were behind a family from France who were ordering ice cream and coffee.
How ironic, because when they asked the Coneheads on Saturday Night Live where they were from, they said, “France.”
Bonjour. Visitors from France order at Days. Paul Goldfinger photo. Dave is behind the counter.
SARAH McLACHLAN “Ice Cream.”
“Your love
Is better than ice cream.
Better than anything else that I’ve tried
And your love
Is better than ice cream…”
Days Ice Cream. Ocean Grove 2024. Paul Goldfinger photo Blogfinger.net.
Ice cream with a view. Paul Goldfinger photo.
Happiness is Days Ice Cream. Paul Goldfinger photo. Click once to magnify delight.
Days. Paul Goldfinger photo and darkroom print. Blogfinger.net
Paul Goldfinger photo 2025. Blogfinger.net
By Paul Goldfinger, MD. Editor Blogfinger.net
We heard this from a reliable source, but it is currently unverified. Evidently the new owners own Callie’s Creamery of Neptune City—a place known for homemade ice cream.
But they will capitalize on the history of Days in Ocean Grove where the wonderful porch-like setting and location are known by so many visitors. Days is the oldest business in the Grove.
We are ice cream lovers, and we are very fussy. The prior owners went out of their way every winter to find the most outstanding sources for their remarkable flavors. The new owners may hope to be the new Day’s, but presumably they will sell their home made flavors and so there may be a difference, and we will be seeking reviews from long time Days fans.
Blogfinger reporters: Please send us some facts about this story. Blogfinger@verizon.net
