Blogfinger

All is calm, all is bright again at Firemen's Park. Photo by Charles Layton

By Paul Goldfinger and Charles Layton

The Jesus figure that was stolen from the crèche in Firemen’s Park two weeks ago has been replaced with a brand new figure, one that’s much less likely to be snatched by thieves. It’s bolted down.

Immediately following the November 29 theft, Bob McEwan, the treasurer of the Ocean Grove Fire Department, had said there was no way that the $600 hand-painted figure could be replaced by Christmas. However, it seems that miracles can happen.

Actually, McEwan said on Monday, the fire department’s supplier, a Michigan company named Bronner’s, happened to have one more Jesus figure left in stock. This one differs from the previous one in that it is all — cushion and statue — a single piece. And, he said, the new piece has been bolted into the platform of the crèche.

Bronner’s did a special rush job on hand painting and shipping the new figure to Ocean Grove, McEwan said. Although the bill isn’t in yet, he said the cost will be between $600 and $700.

On the night of the theft, at about 12:30 a.m., a resident saw two people wearing hooded shirts in Firemen’s Park running from the vicinity of the crèche and then down Delaware Avenue towards Wesley Lake. The thieves have not been caught.

A similar theft occurred in 2009.

In view of the two thefts, some Ocean Grovers had wondered why the baby Jesus was placed in the manger before Christmas Day or Christmas Eve. McEwan said Monday that when churches have a crèche they typically do wait until just before Christmas to put Jesus in place. However, he said, since the Fire Department first put up its nativity scene in 1997, the practice has been to have Jesus in the manger from the beginning.