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.
RL, Simply by attending Cameron’s appearance here you are protesting OGU’s ‘activities’ and supporting his. Why would you want to escalate an already sensitive situation? Secondly, Cameron can certainly espouse his particular views on ‘Traditional Marriage.’ However, he should be able to accomplish his goal without insulting or denigrating (if you believe the statistics) over 30% of this town’s population. The CMA has already asked him to not broach this sensitive subject in his message. Please don’t pour fuel on the fire and draw even more attention to it with a counter protest. “Turn the other cheek.” I read that somewhere. We could all do with some turning, don’t you think?
Maxter: Chick-fil-a wasn’t banned by Boston, and there is no ban on the marriage between Chick-fil-a being proposed. The Mayor was only telling Chick-fil-a that they were unwelcome because they don’t show respect and neutrality for all of their customers: they promote the legal discrimination of some of their custormers. The mayor said the company’s promotion of discrimination is an offense to the history of freedom and full equality of Boston. Companies or organizations, like the CMA, that jump into the gay marriage debate on law and politics, should expect free speech to come as a response.
Like you, I love free speech as a gay rights supporter, and would like to see free speech be paramount in Ocean Grove as well. Because of your respect for the primacy of free speech, I am sure you would agree. I think you would imagine that places like Ocean Grove can be a great diverse garden of free speech, where everyone speaks their minds with total and absolute freedom. Instead of rallies and marches limited to Asbury on gay pride, I would imagine that you would agree that they should bring more and diverse speech into Ocean Grove with a rally at the CMA and free and open debates with Christians. I would imagine that respect for the feelings of the Christian visitors to Ocean Grove would not nearly be as important as the First Amendment rights of the National and New Jersey gay rights activists to freely speak.
I imagine your deep and expansive admiration for the First Amendment extends to putting other considerations to the side, and I agree with you. Instead of a quiet respectful resort, we can bring the brand of Ocean Grove to a new definition: the politics and religious aspects of gay marriage. I imagine a motto we can share on speech is: “no restraint — only beliefs.”
Speech by gay people in Ocean Grove has been largely limited to Victorian restoration issues, and respect for the beauty and architectural integrity of the town. I am sure you would agree that expanding the speech in Ocean Grove to include many more types of gays concerned about civil rights would be a welcome addition to the character of the town.
@Wisher
Yes, free speech DOES go both ways, as in the current brouhaha over Chickfil A. Protests are certainly allowed, but trying to stop a business from coming into a city is way off base.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/26/politician-plan-to-block-chick-fil-is-unconstitutional-legal-experts-say/?test=latestnews
http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/chicago-chick-fil-a-owner-to-mayor-eat-more-chicken.html
Since when did we get to the point of tyranny, where a government can threaten to stop the legal building of a business because of one owner’s beliefs? Such attempts by elected officials such as the mayors of Boston and Chicago are only rants, they are allowed to say such; but to try and deny a business a permit because of the owner’s beliefs and public comments is unconstitutional.
Mr. Cathay did not say he would not hire people from the LGBT community, he just said he believes in traditional marriage. He is not trying to force his beliefs on the community but the community sure is trying to force their beliefs on a company’s founders.
Remember the principle of the slippery slope folks. What’s next?
BTW, August 1st is Chick Fil A Appreciation Day. I invite all who believe in Free Speech to visit the Chick Fil A at Monmouth Mall, and NO, I do not work for them.
Jason: I just hope the Camp Meeting Association will look with a critical eye to developer proposals that stuff buildings as close to the water as possible. The Camp Meeting Association needs to just plainly say: “We need lots of air and open spaces near the water, and buildings to be farther set back. We don’t want to become congested and artery-clogged duplicating bad development in Long Branch, Seaside Park and Atlantic City. We need lots of views to the ocean, to landmarks in Asbury, vistas to Wesley Lake, and assembly areas for our group events and parking.”
I think it would be a GREAT IDEA to make the North End into a mixed space with a park, a nicely landscaped parking lot with 30-40 spaces, and perhaps 3-4 homes. This is very doable and would still generate good money for the CMA. The CMA could sell parking permits ($75 per quarter) that would generate a revenue stream in perpetutity to maintain the park/parking and assure that the spaces can only be used by OG residents (or at least offered to them first).
I like this much better than the monstrosity they are planning. Can we hit the reset button?
How many more parking spaces will be removed for this loading zone?
The Camp Meeting already changed 4 parking spaces to handicapped near the auditorium last year.
Why is the Township allowing this? Are they going to report all of these lost parking spaces to RSIS? We need parking for the summer and winter (when we can only use one side of the street.)
The Township should tell the Camp Meeting to make the North End a parking lot and stop taking parking spaces from people who now pay over $11,000 in taxes.
It is great that Ocean Grove United didn’t call attention to their quiet protest, and that the CMA has likely requested Cameron not to discuss gay issues when he speaks here on Friday.
That there will be a protest has reached the gay blogs, but with no announcement by Ocean Grove United, there is likely to be a mild protest.
The CMA should dig down and look at some of the practicalities of relishing free speech rights, because free speech works both ways.
Perhaps those of us who support traditional marriage should protest Ocean Grove United’s activities.