Joanne Cotton, Co-Chair of the Together Capital Campaign.Town Meeting. 4/6/13 Youth Temple. PG photo.

Sitting in front at the Youth Temple on Saturday, April 6, at the Town Meeting, were members of the newly formed “Together Team.”  Led by co- chairs Joanne and David Cotton  of Ocean Grove, this CMA capital campaign will seek to raise $1.5 million for the Ocean Grove Sandy recovery.  Both co-chairs spoke to the audience and expressed their optimism that hard work and innovative fund raising would result in success. They reviewed “where we are now” and discussed some of the programs that are planned.  They mentioned that the CMA trustees had already given or pledged $332,000.00,  but they stressed that donations, large or small, would be welcomed.

Joanne Cotton said, “This is a great start, but we have a long way to go.”  The complete restoration of the oceanfront is projected to cost over $3 million.  She also said,  “We value, honor and appreciate even the smallest donation.”  She mentioned the “Raise the Roof” concert on June 15, the Blogfinger Film Festival on May 5, and a fund raising ball projected for August 9 (better get your tuxes and check books ready for that one.)

The new “Team” has already set out to plan a variety of “activities and ideas.”  They have designed T-shirts  (see below) and they plan to set up tables at the June 15 Craft Show and at the Spring Fling later this month.  There also will be an opportunity to pose for pictures with Ocean Grove lifeguards, male and female.  Maybe they’ll bring their dinghies.

They have a new web site     TogetherOG.com link  where you can find more details.

A nagging concern about segregation of donations was broached head-on by Rev. Cotton and by OGCMA Pres. Dale Whilden.  Both of them pledged that any earmarked check would go into  individual accounts (“buckets”)  for the specified categories of the boardwalk, the Great Auditorium roof, or the Thornley Chapel. Or you can just write “Together fund”  on your check.  Dr. Whilden said that “these are absolutely restricted accounts with no commingling–as is required by law.”

Rev. Cotton said, “We will always honor specific donations.”

Also, related to finances, Mr. delCampo said that they were “optimistic” about the FEMA appeal which they expect will be decided within the next 30 days.  Their hope is that FEMA would pay for 75% of the beachfront recovery.  He said that consultants recommended that the appeal include letters rather than petitions, so the application includes 200 letters from citizens. Mr. delCampo also indicated that the appeal focuses on the opinion that “our boardwalk has been wrongly classified as recreational.”—–That was the basis for the FEMA denial.

But if that FEMA appeal fails, the CMA can apply for other Federal grants such as from HUD.  New regulations require that the FEMA process be exhausted before applying for other programs.  The CMA also plans to apply for $700,000 from the “Sandy Recovery Fund” which is run by Gov. Christie’s wife Mary Pat Christie.

If the monies come through, the CMA will be ready to begin the next phase of recovery after Labor Day.

—Paul Goldfinger,  editor @Blogfinger