By Paul Goldfinger, Editor@ Blogfinger.
Ted David, a retired professor and tax lawyer, has lived in the Grove since the 1980’s. His love affair with this town resulted in his publishing a book called “The Other Side of Ocean Grove” in 2002. He says, “These stories are an 8×10 glossy of what life was like in the Grove in the boom times of the late 90’s and early 00’s.”
He has a great affection for OG. He says, “No, the Grove is not Utopia, despite the wishes of its founders. But it is on the right track and has been for more than one hundred years.” And he still believes that.
No one has ever written such a book, because while others were concerning themselves with the town’s history, architecture, and religious life, Ted was looking around with a sociologist’s eye at the fascinating people and places that make the Grove so special.
He has paid attention to the quirky side of our town and he introduces us to people from that era such as Boogie, the bass in a street corner acapella group; Kevin, the kind proprietor of the newstand; Jeanie at Krisanna’s down the alley between (now) Cheese on Main and the Surf shop; Elmer the security guard who had an official uniform but no authority; Herman Brown of the Pathway Market—a gourmet shop in disguise; and Joe Lopez of the Wisdom Bench, who was an undertaker and a descendant of American Indians.
The book tells us about musical events in the Auditorium including the annual July 4 Sousa concert by the Allentown Band and appearances by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
The author acquaints us with Moonstruck, Tina’s, Freedman’s Bakery, and the Queen Hotel in its hey day when Presidents stayed there. And there are so many other people, places, insights and conversations that Ted joyously recalls in his book.
Ted acknowledges that the town of Ocean Grove, like many others at the Jersey Shore, was in sad shape in the ’80’s, but its nervous system, its way of life, its unique characteristics are what interested him. One time he noticed that the downtown had become messy; so he bought a few garbage cans and placed them around Main Avenue. But then OG came back and continues to evolve.
If you look at his 12 chapters, you will get an idea of what interests Ted. Those chapters include “Blasted Mosquitoes, The Sampler, Main Avenue, The Wisdom Bench, and the Beach.” I used his chapter on “The Gates” as a fine historic source for the Blogfinger piece “Unchained Memories: Opening the Gates in Ocean Grove.”
“Other Side” is a wonderfully written book which sold over 2,000 copies. Although time has passed by for many of his subjects, it is still a great read for those who live and/or love the Grove, and Ted has not changed any of it. It is about 150 pages, so you can plunk yourself down at the beach and have a great time with it.
It is basically a history book of keen observations regarding a moment in time in one of America’s most interesting small towns. He talks about the economic “boom” that appeared as the Grove was discovered by the press in the 90’s.
Although Ted seemingly had vanished from the scene after he published his book in 2002, he never left, nor has he stopped keeping his fingers on the pulse of our town. He says that the Grove is now in a “golden age.”
When you talk to Ted David, you see that he has a serious side—a professor, but it’s clear that he loves to observe people. He has a twinkle in his eye as a stylish “beautiful young woman” strolls by —one of those indicators of change. The evolving demographics in town are not lost on him, especially the presence of a growing secondary market–ie second home community. He is an independent thinker and he will tell us more in his next two books, after this one is republished.
During our talk, he revealed the deep respect he has for the spiritual life underlying the Grove thanks to the Camp Meeting Association. He believes that their continued success is needed for OG to survive without becoming just another shore town.
We met at Nagle’s to discuss his plan to republish “The Other Side”; it now has a new cover, but it is unchanged otherwise. He even kept the price the same–$12.95. You can order it at Amazon.com, and they will ship it to your door in an hour and a half.
Ted will soon also be publishing his new book called “More From the Other Side of Ocean Grove.” That will follow up on the original and include new topics such as his interest in “neighbors’ and how that scenario works in the Grove.
His other new book, soon to be unveiled featuring a variety of unknown facts about the town is called “Forgotten Ocean Grove.”
Why does he write these books? He says, “I write them for selfish reasons–I like to stop time.”
DORIS DAY:
I asked Ted where were the guys and gals from the wisdom bench? He told me that they usually meet later in the day and will pick up after Labor Day
I had the pleasure of meeting Ted today at the Ocean Grove Pier. I found him to be a remarkable man, with many stories to tell and share. But he was also interested in the person that he was speaking to, (me) it is true he is interested in people. I enjoyed some of his stories and hope to cross paths with him again.
Anyone know why the Wisdom Bench has been dismantled.? These guys have been meeting for years. It’s a fabric of OG.