Bernie Haney, the Neptuner Tax Assessor and Zoning official is Blogfinger’s Man of the Year. BF photo ©

a. At the Township Committee meeting of Feb. 25, a resolution will be passed to spend $1.35 million on a “living shore line” for the Shark River area. This is the project for which the Township hired special coastal engineers. What’s of particular interest is that the Township found and obtained a grant from FEMA for $836,000 for the project. The remaining cost will be obtained by a issuing a bond. 

Ocean Grove taxpayers will help pay the interest on that bond; but when does the Township get around to doing something for the Grove?   How about a resolution to recognize and respect the “Community of Ocean Grove” comprised of residents who live in town. This community is a distinct entity to be distinguished from the CMA and the Chamber of Commercials. 

The Township has approved some more mega events where hordes of tourists cause lock-down in town and closed streets in order to pay homage to British autos and carved pumpkins. The Chamber and the CMA  are behind these gridlock events, and there is disregard for those those who actually live here and want to enjoy their town without Ghengis Kahn and his invading barbarians.   The crowds clog our streets with  their giant vehicles while my Japanese auto has to take a back seat.  Who needs them?  I once had a Triumph, and it was a piece of crap.  No other shore town has the number of giant events as we do, even though we are the smallest.  This gridlock helps compromise the quality of life in the Grove, although there are other issues such as the huge religious tourism brought in by the CMA.

Once again we ask: who is profiting from all this and why does that justify paralyzing our town for those of us who live here?  Take a lesson from other Shore towns in the area—they minimize this sort of smothering tourism.

Ocean Grove on the Pathway with more chaos than the landing on Omaha Beach. Blogfinger photo.

b.  The agenda seems to be missing an apology to Jack Bredin for the threats made to him by Mayor Rizzo at the last two Committee meetings.

Here’s a song dedicated to the Mayor: