From Isak Grove:
Thanks for highlighting the article about ventilators and Coronavirus patients, since it perfectly frames the most important debate in OG today and that’s not the parking problem. The question is should Tent Village and the Great Auditorium be opened this summer or stay closed for the season?
Without question Tent Village will bring in families from all over the country making social distancing this summer impossible and will result in widespread infections throughout OG sickening many residents.
The OGCMA should be making a statement about their intentions TODAY vs. just holding their breath and ignoring the risks and hoping no one asks.
Regardless of curve flattening etc, Tent Village has more density than many of the crowded parts of NYC and hence will be a major health risk throughout the summer. But then again the OGCMA would make some nice money keeping them open…
LANG LANG AND CONRAD POPE “Marilyn’s Theme” from the film My Week With Marilyn
Paul – With that kind of attention I have to applaud your efforts. I was referring to the lack of comments on the subject. This is literally an existential subject very specific to OG because it’s the one event that could literally obliterate this town.
Again, I thank you for facilitating this forum. I guess I was living in LaLa land thinking this would provoke a response from the OGCMA or Homeowners Association.
Isak : You are wrong about the “lack of interest” in this topic. Yesterday, April 7, Blogfinger had 832 “hits”, and the number one item that readers were looking at was your “Just Wondering” piece. Your item was linked by readers to others about 120 times. Most of the 832 hits would have included checking out your opinion piece, because most Blogfinger readers arrive at the site by going to the home page, and they tend to read from top (most recent) down.
Most readers don’t comment on BF, so you might suspect that they are not interested, but that is not the case. I wish more would comment, but the silent majority out there probably agrees with you. Of the 114 Grovers who took our poll about closing the Boardwalk, 62% said yes, so there is a sensitivity in town to doing the most that we can to prevent that evil disease.
What you might ask is why the Home Groaners don’t get involved in these issues or our elected officials. Where are they? If they have weighed in, send me an email so I can give them credit (I’m still stuck in Florida). Blogfinger@verizon.net
—–Paul @Blogfinger.net
I’m amazed by the lack of interest and discord regarding this subject. The uniqueness of Tent City AND! the Great Auditorium is cause for immense concern regarding the pandemic. Currently there isn’t nearly enough information on how the virus is transmitted, apparently its possible simply through breathing because the virus will travel in the particles similar to coughing. Self isolating at home is feasible, isolating in a packed community with cloth walls and porches within a few feet of each other is IMPOSSIBLE.
The one very interesting recognition OG will earn is the highest rate of infections and deaths in a micro-community. It will be a front page story but this time it won’t be on the cover of National Geographic, OG will be described as “the Italy” of the US! An utter disgrace and blood will be on the hands of the OGCMA.
Dave. Let’s enlarge the conversation about viral risks in the Grove.
Tent Village is more congested than the typical neighborhoods in the Grove. Also its wonderful lifestyle in the summer is communal and outdoors and would be a magnet for viral transmission. It reminds me of a summer camp and should not be activated this season. Allowing it to reopen will be too risky.
Our homes in the Grove are on small lots, and we are in close proximity to each other, but the risk there is not nearly what it is for the tents.
The most important principal for prevention of Coronavirus is to diminish human to human contact. So, for example, let’s keep the lid on our porch culture this season.
We should not engage in finger pointing. For example, second homers come in two styles. Those who came here to stay, in order to avoid the dangers in the city, may increase the population somewhat, but they can maintain distancing like everyone else. They just should self-isolate for 14 days after arrival.
Another variable of concern has to do with turnover. We can’t have people coming back and forth from the cities only to stay for a few days. That is a recipe for a new infusion of virus every weekend. Such visitors may be second homers, but there are other worries which are greater.
Short term rentals should be banned until this epidemic is resolved. Airbnb rentals may be one of those gypsy-like groups, although the Airbnb rental business is currently in a state of steep decline due to cancelled reservations.
And the greatest danger to all of us are the mega-events which are planned, throughout the “season” by the CMA and the Chamber of Commercials, and they will draw floods of virus-laden tourists into our town. Human to human contacts will be out of control if those hordes show up.
It will be like Genghis Khan and his horsemen galloping into town in the 13th century, killing the populace, and carrying off the women.
All of those, such as the forthcoming May Flea Market must be cancelled.
Why stop with the tents? Many of the homes and condos in OG are second homes with owners from the tri-state area. With the high rate of infection in the tri-states, these properties should be just as concerning as the tents.
No one is addressing the possibility of the beach being closed for the summer……… how will lifeguards social distance and who will work as lifeguards with no tent/summer people to staff them.
Will NJ beaches all be free this year if we are able to get on them?
Both the 1918 flu pandemic and the 2003 SARS outbreak occurred over limited time spans. The IHME COVID-19 model that is frequently cited also seems to predict that for New Jersey.
I already purchased my OG season beach pass (for the parking lot access) so any higher availability of parking won’t benefit me. Wonder if Asbury Park is likely to be shut down through the summer, though.
Currently you are not allowed to assemble in groups larger than 10. Those tents (temporary housing) are so close to each other that they would seem to fall in that category; People used to say that if a couple were arguing, everyone would hear it, so they would go to their car to argue.
The risk to the people of Ocean Grove is substantial, so if the CMA does nothing about the tents, then the Neptune Board of Health should step in; and, if needed, the Governor.
And also, it seems certain that the May 30 Flea Market will be cancelled. So why not announce it right now! Is a miracle expected that would make it safe to bring thousands of outsiders into our town that day?
Nothing is worth bringing hordes of tourists into the Grove, and probably the CMA and Chamber of Commercials would have to cancel most of their town-clogging events for this season.
This summer will be a washout for the entire Jersey Shore–including the Grove
.But it will be a blessing for those of us who live here and will continue with social distancing. When you live in a small town, it is all about families and friends. Those massive, week-end clogging events are for mostly for tourists and they compromise the quality of life for residents and now threaten our health. (Oh yes, it seems to me I’ve heard that song before.)
Blogfinger has already cancelled its May 9 Town-Wide Yard Sale, and that would have been infinitely safer than those mega-events which are brought to our town each season.
Silver lining: parking on summer weekends in the Grove will be just ducky.
—-Paul @Blogfinger.net