New tree planted on the north side in Firemen’s Park by Neptune DPW. 5/28/20. Blogfinger photo. ©

By Paul Goldfinger,  Editor@Blogfinger.net

One day after BF complained   (with a photo)  about a dead tree in Firemen’s Park, a crew from Neptune Township arrived to dig up the deceased weep-no-more cherry, replacing  it with a white lilac tree donated by a neighbor who lives across from the park.

In years past, the north-side park neighbors donated trees and benches, and today’s donation carries that tradition forward. A lilac tree can grow up to 25 feet but some still consider it to be a bush.

The CMA approved the project since they own all the parks in the Grove, including those “maintained” by the Township.  But the care given to parks in the Grove is sad.

In the case of Firemen’s Park, there are three fingers in the pie:  CMA, Neptune and Fire Dept, but none of those sees to it that the park is properly maintained. Look at the “grass” in the photo.   That’s where kids play and dogs poop.

Some of the large trees in this park have not been pruned correctly for safety.   The electric company comes around to protect their wires.

The name “Grove” is ironic for a town that pays so little attention to its trees.

SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY AND THE POOR FOOLS.    “Mexicali Waltz”.  Songs from the Barn.   His group is usually the Asbury Jukes, but this album was with the Poor Fools.  It was recorded in 2013 at Jon Bon Jovi’s Middletown, New Jersey studio in a converted Monmouth County horse barn.

When we moved to Mt. Hermon Way, across the street on the north side of Firemen’s Park, a neighbor told us that Southside Johnny was renting an apartment just a few doors down from us.

But she warned us that Southside liked his privacy, so we shouldn’t stare or indicate that we recognized him. Of course, we wouldn’t have recognized him even without the heads up.

He was living right across from where this tree is being planted.  But he was known to have rented short-term  in various locations in town.

Southside grew up in Ocean Grove, on its south side.   Here is a Wiki quote:

Lyon was born in  Neptune, NJ, and grew up in Ocean Grove, NJ.   He grew up in a home full of music and with his parents’ big record collection of blues and jazz; his father played bass in bands. “I grew up on music. We listened to Billie Holiday, T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters and Big Joe Turner.

“My parents loved music, the louder the better. My father played in bands for years, and my mother went into labor with me at some seedy New Jersey club. I guess some things were just meant to be.”

In 1967; Lyon graduated from Neptune High School with Garry Tallent and Vinni Lopez who both would go on to play with him in the future.