What to do if you can’t get on the beach? This Paul Goldfinger photo is from 2016, but that was another story. ©. And here the benches were available.
The CMA may close down entrances if beach gets too crowded. This photo is from another time when our beach was closed. Paul Goldfinger 2016.
What else can you do if you can’t get on the beach. Paul Goldfinger photo 2016 when the beach was closed. ©
If you are curious about that 2016 Labor Day beach closing, here is a BF link.
By Paul Goldfinger Editor Blogfinger. net, reporting from my home office while looking at Barbara Burns closeup for a Zoom hour. Speaking of talking heads, there were a few others also.
We have often criticized the CMA for keeping the citizens in the dark about its policies. But recently, Pres. Michael Badger has been giving interviews with the Coaster and the APP, but he usually says what he says and takes no questions.
However today, at the first virtual meeting of the HOA, two CMA officials showed up and willingly answered questions from the 72 virtual visitors who logged on. In addition to Badger, Jaimie Jackson, the COO also participated.
It was a potpourri of topics, but mostly it was about beach badges, COVID related policies, tents, dogs, bikes, benches, beach capacity, relations with the OG residents demographic, “secular programming,” toilets, stolen toilet paper, surfer beach, bazaar and book sales.
Congratulations to Barbara Burns, the HOA president, for keeping the flow going and recognizing all questions. The Coaster will gladly supply us all with a blow by blow account on Thursday, but today Blogfinger will reminisce with you regarding some moments that interested us:
a. The CMA is weighing a wide variety of options about how to make the oceanfront work best during these difficult times. One question was whether they would consider opening the North End surfers’ beach at times for swimmers if the beach crowd became very heavy.
Yes, they might do that, but surfers would be banned at those times. One option is to restrict surfing on weekends and to open that Northside beach.
b. More season badges might be allocated depending largely on maintaining COVID safety conditions at the beach, mostly related to crowd cooperation and numbers. Enforcement will be by Special Law Enforcement Officers (“SLEO’s”) supplied by the Township. There will be two during the day and one each evening. They will patrol the beach, boardwalk, tents and cottages. The CMA has no enforcement powers .
But the lifeguards will have to take part in enforcement if a crowded situation were to develop at the water’s edge. Whistles will blow, and the crowd will move away.
One interesting enforcement issue is that no “toy sharing” will be allowed. And, there is no sharing of badges allowed either.
And they might consider weekday season passes for residents.
c. Move-in day for 114 tents takes place today, May 30. They did not discuss the concerns about virus transmission there.
d. Regarding COVID concerns, the use of masks outdoors is “strongly encouraged.”
e. 10 portable toilets will be serviced each day. Stolen toilet paper is a problem. Benches are taped, but exceptions are made for some who are handicapped, etc.
f. As for beach capacity, we had reported that a scientific approach measuring beach capacity was being used to determine how many badges to issue, but the CMA has abandoned that method preferring instead to use the eyeball approach to judge crowding. If they notice that distancing is failing, they will close entrances one at a time. The reaction to that method was not enthusiastic.
Day badges will be sold each day at 5 pm the night before. Those who sent in checks for season badges will have first priority when more are issued.
g. Did the CMA give preference to outsiders for season badges over OG residents, and, “in general” does the CMA put the interests of outsiders ahead of residents? Barbara Burns said that some Grovers felt that residents were ignored by the CMA ,” and Blogfinger has made that point as well many times.
But the CMA totally denied the truth of that. Badger said that he cannot give preferential treatment for season badges to residents because that is “illegal.” But he did not account for the fact that his public pronouncements on various topics never recognize the existence of the “we the people” demographic.
Jackson went further saying that the CMA “goes out of our way” to care about “year round residents” including keeping the beach and boards open year round and providing free events.
Pres. Burns reminded him that their mega-events cause problems for Grover residents including parking and congestion, saying that we “feel invisible at times.”
The CMA must look harder at this matter because their credibility and good relations with the town is at stake, and it goes deeper than whether The Beach Boys come back again or not.
Interestingly, Jackson denied that there is such a category as “secular” in town. He claims that “all of our activities are part of our mission.” That answer views the issue only from the CMA perspective; again ignoring the resident point of view.
As far as big events like concerts, the “gathering” COVID-19 rules will govern that, and the CMA is being careful not to cancel events too soon, pending further “opening” of categories currently under lockdown. Even the summer band on the boardwalk is currently out of business.
h. Bikers have been perpetually confused by the hours and the times of the year. Someone asked to make the signs better, but another idea which they might consider is to ban bicycles altogether on the boards.
Blogfinger hopes that you have enjoyed this mixed bag. Feel free to comment on any of this, but be prepared for a commentary free-for-all, however that’s how the meeting was.
Neptune Administrator Vito Gadaleta was there also, and we will give you a summary of that soon.
VAN MORRISON WITH THE BAND: Live
From the day that Neptune took over governance in 1980, the CMA forged an alliance, unwritten, with Neptune—a mutual admiration society, so they do favors for each other.
But left in the dust is the People’s Residential Community of Ocean Grove—-a group without a voice, an organization, leadership, influence or recognition.
As for Blogfinger, this could be our motto:
“Not being heard is no reason for silence.”
― Hugo, Victor, Les Misérables
Thanks for this detailed overview of the meeting. I’m curious how the CMA will handle this balancing act. I’ve always gotten the sense that they want to be the organization in charge of the town, but do not want to be responsible to OG residents that do not fit their demographic.
The CMA is making an effort to manage the beach and keep their activities going while promoting safety under very difficult conditions. I really think they would like to do that. But it is not the only or perhaps most important issue. JP Morgan once said, “I don’t owe the public anything”.
The Camp Meeting has basically the same callous attitude toward OG residents when they take over town with Liquid events, bring in offensive speakers, and are guilty of a civil rights violation.
It is their right to pursue their mission, but couldn’t’ there be a little more respect for the interest of residents? I thought Badger was defensive when addressing Barbara Burn’s point about residents, and that is all you will get from Camp Meeting leadership.