By Paul Goldfinger, editor @Blogfinger. Re-post from May 5, 2019. Look below for a followup piece by Jack Bredin, on the same date.
In the Asbury Park Press article regarding the North End fire cleanup, they refer to Ocean Grove this way: “Ocean Grove, a Victorian town known as a Methodist retreat….. ”
Blogfinger has complained in the past about how the media mischaracterizes our town all the time, from National Geographic, to the NY Times, and to the APP, which should know better.
The media like to imagine that the Grove is about nothing but the religious life of the town, and that confusion often mixes up the name “Ocean Grove” with the name “Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association,” or “OGCMA.”
Such confusion stems in part from sloppy investigative reporting. These media outlets seem to be unaware that there is a secular community of residents in town, and they also rarely explain that OG is part of Neptune Township. The reporters seem to fall in love with the town’s historic origins, and they go down that road without taking the trouble to look around.
The OGCMA does nothing to counter the tendency to use “Ocean Grove” interchangeably with the “Camp Meeting Association.” In fact they seem to promote the confusion. Look at their 2019 summer program guide called “OCEAN GROVE 2019 SUMMER PROGRAM GUIDE” which is almost entirely about CMA activities.
They refused to include our Town-Wide Yard Sale in that booklet’s calendar, and there is no mention of the Jersey Shore Arts Center, Mary’s Place, or any other non-CMA related events, except for some of their advertisers.
We didn’t know what else might be going on in town because they did not solicit any other events to place in their “Ocean Grove” calendar.
In the article about the new three year pledge drive ($1.5 million) the Chair of the campaign refers to “ensuring the spiritual vision for Ocean Grove.” She then goes on to quote the New Testament in describing the “spiritual theme” of the campaign. The official name of the drive is “An American Treasure”—a euphemism for a fund raiser that is not about America or treasure.
Wouldn’t it be more accurate to call the drive, “Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association Fund Raising Drive”–or some other name that makes it perfectly clear what the fund raising is all about?
The use of language to identify this town, its activities, and even its “landmarks” such as the boardwalk should be chosen to provide meaningful, not confusing, terminology.
See the comments.
DON AND JUAN
From Jack Bredin is a response to Grover 13 which has been posted separately on May 6. Scroll up to see that post.
Grover 13. Ordinarily I would not post such an intolerant and misinformed comment as yours; especially with that anonymous veiled threat at the end.
But it does give me a chance to make a brief statement about Blogfinger and the OGCMA.
In June we will celebrate our 10th anniversary in the Grove where we have had over 3.5 million hits. Since that time, Blogfinger has been a very good friend to the CMA in many important ways, some of which few people know about.
We believe that most of Blogfinger’s readers (excluding you) understand that analyzing and even disagreeing with someone’s public policies is a good thing in a democracy and offers Grovers the chance to exchange ideas, express opinions, and obtain information about a variety of topics including the CMA’s issues. Disagreeing is not “bashing,” and being provocative is a style of journalism that encourages public discourse.
Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net
Why do you live in a town that you only complain about? Ocean Grove was begun as a Methodist Camp Meeting town, they still own the land, whether that’s right or wrong doesn’t matter. It is what it is. Did you not know when you moved here that the land was owned by them, that the programs are run by them and there is no more space available to park? I have been following blogfinger for many years and now I’m done. I do enjoy your photos, but the bashing of Ocean Grove is no longer acceptable to me. Hope I don’t run into you in the town you seem to dislike.
In the summer booklet, Catherine Harrison, the Chair of the Capital Campaign called “An American Treasure–A Cherished Past and a Thriving Future,” offers a list of “doing what needs to be done.”
She says that “the campaign goals focus on specific projects that have a high sense of urgency and reflect some of the greatest concerns of our community.” She doesn’t define the word “community.”
The specific goals mentioned include restoring the “Ocean Grove Pier” which would have an expanded deck to “provide new opportunities for program and ministry.”
She also includes the Great Auditorium maintenance and a new sound system, The Bishop Janes Tabernacle, and ” more ways to promote year-round programming to share all that Ocean Grove has to offer.” The campaign will use the funds to “seek to expand our programming into the off-season reaching more people. “
Basic question: How will the Camp Meeting use the $1.5 million ?