Blogfinger

Blogfinger at a prior Flea Market. Paul Goldfinger

Paul Goldfinger,  Editor  Blogfinger.net.   June 5, 2021. Ocean Grove, NJ

Recently James Howes   (we don’t know if he is a Grover)  said, in a Blogfinger comment,  “The Camp Meeting Association bought the vacant land in 1869 and built an 8,000-seat auditorium in 1894 for the purpose of attracting thousands of people to worship together, praise the Lord, and sing hymns all summer long in a camp setting. You’re just discovering this?”

He also sarcastically wondered “why someone would live near an airport when they didn’t like the noise?”

So James would mock us for not recognizing that the OGCMA has attracted thousands here each summer since 1894 and does nothing but pray and  sing hymns.  Even if he were right, that wouldn’t make it right now considering how Ocean Grove has evolved into the 21st century.

But most of us  know that he is wrong regarding the “singing and praying” theme of the Camp Meeting Association.  So let’s give him a “for instance:”

On Friday June 25 and Saturday June 26 there will be “Bridgefest 20/21.”   It is described in their advertising as “a fun- filled two day festival for the whole family.”

It will be “presented by the Bridge Christian Radio.”   There will be live radio broadcasts as well as streaming at Bridgeradio.org.   There will be a live concert by Zach Williams.  His genres are Hip/Hop, Rap  and Christian rock.

So, Mr Howes, it will be a lot more than just praying and hymn singing.  There will be 17 guest pastors in addition to kids games, beach baptisms, youth rally, food trucks, and other religious themed events, and the amount of such activity is quite large.

Nobody is condemning the content of the Festival or other events like it, but it is the massive size of it including all the tourists who will consume this town where thousands of us secular residents live and wish for more space and less crowding to enjoy a summer in our own home—-the Grove.

And those tourists?  They go home when they are done, and we are left to pay our taxes and find our cars, while others collect the profits.  No other Jersey Shore town is like ours in terms of exploitation.

All of us experience the parking craziness, the crowds, the wear and tear, the garbage, the lack of privacy, the dirt coming into our homes, the dust, the rudeness, the crudeness,  the sweat, the junk food,  and the noise.  Have we had enough?

During this festival they are charging for tickets and asking for money.  How old is that Mr Howes?

And this concern goes on all summer long and into the shoulder months   (as in June where we just had the Giant Flea market sponsored by the Chamber of Commercials who make money from it.)

The fleas attract huge numbers of out-of-towners.  Who needs it?   How do the people of OG benefit.?  Why not leave the town for the residents?  And who benefits from the giant flea markets and craft shows, and who gets the profits?

And who worries about Grover JW finding parking?

And what does the Chamber do with that money?

That all should be investigated by the tax courts and by the people for the people.

It’s time for a change.

CAROLINE O’CONNOR  from De-Lovely  Music by Cole Porter.