Pickle ball attire. Internet girls in their summer clothes.

AARP.com

Paul Goldfinger, MD.  Editor Blogfinger.net  2/11/22

Ocean Grove, NJ

I think it is amusing that some Grovers have just discovered the “dictatorial” bullying of the CMA.  In this case they are howling on NextDoor because the CMA wants to control the sport of Pickleball in the Grove.

We at Blogfinger.net have been railing for years against the ways that the CMA has juggled its private and public justifications for its actions.  Most recently we have written about the failings of the CMA to use the parks in town for the benefit of the residential community.  But for that issue, we have had nary a comment.

But go after the pickle crowd,  and there will be hell to pay on behalf of a small number of  Grovarian sportsmen. Part of the matter has to due with residents  complaining about pickle noise.

I recently witnessed the OG  Picklers at play. It was in December, and we were at the playground on Central Avenue with our grandson who was visiting us.

The Picklers set up a Pickle Ball court adapting the tennis court over there.   I watched the players because I had  never seen a match.  It looked like a helluva good time–about as harmless as a chess match in Founders Park.  Noah, age 3 1/2,  was making more noise than the Picklers.

But at least this generation of Grovers has stumbled on a fundamental issue that dates back to 1980 when governance was turned over to the Neptunites at the Mother Ship.  Those single party elected rulers have nothing but disdain for the Grove, so they have allowed the CMA to engage in outrageous and perhaps unconstitutional governance in town.

Where are all these blabber-mouth Picklers when we bring up the bossy behavior  of the Campers when it comes to their governance of “public spaces” in the Grove as well as other issues such as crosses on the beach, creches in the park, zoning manipulation,  hordes of tourists, conspiracies  with developers, lack of transparency regarding issues that affect the public  (eg the North End,)  and proclamations  re: no smoking or drinking because they say so?

It is true that the CMA owns the land under the Pickle courts, but that land is a public thoroughfare, and there should be a Pickleball Commission to make the rules. Let the Picklers pay some ground rent for that. They could emulate what goes on at the South Side tennis courts, whatever that arrangement is.

There are so many more fundamental  issues in this quirky and complex little town than a fight over which pickleballs can be used.

At Blogfinger we have endlessly argued that the CMA should not have it both ways—public or private:  when it suits them the parks are public, but when it comes to pickling rules and balls, they put on their land-owners hats and start making rules—edicts from above.

You Picklers should widen your views of town and comment on Blogfinger.net.   We could use some allies who value freedom for we the people of Ocean Grove.  We should decide who writes the book of love in our town.

THE MONOTONES  (From Passaic NJ)