Once upon a time, the OGHOA actually accomplished something. Paul Goldfinger action photo. ©

Korean War vets in Middletown, NJ, APP photo. Their friends died in battle.

By Paul Goldfinger, CIC  (Complainer in Chief at Blogfinger.net)

At the next meeting of the OGHOA, May 28, a singing group from Neptune High School will be performing.

According to the party committee of the Groaners, “In celebration of Memorial Day weekend we will having the Scarlet Sound Acapella group to perform live at our meeting.  It’s a special Holiday weekend–let’s have some fun and enjoy a great live performance….”.

And then they say, “The OGHOA will be making a $200 contribution to support the arts at the High School in gratitude for this dynamic singing group coming to perform at our meeting. If you would be willing to add a small contribution on your own, please bring a check- or you can give a cash donation at the meeting. We thank you so much in advance!”

So the Groaners want to have “fun” to celebrate Memorial Day.   Do they not know what the  Memorial Day holiday is about? Even the annual Neptune  parade honors our military as the main theme of the holiday.

Cancel the concert and organize a poppy sale to benefit veterans organizations in town.  Eileen and  I will be selling poppies at Shop Rite in Eatontown for the Jewish War Veterans, Post 125, Jersey Shore.

And the Groaners have the gall to ask you to send money for the NHS music program.  Who authorized them to spend the group’s $200,00?  The HOA is not a charitable association;  it does have an actual mission.  (see below.)

And, given all that we pay for the Neptune Board of Education as part of our taxes, do the Groaners really think we need to give more?

Here is their mission statement from their website: “The mission of the OGHOA is to protect and enhance property values and the quality of life in Ocean Grove. To that end, the Association provides a gathering place and forum for members and interested residents to discuss and exchange information and ideas about issues of concern to Ocean Grove homeowners.

So, instead of worrying about funding the Scarlet Flier Sound Machine, they should put their $200.00 into their chronically underfunded Legal Fund which could be used to sue any of the many who seek to damage the Ocean Grove Master Plan.

And since the Groaners have now lost their way,  we need to remind them to get to work on:

a. their pathetic response to the the forthcoming North End Fiasco, Inc.

b. pushing for parking permits for our residents

c. insisting on free beach badges for the poor in Neptune  (the town; not the planet)

d. evaluating the Airbnb situation

e. confronting the lack of affordable rentals and houses  for the young, the old, and others in love with this town

f. push for a policy to deal with Halloween crimes after dark

g. push the out-to-lunch Neptuner single-party-rule Committee to pay more attention to the Grove

h.  push for proper care of our parks

i. look to reduce the number of giant useless events in town that compromise our quality of life

j.  And more:  Send Blogfinger your ideas of what the Home Groaners should be doing.  Email to Blogfinger@verizon.net  or comment below.

SANDRA CHURCH  from the 1959 Broadway cast of GYPSY