Blogfinger

Blogfinger announces new uplifting invention. We scoop the Coaster regularly. New Yorker cartoon.

You may have noticed that the Coaster has been ignoring OG news.   Yesterday’s paper has reduced most Grover topics   (“Ocean Grove Notes”) to a half page of one liners.  Perhaps they are adopting a Twitter-like approach to OG information, although they haven’t done that with other towns.

The brief topics encompass at least 8 separate subjects, some of which are quite important such as the North End  “Development” and Ground Rents.   Their sources include Pres. Michael Badger of the CMA, the Groaners’ President, Williams, and a couple of Neptuner Committeemen, but not the unelected Mayor Brantley who would rather be in the Ukraine than talk about Ocean Grove with we-the-people.

Yet, I must admit that the usual gobbledygook boring Coasterican filler pieces will not be missed, because reporter Bonnie Graham has actually given us a few useful  but Twitterized facts that we can hang our beach badges on using an economical number of words/gallon of ink. And Blogfinger is still ahead in the number of hyphens per line of type.

So, here is what we learned from the April 28 edition:

a. Another parking survey will be distributed in June.  The Home Groaners Parking Committee , the Chamber of Commercials and the CMA have “participated in working on this issue.” They want to know if we are in favor of parking permits.  But there have been useless parking polls before. Just search Blogfinger—type in “parking polls.” Or look up the “Better” Parking Alliance.

Here is the Blogfinger core opinion:

b. Ground rents are being handled by Barbara Burns of the Groaners.  She is “negotiating this issue on a case by case basis.”  But isn’t she  the HOA past prez who spent a reported $7,000 on a lawyer to consult on ground rents, but the Groaners never released that legal opinion?

And why not tell us what her “basis” is about?    Transparency is missing from the HOA despite a new leader–and this one breaks the gender barrier without much testosterone  to show for it.

c. “North End Development”.  The HOA President said that the HPC met with the developers, but the HPC and the public never got to speak.  That is thrilling , but old news.  (see BF’s report on this).  The HOA has a conflict of interest in leading on this topic. They have been on the wrong side of this issue for years.

d. Airbnb.  This is an important topic, but the HOA  President said that Neptune City has a new ordinance and Asbury also has one.  But what about Ocean Grove?  Who knows?  Certainly not the HOA which ought to be climbing all over the Airbnb situation. Renting and real estate aren’t  even mentioned.

e. OGCMA update:    CMA Pres.Badger is reported to say that  some OG parks will be “redesigned.”  He listed  a number of CMA initiatives, but the only one that lights our fire is a sneaky mention  that “the fishing pier is under contract.”  Work will begin after the summer. But why not release the plans? Is there something worrisome there?

They were raising  money for that and other projects, expecting contributions from the OG populace, but they didn’t have their public meeting on Labor Day.  How did they do with the OG fund raising? It’s the same old public vs private issue.

The other blockbuster is that it seems there  will be no fishing club on the pier.  Actually Badger  said, in response to a question about that subject, “The new fishing pier will be better, and everyone can come out on it.”   Where was the Coaster on some  followup questions?

f.  And you can buy the paper at its new price of $1.00 instead of $.50.   Wow:  OG gets less substance for more money.  What a deal!

g. There are a few more one-liners about the Grove, but you can read those by buying or stealing  the paper.  After all , Blogfinger is not a newspaper–we are on-line OG  provocateurs, photographers and disc jockeys.  But we are definitely more fun than the moribund  Coaster. 

So, Mayor  Brantley, “Take our town, please.”

Paul Goldfinger, Editor Blogfinger.net.  I just signed up for Twitter. It could be another place to converse about the Grove and its transparency deficiency.

Blogfinger mascot , the Blue Cow, sends its regards and a steady stream of methane.  Blogfinger photo. ©

LADY ANTEBELLUM: