Here they are: ” The Raiders of the Lost Message:”
Entrance to the OG beach at 9:50 am Sunday morning 7/30/23. “An Ocean Grove Tradition: Beach Closed Sunday Morning “ Blogfinger photo. Click to enlarge.
This was not a spontaneous demonstration. This group of gate-crashers, a mini-mob, assembled at 9:50 am. 7/30/23. OG boardwalk. All photos by prize winning photographer Paul Goldfinger, Blogfinger.net Editor-in-chief.
By Paul Goldfinger, MD. Editor, Blogfinger.net. Ocean Grove, NJ. 7/30/23
The gate crashers argued with the badge checker—they were loud and rude. They forced their way past her and then they violated the locked chain-link fence, pulling it up and crossing under it one at a time. This act of violating beach rules looks like illegal entry.
The leader of the group loudly argues with the CMA staff and then sets an example by climbing over the chain. This is Spanky and his gang. Blogfinger photo 10:05 am. 7/30/23. Ocean Grove, NJ. Click to enlarge all images.
Spanky encourages the rest of the gang to trespass by entering under the chain while he held it up. Blogfinger.net photo.
Unidentified interlopers march to the shore. Blogfinger.net. 7/30/23. 10:05 am. Paul Goldfinger photos.
The group wore no identification and held no signs, although we did recognize a few as being Grovers. Evidently they were protesting the Sunday morning beach closure, but they refused to talk to me to explain their views. I asked if they had a spokesman who would be interviewed, but they would say nothing to me. I don’t know if they showed their beach badges to the checker.
One unpleasant character asked me whom I represented. When I told him that I was from Blogfinger and that I wanted to report on their opinions, he said , “Report on anything you want.”
It was the silent treatment all around. I wore my New Jersey Press Pass and I handed out my Blogfinger cards.
This reminds me of a few years ago when a similar group of locals was protesting the CMA over at Auditorium Park. They wore duct tape over their mouths. When one of the tape-less protesters, a young woman, tried to talk to me, an organizer told her she could not. They clearly were willing to compromise her free speech, and today seems to be more of the same.
Is this form of obnoxious protest today supposed to create sympathy for them? What is their strategy?
Do they think that their mini-mob will stimulate a major-mob next Sunday at the beach? Do they think that their mindless demonstration will go viral?
Are they a bunch of amateur New York demonstrators who once marched against the war and now need a new cause to kvetch about?
One of the problems with the issue of Sunday closures is that the CMA has always refused to explain their policy. There are a variety of opinions.
I asked a Grover who was watching today’s scene what he thought was the reason for the policy. He said that it is to allow church goers to have a lovely unimpeded view of the ocean. Really?
Ironically, Blogfinger has consistently objected to the Sunday closures on Constitutional grounds. But only a law suit could set this straight unless the CMA caves.
All the entrances to the beach were closed this morning with chain links and padlocks. Plus there were strong men guarding there, not young girls. This menacing staffing looked intimidating as did the chain link barrier which is reminiscent of the concentration camp decor at Firemen’s Park.
I spoke to one of those men guarding the entrances who said that he is not permitted to speak to the press. He told me to go to the beach office. So I went there and learned that none of those CMA employees would talk to me either. They were willing to tell me about the tides. A big muscled guy was hanging around over there as well.
I bet young women will take over the badge checking after noon, while the big guys will go back to the gym.
It was pointless to say anything to any of these CMA employees regarding freedom of the press as provided by the Constitution. I showed my Press Pass, but they wouldn’t let me go on the beach to talk to anybody who was there. There was no CMA official available to discuss the issue with me, and that silent treatment is worrisome in our supposedly democratic town.
It is sad that a dispute in the Grove could occur without anyone involved being willing to express their views. If pressed, the CMA will talk to the Coaster, a moribund paper that asks no questions.
Those Grovers who somehow think that an obnoxious protest characterized by forced entry while loudly bullying the staff could help their cause will not find sympathy among reasonable Ocean Grove citizens.
There were many happy people on the boards this Sunday morning when I arrived at 9:45 am, and nobody was complaining except for the disruptive group of intruders described above.
Most of the boardwalkers this morning were following the rules which most of us have lawfully done for years and they’re enjoying a beautiful summer Sunday morning in OG.
Spanky and Our Gang:
Just thought of something : I do not have copy of OG homeowner lease handy to check .
Just as no alcohol is in the lease, so is not no going on the beach on Sunday mornings in lease also ? If so then OG homeowners-leaseholders would be in violation of their lease agreement if they went on the beach on Sunday morning, but non residents of OG would not be..
Neptune PD will not enforce OGCMA regulations because they are not legally enforceable and only worth the piece of paper they are written on.
So OGCMA doubles down and makes it worse adding metal chains/locks and big guys? Seriously?
You know why the beachgoers are irate? Because what the OGCMA is doing is illegal.
Wow ! Questions : Did any of them even go swimming ? How long did they stay on beach ? Pointless and obnoxious.
So what next ? Protest against OG being a dry town ?
The New Jersey State Public Trust Doctrine for tidal areas of beach has the following provisions:
2.A “Public Rights under the Public Trust Doctrine
The Pubic Trust Doctrine provides that public rights to tidal waterways and their shores in the state are held by the state in trust for the benefit of all of the people. Further, it establishes the right of the public to fully utilize these lands and waters for a variety of public activities. While the original purpose of the Public Trust Doctrine was to assure public access for navigation, commerce and fishing, in the past two centuries, state and federal courts have recognized that modern uses of tidal waterways and their shores are also protected by the Public Trust Doctrine. In New Jersey, the Public Trust Doctrine recognizes and protects natural resources as well as recreational uses such as bathing swimming, sunbathing, and walking along tidal waterways and their shores.”
2.A.3.ii “Perpendicular Access
Perpendicular access refers to the ability of the public to reach tidal waterways and their shores by corridors across land that may or may not be publicly or privately owned (see Figure 4). Examples include street ends that abut beaches or other shorelines, public access easements across private property, dune walkovers and trails or walkways that lead to tidal waterways and their shores. Without the ability to reach the tidal waterways and their shores via perpendicular access, rights provided by the Public Trust Doctrine are essentially lost to the public, exemplifying the importance of this type of access. It is up to the state and local governments to ensure that this access is provided and preserved.”
Given that entry to the beach is unrestricted in the early morning, evening, and off season when there are no lifeguards, it is difficult to make the case that it should be closed on Sundays. Paying persons to guard the entrances of a closed beach at this specific time seems unreasonable.