Crèche in Fireman’s Park Ocean Grove, NJ 07756. Paul Goldfinger, editor, Blogfinger.net. photo. December 2023. At Christmas the obnoxious and dangerous setup in the middle of Firemen’s Park becomes even more objectionable with the créche, a significant Christmas scene, being imprisoned and disrespected by lock/chain and by shrubs with long thorns.
Do you think there are any other locked Christmas displays in America like this one? Is this any way to treat three kings?
The firemen ought to be embarrassed by this because many people visit Ocean Grove this time of year.
After Christmas, when the creche is gone, that entire middle area of Firemen’s Park should be taken down and the whole park redesigned by a landscape architect.
And while we are at it, let’s change the name to “Heroes Park” to be more inclusive. No other fire bells in surrounding shore towns are locked in this manner. Blogfinger drove around and checked.
Don’t forget the new OG organization: “Ocean Grove Citizens to Free the Bell.” Help us liberate the Firemen’s bell from the chains of oppression—this bell hasn’t been rung for 50 years and it deserves better!
It’s about time we had a demonstration in the Grove. Let’s get signs and march around the bell —next summer. Along with “Art on the Porch, let’s do insurrection in the park.
THE CELTIC WOMAN:
Celtic Woman: An Irish group. Internet photo.
I happened to locate the ledger of the Meneeley Bell Company of Troy, NY, online which someone had kindly transcribed into a spreadsheet. The entry reads:
Fire District One Bell
Diameter: 50 inches
Weight: 2462 pounds
Nominal pitch: E.
Ledger date: October 26, 1895
Note that the pitch of the bell was “nominal” based on its size. It was not a tuned bell as one would use in a carillon. After casting, a tuned bell is spun on a lathe and metal removed from the interior until the desired pitch is obtained.
David H. Fox
David. I love that you know what note is provided by that bell. Musicians could try and tune their instruments with the bell…if only they could get close enough. I know a guy who plays a Serbian bagpipe and he tunes to E.
In the decades of the “Ocean Grave” period, the bell was vandalized with spray paint, etc. It was initially surrounded with unsightly snow fencing. The current barrier is certainly an improvement over that. Of course, the fence may no longer be needed at all with the gentrification of OG. I would like to see the bell supported centrally and not from the edges so that it might be bonged on ceremonial occassions. It has a nominal pitch of E and weighs 2,462 pounds. As you have mentioned, the whole park could use re-landscaping. Trees of a red hue would have symbolic value.
The nativity scene falls into the same category as the crosses on the beach. I have not heard of any successful legal actions against these.
David H. Fox
Yes, but the firemen were able to anchor the Jesus to prevent theft. Adding a fence wouldn’t add anything to that. As for the other figures in the creche, I don’t know.
Didn’t somebody walk off with the removable Jesus a few years back?
Patience: Is there something about OG that makes it vulnerable to attacks on a creche or a fire bell? Other towns don’t seem to worry about that, so their bell displays are open to planting flowers, posing for photos, and having folks touch the bell.
A separate issue is whether there should be a creche in a public park at all. The CMA gets tax breaks for opening this park as a public thoroughfare, so there should be separation of church and state in public places.
All religious symbols in OG’s public spaces should be removed so that everyone can feel welcome in our town. And this is our town, not the Camp Meeting’s. The fact that they own most of the land here is not relevent in terms of public policy. This is not 1869 when the CMA was awarded governance. That ended in 1980.
Pal Goldfinger MD, Editor Blogfinger.net. 12/18/23
Perhaps it is to deter vandalism of the baby Jesus and/or other figures in the park?