Intro: May 22, 2025. In today’s Coaster, there is a half-assed front page piece dredging up an old and worn issue: night-time locking of the Wesley Lake bridges. The article failed to mention the history of this controversy.
The Coaster did the same thing in 2019, 6 years ago.
Today’s report (5/22/25). fails to explain why the Neptune Comedy decided to again bring up this sensible practice which was proven by the NTPD to reduce crime in the Grove.
I want to know who is responsible for pouring gasoline on this controversy once again–it smells of political correctness. No one has mentioned it again since after the last go-around reported in 2019 in Blogfinger (See below) and another post in 2023.
So now the Neptune Comedy one-party-rule committee has found something to use to distract we-the-people. Once again they raise this issue to stir the pot and promote divisiveness. Blogfinger has previously found overwhelming support by Grovers for continuing this crime-containment program.
Only the Asburians find this to be worrisome; Why?
Below is our last piece on this subject from June 2019, and there is much more on Blogfinger from 2013. See below.
Neptune should not be caving in to Asbury Park on this law and order policy–Only the NTPD should rule on this.
Paul Goldfinger, Editor, Blogfinger.net
2019. One of the Wesley Lake footbridges is shown. We thought this topic was sleeping with the polluted fishes. Click to enlarge. Paul Goldfinger photo. Blogfinger.net
New Jersey Avenue locked bridge at 1:28 am. June 15, 2019. Stephen Goldfinger, Blogfinger.net. Looking towards Asbury Park.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net June 2019: Blogfinger’s last major post on this topic.
In a front page piece in the Coaster, June 2019, an Asburian noisemaker decides, out of the blue, to make a fuss about those bridge gate closures—-again.
In 2013 we did a poll, and over 200 Grovers participated. 77% favored the bridge lock downs. The main reason was their proven benefit in preventing crime in that part of town. The idea was implemented in 1995 for the two bridges. We wrote a two part piece on the subject in 2013 and received 50 comments, so it was a topic of great interest.
Now. (2019) an Asburian Councilwoman, Eileen Chapman, has decided to toss this stink bomb over at us again. Is she running for something and now wants to find an issue?
It seems that all Ocean Grove gets from its “sister city” is grief. Remember when they refused to support our application for FEMA funds after Sandy. One of their ridiculous reasons had to do with the bridge closures. Then there was a request by a Neptune Committeeman to have AP help us deal with the Asburian invaders from the north who have turned the Grove into a free parking lot. They practically threw him out the door. And as for Wesley Lake pollution?—nobody home!
This time the Coaster makes headline news out of her desire to open the locks. Why? They must be hard up for copy. There is no current reason to make a fuss about this now. —just because a bored AP Committeewoman makes some noise.
This is what Chapman came up with:
a. The lockings are a “mistake.”
b. “Public bridges belong to the people, not to the city or township, and no one has the right to randomly close it off….”
c. “Neptune may be opening themselves to potential litigation…”
d. A Grover is quoted: “I am really more embarrassed by the social message the gates present than anything. I think it sends the wrong message…..It is an outdated idea and really inconvenient. I don’t think they deter crime.”
e. Randy Bishop is quoted as saying “Some {Grovers} look at the gates as a symbol of past racism and others as helping to address crime and today’s parking issues.”
f; Barbara Burns, the HOA President says, “There are various opinions about the gates in the community. Some people want them and some people don’t–it is really difficult for the Homeowners Association to take a position,” she said. She also said “Parking is a big issue now regarding the gates.”
Thanks Barbara for taking a stand on this. Your indecisiveness is inspirational.
Editor’s note: There are two Blogfinger articles written in 2013 on this subject. The second article (Part 2) offers 50 comments by Grovers. It is below.
Also this time-worn topic resurfaced on Blogfinger in 2016: Look at this one for the photo and the music:
CLARAMAE TURNER Cast of Carousel (movie score) Rodgers and Hammerstein:
Leaving the gates open does absolutely nothing for Ocean Grove. I have observed that the majority of people coming back from Asbury Park after 12AM are not Ocean Grovers, but loud, drunken visitors to the Asbury Park bar scene who have parked for free in Ocean Grove. Scary that they are getting into cars. If you can’t make it back by 12AM, too bad! If the councilwoman is looking for issues, I suggest she take a walk on Main Street, Asbury Park – no shortage there.
Maybe we should install new high tech gates with card/phone access. OG property owners and residents could have full time passes. Their guests and other OG guests could get temp passes. Might help the parking situation.
As for the AP noisemaker threatening litigation, AP has no standing inasmuch as the gates are on the OG side.
As for interviewing Bishop, why? He has not been on the Neptune Committee for more than five years.
As for Burns, OGHOA feckless as usual, not standing up for residents of OG.
Parking is horrendous on the north side of OG, especially in the summer. Workers and visitors to AP are discovering our free parking in increasing numbers and our Township Committee does nothing to alleviate this problem.
If the gates are removed, the Asbury parkers will completely control Asbury Avenue and streets nearby. Some of these streets are narrow. Intoxicated people returning to their vehicles at 2 am or later may scratch our cars, perhaps take off a mirror or two as they leave OG.
When we first got our place in Ocean Grove in 2012, I admit I saw the bridge gates as an unfortunate anachronism. But as the parking situation has worsened, and as both businesses and government in Asbury have begun to deliberately encourage the use of Ocean Grove as their free parking lot, I’ve changed my mind.
Keep locking the bridges, at least until Asbury does something to alleviate its impact on Ocean Grove.
The agreement to build the bridges was between Asbury Park and the OGCMA, which is a private Association. Asbury Park may not have the right to lock the bridges on its side of the lake, but the OGCMA has every right, not only to lock its gates, but it has a responsibility to protect the people of OG. I for one am in favor of locking the gates at night.
Kevin Chambers
Attention Burns and Bishop: This issue has nothing to do with racism and parking. You are promoting fake news.
Perhaps keeping the bridges locked at night helps gives visitors to and employees in AP second thoughts about using OG as their free parking lot.