This Live Nativity procession from about 15 years ago has a real sense of history and authenticity. This town needs to keep history alive for its survival as a special place. Paul Golfinger photo.
The letter, dated September 14, 2011, posted on Blogfinger , is from the President of Historical Society of Ocean Grove addressed to the Chairman of the Neptune Planning Board. It was sent at a time when a new Township Master Plan was being considered, and what is most fascinating is the sense of fear on the part of OG historians that Neptune will not include much about OG’s history.
You can sense in Gail Shaffer’s tone that OG’s history is about to get swept under the rug, and this is significant, because without adequate protections based on our history, then all sorts of mayhem could become justified.
It is wonderful to see that that the HSOG was willing to do battle over these issues , along with the OGHOA and the HPC. I don’t know how it all turned out, but we now know that both the HPC and the OGHOA have become mute and rarely speak up publicly on behalf of Ocean Grove—the supposed “Historic District” of the Neptuners.
And forget about the CMA—that organization does not even have an official historian and it rarely seems interested in the town’s history, except for the history of the CMA. They probably don’t care that Mrs. Wagner invented her pies in this town or that Southside Johnny was born here–at our south-side.
So what has happened to the HSOG , the HPC, and the Home Groaners since 2011? Are they now “sick and tired” of it all or have they just retreated into their own insulated clubhouses?
OG needs a strong resident-based activist organization to stand up to those who lack vision for our town; and they can start with a clear-eyed review of the current Master Plan.
Paul Goldfinger, Editor, Blogfinger.net
To Joseph Shafto, Chairman of Planning Board
The Historical Society of Ocean Grove has concerns about the threatened historical impact of the proposed 2011 Neptune Township Master Plan. We concur with the issues raised in the communications to you from the Ocean Grove Home Owners Association and Neptune Township Historic Preservation Commission. These two letters also address our concern in regards to the weakly defined language that urges sweeping changes to the present regulations without adequate discussion on the benefits or negative effects of such regulations.
For example, the sentence including item 9 on page 174 ends with the words “where appropriate,” but does not define appropriate.
Neptune’s Historic District of Ocean Grove is poorly presented. Neptune should be proud of the Camp Meeting, but one would have to read the 2002 amended May 22 Historical Preservation Element (attached) to understand why the Camp Meeting is an example of a Victorian planned community and as such was nominated and placed on the National and State Register of Historic Districts.
We urge you to place the physical context section of the amended May 22, 2002 Historic Planning Element in the proposed 2011 Master Plan. This more than adequately describes the uniqueness of our Historic District. This is missing from the 2011 master plan as is the Old Corlies Avenue area. We also recommend that the Historic Neptune section be rewritten as it contains inaccuracies and provides little bases on the uniqueness of our Historic District.
On page 103, table 7-2, Founders Park is listed as a 1.34 acre passive park but misses important features of the history of our township, i.e.: a civil war cannon, a massive Fisk urn and a Fisk water fountain. These items along with another urn on Broadway and Central Avenue are part of our historic heritage and should be protected by being listed in the master plan. Other items would be the unique concrete fish street signs along Ocean Avenue with one located in Shark River Hills. Other examples include the Tent Community, the guard house at the entrance to Ocean Grove and the World War I and II monuments at the Broadway entrance.
Please consider this as a letter of concern about the 2011 master plan and in particular The Historic Planning Element which should be rewritten due to its omissions and inaccuracies. The Historical Society of Ocean Grove is available to meet with your consultants to discuss these issues.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger (Reposted from original article 2013.)
Ocean Grove is known for its music programs. We have live music on the beach, in the parks, in the Auditorium, and on Main Avenue, but here’s something you may not know about.
The Emburys are a group of shore guys who love to get together on a street corner or in an echo chamber like the Casino and bring back that authentic acapella doo-wop sound. This is how that early form of rock and roll developed, especially in the inner cities of New York and Philly. Boogie is the guy who sings bass and is one Grover whom many of us know. The bass always stands out in these groups.*
We found them on a Sunday afternoon performing an old tune by “Shep and the Limelites” in front of the Pathway Market at the corner of Mt. Hermon Way and Pilgrim Pathway in the shadows of the Great Auditorium where, just the night before, the Beach Boys were doing the surfing thing.
But today, it was doo wops, and the guys hit the harmonies and the high/low notes with no backup instruments. This music is not easy to do. A small crowd had gathered to give them some deserved applause.
*Boogie,” Robert Napolitano, passed on April 27, 2017.
KENNY VANCE AND THE PLANOTONES: “Looking for an Echo”
And this is the full monty version by SHEP AND THE LIMELITES of “Daddy’s Home” (“ratta-tat”)
ALICIA KEYES: “Empire State of Mind (Part II). Broken Down.” From the album The Element of Freedom.
“Even if it ain’t all it seems, I got a pocketful of dreams
Baby, I’m from New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There’s nothing you can’t do
Now you’re in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Hear it for New York, New York, New York!”
This “cheesecake” shot of Betty Grable was a favorite of U.S. servicemen in WW2
By Charles Layton
This week, at the breakfast table, a female member of our household raised a question about “cheesecake” photos. Such images were often painted on the side of US Air Force planes during the 1940’s.
Two of our guests, both in the age range of about 40, wanted to know “what is cheesecake?” They’d never heard the term applied to photography. A couple of 13-year-olds stopped shoveling eggs long enough to raise their heads and testify that they, too, were in ignorance.
Gabby Hayes
So, with the calm patience that is the reward of advancing age, I explained that the term cheesecake means “girlie photos.” As soon as those two words had escaped my lips I realized that they sounded even more oldfangled than the term “cheesecake.” For a moment there I felt like Gabby Hayes (whom our house guests have also probably never heard of).
But the conversation stayed alive, and soon we were all speculating about the term’s origin. So off I sped to that fount of all knowledge, the Internet.
An article in Yahoo! said that, “according to legend,” the term was coined in 1915 in New York City. A newspaper photographer named George Miller was assigned to cover the arrival in town of a Russian opera singer, Elvira Amazar. To add a bit of sex appeal, Miller asked the young woman to hike up her skirt, which she cheerfully did.
When Miller’s editor saw the resulting photo, he is reported to have exclaimed, “Why, this is better than cheesecake!”
Having learned this much, I wondered whether that original “cheesecake” shot might still exist somewhere. And guess what? With a bit more Googling around, I think I’ve found it.
Note the flirtatious baring of the leg.
This old photo was listed on eBay, for $15. The people are identified as Russian singers Elvira Amazar (that’s our girl!) and George Baklanoff. The ad says the photo is 4×6 in size and its date is unknown. It is said to have come from the Bain News Service, which, according to Wikipedia, accumulated photos and distributed them to various newspapers in the early 20th century. The service was run by George Bain.
So, was Bain perhaps the editor who, on seeing this photo, made the remark about cheesecake? I expect we’ll never know that, and if my young breakfast companions are any indication, the pin-up definition of the word cheesecake may soon be lost to human memory as well. So it goes.
Here is a song from the cast album of a 2003 London musical production: Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes.” It’s part of an elaborate dance number.
The lead singer is Sally Ann Triplett. One can’t help but speculate as to whether Porter might once have seen the photo of Amazar and whether that might have inspired his famous “glimpse of stocking” line in the song’s beginning.
At the end of that part I article we discussed some of the more recent history of the pier and of the Ocean Grove Fishing Club, also a historic entity dating back to the late 19th century.
We posted part II late in 2013. That is below followed by an important 2021 update.
It would be best to pick up the story in December 1992 when a huge nor’easter destroyed most of the pier and some of the boardwalk. Only a small portion at the end of the pier was left, and the Fishing Clubhouse was carried out to sea. The Club’s activities were curtailed until 1994 when the pier was rebuilt by the Fishing Club which obtained a Small Business Loan from the Government. They borrowed $277,000 which was paid off by the Club members.
In exchange for that financial commitment, the only quid pro quo was that the Camp Meeting Association would grant them a 30 year lease extending out to 2024.
The mortgage was paid off a few years ago. Note that the Club has always paid the property taxes for the pier, even though the property is still legally owned by the CMA.
Fast forward to August, 2011, when a hurricane named Irene damaged the fishing pier causing destruction of 9 pilings and 20 feet of pier. The boardwalk was not harmed.
The Camp Meeting Association applied to FEMA for $150,000 to make repairs to the pier, but the request was denied.
In a Blogfinger article by Charles Layton (10/22/12) about this matter, Mr. Ralph del Campo of the CMA is quoted as saying “The rejection was because the Fishing Club area is private.”
Once again the OG Fishing Club proposed to finance the reconstruction work if they could be granted an extension of the lease for another 30 years.
Negotiations between the two sides moved slowly, and finally a decision by the CMA was to be presented on October 29, 2012, ironically the day that Sandy hit. That meeting was never held.
Since Sandy, the Fishing Club has met with the CMA, but the CMA has not been willing to make a commitment regarding the future of the Fishing Club which still has 11 years on its lease. The only thing that they will say with certainty is that they will rebuild the pier.
At this point (2013,) the Fishing Club has lost some members, dropping down to 100. Again, it has offered to finance the rebuilding of the pier, but the CMA has expressed concerns about that financing arrangement and will not agree to the proposal at this time. Mr. Del Campo estimates that the pier will cost between $750,000 to $1 million, although the Fishing Club members think it could be less.
Mr. Del Campo will not discuss the pier situation beyond what he has said already. If the CMA has more specific plans for the pier, it has not revealed those plans publicly.
At a meeting of the Fishing Club Board of Trustees today (May, 2013,) we heard some frustration expressed. The members can’t understand why the CMA would refuse their offer to pay. “Where is the downside of accepting our offer?” asked one member. “We are willing to foot the bill.” The members pointed out that the 1992 nor’easter was a similar situation, and the club kept all its promises including paying off the loan “There is a precedent,” said one of the trustees.
The Fishing Club views itself as being “good citizens” of Ocean Grove, always supportive of the town including a $5,000.00 donation to the Phase 1 rebuilding effort. They say, “We want what’s best for the community.” Their frustrations can be heard in their comments including: “We’re very disappointed. We’re saddened and perplexed. What are their intentions? They don’t want to engage us. This is a stalemate.”
The Fishing Club trustees refuse to consider their organization as a private club. They say that anyone can be a member, and the only reason for limiting the membership has to do with size—-“engineering and safety issues.”
Since 2011, the famous “teaching kids to fish program” has been curtailed. The group thinks that their history and their record of being a “community within a community” needs to be recognized.
What if the Fishing Club is not reinstated on the pier? This is something they do not want to consider, but if it happens, they will continue as a surf-fishing club, but without the kids—it would be too risky and there would have to be lifeguards, rescue boats, etc.
President Al Dawson points out that Asbury Park and Bradley Beach have fishing clubs, but no piers. However, continuing a fishing pier tradition in the Grove that is at least 115 years old is the only way to satisfy these OG fishermen and fisherwomen.
EDITOR’S NOTE: May 21, 2013. Besides the members of the OGFC and the management of the OGCMA, I don’t know how many of you actually care about the intricate details of this situation. However, after another interview with Mr. Ralph Del Campo of the OGCMA, I have to clarify a few points.
First, the FEMA denial for funds to restore the fishing pier after Irene (2011) was not due to the presence of a private club at the end of the pier. That is what the October article in BF said, but Mr. Del Campo believes there was a misunderstanding.
Instead, the denial in 2011 was because the pier was defined as a recreational facility owned by a private nonprofit organization.
The only difference now (2013), post Sandy, is that financing for both the pier and the boardwalk were denied by FEMA because they are deemed recreational and owned by a private nonprofit.
Second, regarding the OG Fishing Club, Mr. Del Campo says that he cannot accept an agreement now with the OGFC until he has “clarity” regarding the FEMA appeal. He says that there are “four or five scenarios” which could develop regarding financing which could influence decisions about the Fishing Club. He said, “Once we have clarity we will talk to the Fishing Club and entertain all options.”
He reminded me that in 1992, when the OGFC financed the reconstruction of the pier, the collateral for that financing was the Camp Meeting Association itself. This is the first time that fact has been mentioned in this dialogue. So here is yet another variable to consider.
Mr. Del Campo says that he is working on “parallel sequential decision trees” which make a final decision impossible at this time. One variable that he acknowledges is that he has not seen a formal, concrete financing commitment from the Fishing Club. If one were to materialize now, he says that he would consider it. His working understanding, based on engineering analysis, is that the job will cost $750,000-$1,000,000.
I think I have laid out the facts, so at this point, May, 2013, the two parties need to talk to each other. Either party may, of course, comment below.—–Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.
Editor’s note January 20, 2018: *Eventually FEMA approved boardwalk funding in 2014, but they did not approve the request for public funds to rebuild the pier, and there was no appeal because the CMA did not want to rattle the cages in Washington once again.
The CMA has placed the pier reconstruction at the bottom of their priority list, and currently the North End boardwalk work is about to begin. At no time has the CMA bailed out on their promise to eventually restore the pier.
As for the Fishing Club’s current status, we have no information, but if that group still exists, they are welcome to comment below.
August 2021 update: I may have missed something, but if you actually read Michael Badger’s welcoming statement on page 1 of the 2021 Summer Program Guide, he says, “Architects are drawing up the plans for restoring the pier so that the OGCMA can begin the process of getting permits.”
About a year ago a design for a new pier was publicized. It was in the shape of a cross. We don’t know if that is still gospel, but such a design could be practical in offering more space for fishermen. We had a discussion on BF about pier design. I’ll find the link.
But we must go back to the post Sandy era when FEMA refused to pay to fix the pier. You will recall the “public vs private” debates as FEMA tried to figure out what to do. And back in 2007 there were debates about discrimination on the part of the CMA.
So, when it comes to the pier, the 800 pound gorilla in the room which has not been discussed publicly is whether OG will ever again permit a private fishing club at the end of the pier.
Our impression is that such a segregated concept will never happen again, because the pier is a public thoroughfare. Add to the mix the agreement to lease the end for the Fishing Club extends to 2024.
Sir Edward Elgar, c. 1900. This is not a Blogfinger photo.
By Paul Goldfinger
I think that music can be appreciated totally at an emotional level, but if you are a musicologist you like to analyze what’s going on under the surface. The title quote above is by Sir Edward Elgar—the first sentence in his description of what his “Enigma Variations” are all about.
Needless to say, although I have a musical background (my mother sang all the time when she was carrying me and for all the years later,) I did not make it past Elgar’s first sentence.
He wrote his “Enigma Variations” in 1898. He was tinkering on his piano at his home when he came upon a melody. Mrs. Elgar liked it and she encouraged Ed to stick with it.
I can imagine the conversation, “Ed, I like that tune. It’s about time you got your quavers and crotchets in order. Why don’t you write some variations on that theme while I prepare some bangers and kidney pudding for lunch?”
Sir Edward did prepare about 14 variations, and the work became a big hit in concert halls in England and abroad.
But, for me, all bangers and crotchets aside, I just like the main theme. Here is the “Enigma Variation –Nimrod adagio” by Sir Edward Elgar. It sounds like movie music, even though there were no sound movies back then.
However, this variation was used in the movie “Elizabeth” a 1998 film starring Cate Blanchett. The soundtrack received an “Oscar” nomination.
Elgar’s “Enigma Variations” have made the list of the “50 greatest classical pieces to be featured in a movie.” The recording is by Sir Adrian Boult and the London Symphony Orchestra.
Is this the historic look that the HPC wants for the North End?* The CMA seems to want to re-create the good old days in the Grove and call it “historic.”
This space on the southern border of Asbury Park, across from Wesley Lake, will get condos in the future. Does Ocean Grove need to add more condos to the neighborhood? Isn’t AP more in need of “redevelopment” than we are? Blogfinger photo.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
If you were wondering what our new North End hotel might look like, better hope it doesn’t take shape like the one on top. The NERP calls for an 85 room hotel, but don’t worry—-remember that the HPC must approve the design. What? You don’t trust the HPC? Perhaps you are thinking about the Greek Temple on Main Avenue or about the new Mary’s Place which will take up two lots and look like a pseudo- Victorian building designed to fool the tourists.
Or perhaps it occurs to you that there are enough hotels in the neighborhood counting the one above, so maybe we don’t need another hotel in the Grove. Currently in Asbury Park there are 3 hotels: Berkley-Carteret, Tides, and Empress. In Ocean Grove we have Majestic, Shawmont, and Laingdon.
How about a nice park which we could call “Hotel Park” to remember the old North End Hotel which became useless in its time and was finally torn down in 1978.
Did you have a look at recently built condos in Ocean Grove (e.g. on Ocean Pathway) or in Asbury Park? What do you think?
Editor’s note March, 2021. We have posted the architects design* for the hotel and condos. It has a pseudo-Victorian look.
Historic zoning should not have permitted a hotel now at this site. Just because there was a hotel before in that vicinity does not mean that another one should be allowed. The 1911 hotel at the North End was demolished in 1978. Note that the Asbury Hotel has opened in the interim, while the Tides has closed.
