Lakes Park Farmers’ Market. Ft. Myers, Fla. By Paul Goldfinger © Feb.2017.
ROY ORBISON
Archive for the ‘Blogfinger Presents’ Category
Faces at the Farmers’ Market
Posted in Blogfinger Presents on February 24, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Mother’s little helper…. what fun!
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, tagged Gita robot on February 23, 2020| Leave a Comment »
GITA robot. Made by Vespa.
We were at the Naples National Art Show today. This is a famous juried exhibit of some of the finest artists around. It is considered one of the ten best art shows in America.
As we were walking around, we noticed a small robot on wheels following a a young woman. This device is so much fun. It has a lid which you can raise and put things like groceries in it. I would love to have one follow me around on Main Avenue in the Grove.
Here’s the rubdown; er, the rundown. Click on the video to Seymour.
Gita is a two-wheeled, cargo-carrying robotic vehicle developed by Piaggio Fast Forward, a Boston area startup and subsidiary of Piaggio. Gita prototypes were first introduced in February 2017. Gita became available for purchase on the United States market at the end of November of 2019.
JOHN WILLIAMS: MAIN THEME FROM STAR WARS:
Eileen did a video :
Music to my eyes….
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, tagged A Star is Born, Edison Garden Show on February 23, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Edison Estate Garden Show. Ft. Myers, Fla. Paul Goldfinger. Feb, 2020. Click to enlarge.©
LADY GAGA AND BRADLEY COOPER. “Music to My Eyes” from A Star is Born.
The BPA is no longer solely the representative of Ocean Grove residents. Instead they have joined forces with whom?
Posted in Blogfinger Presents on February 22, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Take a look at how this Florida beach has parking and a view of the Gulf of Mexico, all in prime season. Blogfinger action photo. © Feb, 2020. Click to enlarge and see why Florida’s Southwest Coast is so popular. And, the beach is free.
The Better Parking Alliance (BPA) has been transformed from their proclaimed alliance specifically on behalf of OG’s residents to a partnership with self-interested others in town who have shown no interest in helping we the people.
What’s left of their initial “pilot” plan which was to be implemented only after 6 pm and only at the North End?
This is from the BPA’s new flier. Proclamation:
Now that you have read this, is this a “citizen-based group?” The CMA, the HOA, the Neptuners at the Mother-Ship, the Chamber of Commercials , “The Tenters,” employees, and “VISITORS” are all included. And the CMA is going down its own road as well, hiring professional parking planners.
And who is representing the British car fans and drivers, the Asburian invaders, teenagers, the pediatric crowd, senior citizens, drug dealers, hookers, and don’t forget Genghis Khan and the Huns (a 50’s group—1150 ac) who like to come here for the massive junk shows and for spring training?
As you see, the goals, as difficult as they were initially for the BPA, have been expanded to assist all these other groups. They even have revised their “pilot” parking plan to include everybody in town besides the North End.
The most we can say about the HOA in this regard, is that they have failed to provide a solution despite years of trying. They even suggested parking along Wesley Lake at Founders Park. This automatically should exclude them from the new amalgam.
That leaves the newest invented BPA, but they have been knocked senseless by former Mayor Rizzo who insisted that they form a brotherhood with people who don’t want to be in the room.
So, despite the logo and the marketing, the BPA has meekly changed its stripes. They even ask our readers to “join us if you believe there is space for improvement.”
We don’t need space for improvement, we need space for our cars. WE PAY TAXES. WE WANT PERMITS.
We can have more space for residents by discouraging the millions of tourists who flood our town during the best weather of the year. We must eliminate those mega-tourist events like the Pathway junk shows. Our town is the most crowded with tourists, on a per square inch basis , then any other Shore Town in history (except maybe for AC, but they have great garages.)
We need parking fees, permits for residents, and out-of-town lots/garages with shuttle buses.
These planned meetings may be the most fun OG has seen since Stokes, discovering no mosquitoes, parked his horse and set up some tents in Founders Park with his friends. What would he say today when people drop sauerkraut at his feet?
–Paul Goldfinger, Blogfinger Editor and founder of the new group, currently with no members: The Better Residents Alliance. (BRA)
DOCTOR HOOK ( a member of the AMA): “More Like the Movies.” When do we hear those violins?
Better Parking Alliance (BPA) plans 3 community meetings. Here is their flier.
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove opinions, Ocean GRove parking issues, Ocean Grove parking problems, Ocean Grove parking: games people play, tagged Better Parking Alliance, BPA parking flier on February 22, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Additional info from the BPA:
“In response to people’s requests that the BPA provide more opportunities for in-person discussion of parking challenges in Ocean Grove, we’re offering the following Open Forums for discussion.
We’ll start each session with a review of the BPA’s proposed pilot program designed to alleviate growing congestion on the north side of town. We’ll then transition to exploring group ideas to improve parking for all who live, work, and visit Ocean Grove. We invite you to help us find viable solutions to this growing problem.The Forums start Saturday, March 7. Details follow, and you can sign up at BetterParkingAlliance.EventBrite.com.
If you need to reach us, just email us at BetterParkingAlliance@gmail.com.
Thank you again for your interest in improving parking in Ocean Grove. We hope you’ll be able to join us at one of the sessions on March 7, April 4, or June 6.
Andy Levine
Better Parking Alliance
Better Parking Alliance
The Better Parking Alliance has lost its way, being diverted from its mission to represent the citizens of the Grove.
Posted in Blogfinger Presents on February 22, 2020| 1 Comment »
Support permit parking for Grovers and reduce exploitative tourism in our town:
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger. Re-post from January 01, 2020 in light of the BPA’s planned town meetings. (see their flier Feb 22, 2020)
In October we reported on the new Better Parking Alliance (BPA) and we said, “This group says it is an independent activist alliance that represents the residents of Ocean Grove. If so, this is truly an inspiring and much-needed first, and deserves a standing ovation”
But after that, after much hopeful publicity, the BPA fell on its face, its proposed parking plan squashed by the Township Committee and the Camp Meeting Association.
It found itself being forced by ex-Mayor Rizzo to give up its independence and join with the CMA, the Township, and the Chamber of Commercials to come up with a workable plan—-obviously an unworkable situation.
In the December 19 edition of the Coaster, the Coastericans reported that the Chamber of Commerce has decided to change the subject: Instead of helping to shape a plan that would help all the residents of the Grove, it is proposing an idea that will help only itself by limiting parking at the business district to 3 hours.
Aside from the fact that this Chamber proposal is old news and has been a failure in the past, the Mayor dumped this in the laps of the Chamber, the CMA, and the residents’ “independent” alliance—the BPA.
How did the Chamber’s problem become the new main focus of parking solutions in the Grove? Not only shouldn’t the BPA and the CMA be part of this diversionary tactic, but this scheme is obviously a solution for businesses to wrestle with and should be worked out between the Township and the Chamber of Horrors.
I call them the Chamber of Horrors, because they have never done a thing to help or support the historic town of Ocean Grove or its residents. They are a terrible neighbor, and our representatives, the BPA, should not help them.
We need representatives in this town who work for the residents only. The Home Groaners are useless as advocates for us, in fact they have turned against us, with the prime example being their unyielding support for the North End Redevelopment Plan including forced censorship at a recent public meeting with OGNED.
There are some time bombs in this Main Avenue parking plan including concerns about where residents who live there will park, where employees will park, and who will enforce and pay for it. And this only benefits the businesses and does nothing to reduce crowds of tourists or increase parking availability all over town. In fact it may increase the numbers of shoppers on Main.
The BPA, our representative in the parking wars, has been hustled and manipulated to turn away from its stated mission to help Ocean Grovers get a break with their parking distress.
The Blogfinger muckrakers will continue to stir the pot and make waves at the beach. And let’s organize a demonstration downtown and get 100 people to do the “stir the pot dance” because we are mad as hell and we’re not going to take this anymore.
It’s the weather: February in Southwest Fla. Everything else is a blur.
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, tagged Faces at the Farmers Market--Ft. Myers, Ft Myers winter on February 22, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Ft. Myers winter. Farmers market. Paul Goldfinger © Beets and onions.
EILEEN FARRELL
A dog park in Ocean Grove: It’s not happening.
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, Ocean Grove feature article, tagged Ocean Grove dog park on February 21, 2020| 2 Comments »
Ocean Grove is a “dog town.” Where’s our dog park or beach? Go to Asbury. Paul Goldfinger photo © Blogfinger.net
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger Re-post from 2017.
Cindy Stiles, the proprietor of Pet Boutique* on Main Avenue in OG, has collected 1,000 signatures on petitions and she has gone before the Camp Meeting Association at least twice to ask them to permit a “private” dog park facility on their land near the tennis courts, but each time she has been turned down.
Ocean Grove could be called “Dog Town” because it’s loaded with dogs—residents and visitors. But evidently there aren’t too many dog lovers on the CMA Board.
Today, at the Annual CMA Labor Day Report, Cindy went to the microphone to try again. And try she did: Cindy even told them that “God spelled backwards is dog.” She seemed a bit desperate when she said that “some dog owners would like to pray with their pets in a dog park.” Her main argument was that many visitors to town are dismayed when they learn that there are no dog runs for their pets.
However, regardless of how many persuasive arguments Cindy could muster, Dale Whilden, CMA President, could not be moved saying that the Board had a variety of reasons for rejecting the idea including concerns about animal “spats”, diseases, poop, security issues and more.
But the idea was checkmated when Dr. Whilden disclosed that the CMA had its eyes on that property for a possible parking lot or a place to store off-season life-guard chairs and/or more beach lockers.
And the final coup de grace was when he said that the CMA needed to focus its attention on its “vision and mission”and that they had a “long list” of new ideas to get to, and a dog park was not on that list. Priorities trump pets. He did mention that the OG beach was open for dogs during the off-season, and many Grovers with dogs take advantage of that courtesy.
But Cindy was still not backing down, until someone shouted, “Let’s move on,” followed by a smattering of applause.
So Cindy had to step away—-clearly she was barking up the wrong tree.
* Cindy lost her business in the Grove due to unaffordable rent increases by her Main Avenue landlord.
HARRY NILSSON:
Lounge act….
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Florida connection on Blogfinger, Florida photography, tagged Sanibel Island photo on February 21, 2020| Leave a Comment »
WASSUP? Ocean Grove. Feb. 20, 2020
Posted in Blogfinger Presents on February 20, 2020| 1 Comment »
Blogfinger cow. Time for its closeup.
a. What will happen to the “White Whale” property at #4 Boardwalk where the April 2019 fire destroyed the entire building? The site is owned by the CMA according to an article in today’s Asbury Park Press, and the building had been constructed on the sand.
But the “Pavilion” was owned by Robert Dweck of Maplewood-Ocean Grove Associates. That owner told the CMA and the APP that he plans to rebuild, but there are no details according to the Press.
President Badger of the CMA told the Press that “while he didn’t know what was planned for the property, he hoped it would stick with the character of Ocean Grove. ”
What does Badger mean by the “character of Ocean Grove?”
Is that all the input that the CMA will have in the planning of that site? You would think that they would be intimately involved as they have been with the OGNED project at the North End. Doesn’t the landowner (the CMA) feel some responsibility for what might occur at that sensitive location?
Mr. Badger may be playing it coy by acting like he is at the periphery of any discussions regarding the White Whale site.
In a post which we published on the day after the fire, this is what we said, “We did speak to those CMA workers, and they told Blogfinger that the CMA was conferring with the building’s owner, Bob Dweck.” It was the CMA, not Neptune, which had that conference with Maplewood-OG Associates. Those April, 2019 discussions about managing the rubble show that a pre-existing relationship does exist between the CMA and Mr. Dweck.
Here is a link (below) to the last BF post on this subject from May, 2019. You will find some important insights in that article which is not found in this APP piece. In fact, Gadaleta had some pertinent information to share at that time, and there are also some other Blogfinger staff and reader comments as well.
In addition, 9 months ago, we said this on Blogfinger, “If they plan to rebuild the Pavilion property, site of the recent fire, then will they get permission from the CMA to provide access for trucks and other vehicles? Will they provide parking as required by RSIS? That property, east of the Boardwalk, would not get parking access to the new garage.”
And, by the way, when the Maplewood-OG Associates appeared before the HPC in 2014, this was found in the minutes:
“Administration of Oath to Mr. Robert Dweck and Applicant’s Attorney, William P. Gannon. Mr. Dweck and Mr. Gannon came forward and was sworn in by Jersey Shore Reporter.”
Does one hand wash the other at the North End? Do we have a threesome at #4: Dweck, Gannon and Badger? Do the North End tentacles extend in all directions over there?
b. At the January 13, 2020 meeting of the Neptune Committee, there were some interesting quotes from the minutes:
1. “Joan Venezia asked if OGNED has made application to the HPC for the North End project. Mr. Gadaleta stated he does not know.”
Is that all that Mr. Gadaleta can say about that important next step in the North End sequence? Is he telling us the truth?
2. Ms. Venezia introduced herself as a citizen from Mt. Hermon Way, but she is an official of the HOA. Why doesn’t she identify herself that way? She also questioned the Committee about fire safety at the new North End. She was told that the Planning Board would be looking into that.
3. “Barbara Burns, 4 Ocean Avenue, asked how much was designated for the parking expert.
“Mr. Gadaleta responded $8,000. A proposal was received; however, the Township will be asking for a proposal on a revised scope of work including a review of the recent Better Parking Alliance proposal.”
“Ms. Burns stated that the Township needs to get someone who knows about parking, not just count parking spaces. The Specialist should put together a plan, review economics and manage the demand.”
She also did not identify herself as being President of the HOA.
It should be noted that the CMA is itself hiring a parking consultant.
4. “Ms. Rizzo (Committeeman) stated that there are now over 200 Airbnbs in Ocean Grove with multiple cars. This will cause people to sell their homes and change the atmosphere of Ocean Grove.”
“Chris Jensen, 90 Mt. Tabor Way, asked if the Committee is doing anything about regulating Airbnbs. Ms. Rizzo is talking to Bernie Haney, Land Use Administrator, about the issue.”
Talking to Bernie about this? Pathetic!
5. About the HPC: “Mr. Jensen asked for the longer range goal of the HPC membership in light of the removal of James McNamara.”
“Mr. Gadaleta stated that the Land Use Team made a recommendation to change the make-up of the Commission. Issues were brought to the attention of Administration about the management of the Commission and the Guidelines are being redone.”
“Mr. Jensen stated that the complaints are being received from violators. Mr. Gadaleta disagreed with that assessment and added that the HPC is an advisory board and not about personal opinion.”
It sounds like there is trouble over there at the HPC. Why doesn’t the HPC/Township explain what’s going on to the public? It affects all home owners and prospective home owners in town. Why the secrecy? Why haven’t the new guidelines been revealed?
And what is the “Land Use Team?” What is their purpose and why has this not been made public, and if it has, how and when was that accomplished?
c. Reminder:
Sign up by sending an email to Blogfinger@verizon.net Send your name, address, and cross street. Send list of sale items whenever, but that won’s be released until prior to the sale. We would like to have over 75 participants. See and follow BF tab at top of this page.
d. Blogfinger stats for Feb 21: 611 hits. Most popular posts relate to parking; 9 foreigh countries including China, Norway, and Greece.
Yard Sale music: GRANT PHABAO with “a Message to You Rudy.” from the movie Chef.
