Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington DC. Internet photo.
There isn’t much Hanukkah music out there that I am not familiar with, but Jean Bredin, Blogfinger staff, came up with this You Tube treat for the Festival of Lights by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC. It is quite superb, and the hand clapping, although not unusual in pop music, is less common in choral pieces.
So here is the Hanukkah music that I never heard before, but it is a fine addition to a limited repertoire.
Paul Goldfinger, Editor Blogfinger.net (This post from 2016 but still relevant)
Headline below on the NJ News Commons Local Beat which is put out by Montclair State University as a “weekly roundup of the best reporting by community news sources.” It links to our latest article about the Warrington, and it is not the first time.
This is their headline: “DESPITE APPARENT VIOLATIONS OF STATE LAW, VACANT OCEAN GROVE BOARDING HOUSE TO BECOME BOUTIQUE HOTEL”
Sometimes I wonder whether posting articles looking at land use law aberrations in Ocean Grove is little more than merely spinning our wheels. It seems that what we do has no impact on events in the Grove. But, two days ago we had 1200 visits to the Blogfinger.net site, and then that gets multiplied as links are shared and when other sources, such as the “Local Beat” also puts out our stories.
We believe that these articles are read by local players (lawyers, CMA trustees, engineers, Township politicians, Neptune bureaucrats, planners, etc.) and we think that they may be worried about our revelations. This includes influential organizations such as the Home Groaners and the Chamber of Commercials.
Maybe we can slow down some plans that are wrong for the town. And maybe officials at the County or State level will look at what we are revealing.
As for the Grovers who care, and there are many, they may not say much, but knowledge is power, and we are providing information to them unavailable elsewhere; and they’ve got heart:
KLEZMER MUSIC. This music has its roots in the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe. But Klezmer music was scattered all over the world after the Holocaust. It almost faded out of sight, but then it began to take root again in America as well as in Europe.
It used to be played almost exclusively at weddings, but in recent years it was embraced by young musicians who blended it into all sorts of styles such as rock, jazz and hip hop. The genre is branching out in many sorts of creative ways.
Here is the Amsterdam Klezmer Band in Hungary. This is what Klezmer is in the 21st century. It shows that you don’t have to be Jewish to love Klezmer. “Di Zilberne Chassene” (It’s about a wedding.)
10 Main Avenue. 1896. Some questions are now answered. Photo courtesy of HSOG. Click left to see the details.
Detail: verso (back of the image)
10 Main Avenue today. 2013. Blogfinger photo
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger (Originally posted on BF November 2013)
The Historical Society of Ocean Grove was recently presented with a sepia-colored photograph of an OG house dated “1896”. The image was donated by relatives of a man who had settled the estate of a Dorothy Quinn.
The image shows “a two story stick-style house with Victorian trim including arches, square posts, shutters, a gull-wing roof, two wrap-around porches and a third floor balcony. Also shown in the photo are five people with bikes and a baby in a buggy, identified as possibly being a young Dorothy Quinn.”*
“On the right side, the building is cut off, but another gull-wing is suspected; although some houses in the…
The Ocean Club, 1101 Ocean Avenue in A. Park. Opening soon. Blogfinger photo 12/4/18.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor Blogfinger.net
The Asbury Park Press referred to this iStar project as “The Changing Face of Asbury Park.” There are 17 stories, 130 condominiums— most over $1 million, and a hotel with 54 rooms. There will be parking within and a beach club. The skyline has already been dramatically altered, and that can be the subject of appreciation or scorn as seen from Ocean Grove.
It will certainly signal a fundamental change in what the future will hold in that town. Most of the structures along the boardwalk in A. Park are one or two stories. But now, will iStar get greedy and plan to demolish those buildings and put up more view-blocking and congestion-creating buildings along the ocean? The lure of great wealth might result in Asbury Park’s becoming Long Branch.
This is the architectural profile currently seen at the Boardwalk of A. Park; and the rest of the town is mostly low slung as well. In fact much of the development so far has tried to keep that look—until now. Blogfinger photo 12/18
And will some of those commercial smoke signals be read in the Grove where the future North End design is currently being plotted by money driven developers and politicians, some of whom are Ocean Grovers.
So you think we have parking problems in the Grove? I am a literal person, so when a sign says “here” with two arrows, I look down and have trouble finding a parking space. And if you dare to park there, you will be considered a “violater” and you will be towed away along with your car.
That little sign misspells violator and is missing an apostrophe. Perhaps the apostrophe will be inserted into your tail pipe if you do park there.
So if you must shop in the Country Farm Market, be careful never to park under that sign.
And as for Main Street (rt. 71) in the pothole capital of the USA, they have begun a project to make Main Street into the Champs-Elysées. And when they are done, in 2024, they hope to make this their theme song:
Two Christmases ago, pianist Xiaoyi Niu was in Ocean Grove with her husband, George Cannon III, celebrating the holiday with his parents, George Jr. and Leslie Cannon.
But Xiaoyi had a musical competition coming up soon in Canada. The prospect made her restless. “I couldn’t relax without practicing.” Practicing required a piano and there was none in the Cannon household. “Leslie suggested calling the art center.”
It turned out the Jersey Shore Art Center possessed not just any old piano but a Yamaha concert grand in perfect condition. And board president Herb Herbst graciously made it available to Xiaoyi.
There was one problem, however. the Art Center wasn’t heated. “It was freezing,” she told Blogfinger. Swathed in sweaters, she practiced in the cold — six hours a day for a week. “At first you can’t move your fingers. But after 30 minutes your hands warm up.”
