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Archive for the ‘Hurricane Sandy in Ocean Grove’ Category

Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association and Neptune Township officials travel to Washington to meet with FEMA

Posted in Hurricane Sandy funding in Ocean Grove, Hurricane Sandy in Ocean Grove, Hurricane Sandy recovery, tagged on December 11, 2013| 2 Comments »

CMA logoNeptune Logo 2 

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor  @Blogfinger

The cooperative relationship between Neptune Township and the OGCMA on behalf of the people of Ocean Grove showed brightly  on November 7 when representatives of both groups  travelled to the  C Street  headquarters of  FEMA in Washington, DC to “have a face-to-face with high level officials .”

The Ocean Grove delegation consisted of Ralph delCampo (CMA board member and ex-interim COO,) Rick Cuttrel (Municipal Clerk)  and Mike Bascom  (Chief Financial Officer)  of Neptune Township.  And according to Mr. delCampo, the group “spoke as one for the benefit of the community and the whole region.”

Our supporters in the Governor’s office and U.S. Rep. Smith decided not to attend so as to avoid “politicizing” the event. These state and federal elected officials have been working in the background, pushing for action “in a quiet way.”

According to Mr. delCampo, in an exclusive interview today with Blogfinger, the FEMA representatives said that they have never seen such close cooperation between a private organization and a municipality.

The OG group made the case that our boardwalk is part of the fabric of Neptune Township, and the two groups work together to make sure that the citizens of Ocean Grove receive all municipal services that other nearby towns enjoy.

They explained the importance of our boardwalk as an economic engine/thoroughfare for the  town and for neighboring communities.   They covered ground heard before including the importance of the boards for public safety and rescue.  And they told FEMA that the potential consequences of not getting relief are significant.

Mr.del Campo said, “The meeting lasted one hour and went very well.”  He believes that FEMA now clearly understands the unique relationship that exists between Neptune and the CMA on behalf of the Grove. This second appeal is the final one, and we should get an answer by the end of this year. The delegation hopes that FEMA would treat us the same way that the Army Corps of Engineers is providing for beach replenishment.

Meanwhile the CMA continues to work with engineers and consultants to finalize the designs. They are ready to go to bid, but they really need the funding to be “lined up”  At this time there is no pressure to go to bid.

On another front,  the CMA has applied for federal aid which is distributed by the State of New Jersey through the Economic Development Authority. The answer on that applicaton should be  received by mid to late January.

If all that fails, other options will be considered. The CMA continues to be “totally committed “to have the Middle Beach boardwalk done by summer 2014.

Mr. delCampo continues to praise the ongoing fundraising efforts of the Together Fund which is now up to $1.6 million. He also cites  the “patience of the community and the backing of long-time supporters.”

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Is Governor Christie Afraid to Come to Ocean Grove? Or are we just not important enough?

Posted in Blogfinger opinion, Blogfinger Presents, Hurricane Sandy funding in Ocean Grove, Hurricane Sandy in Ocean Grove, Hurricane Sandy recovery, New Jersey News, New Jersey Politics in Ocean Grove, tagged , , , , on December 1, 2013| 4 Comments »

The Governor spoke at the Police Memorial Service 5/21/13. But he did not visit our damaged boardwalk.

The Governor spoke at the Police Memorial Service 5/21/13. But he did not visit our damaged boardwalk or make himself available to the press to discuss our funding issues.  Blogfinger photo.

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger

For nearly a year we have been hearing that the “Governor’s office” is working behind the scenes to get us some sort of funding to rebuild the Ocean Grove boardwalk.  His surrogates in the state legislature have told us that in person and so has the Camp Meeting Association.

But those reassurances strain credulity because he has come to the Jersey Shore to visit our neighbors on many occasions but he has never come to the site of our demolished boardwalk to speak to the citizens about our problems with FEMA.

Now an outsider at the Weekly Standard has raised the specter of anti-Christian bias on the part of FEMA, an idea that has already been considered on Blogfinger and at the Star Ledger.  If there is even the possibility of bias, shouldn’t Christie be addressing it publicly?   And maybe FEMA is being harsh towards us partly because of the gay rights issues that have been controversial in the Grove—issues that perhaps the Governor considers toxic.  After all, he has waffled on the subject of gay marriage.

Maybe he is afraid to even talk about such things for fear that it might tarnish him politically as a presidential candidate.  Maybe he sees the issues as  lose-lose propositions, and perhaps politics are his main consideration at times like this, to the detriment of our citizens.

The Governor has a reputation of being outspoken and courageous; to be willing to swim against the current. But in Ocean Grove, where it has been obvious that we the people of this town are experiencing some sort of FEMA discrimination, Christie has been missing in action.

So maybe our small population isn’t worth sticking his neck out for, but shouldn’t  great leaders step forward on principle without worrying about votes? If he had gone public standing behind Ocean Grove, then maybe FEMA might have been a little more sympathetic.

Ocean Grove will soon experience a turning point in our struggle.  Representatives of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association will soon be meeting in Washington for a final appeal to FEMA .

Perhaps it is time for Gov. Christie  personally to tell us something about our situation and step forward and publicly show his support.  And Governor, please bring Congressman Chris Smith with you.  Most of us haven’t heard of him or seen him in the Grove, and he also supposedly is behind our efforts.

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Ocean Grove’s Struggle With FEMA Finally Gets the National Exposure That it Deserves.

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Hurricane Sandy funding in Ocean Grove, Hurricane Sandy in Ocean Grove, Hurricane Sandy recovery, Ocean Grove controversies, tagged , , , , , , on November 25, 2013| 23 Comments »

WS

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger  (Ocean Grove, New Jersey)

In a thorough and courageous cover story called “The Town FEMA Turned Down,” The Weekly Standard, a widely read political magazine with a print circulation of over 100,000 and 2.1 million visits to its web site each month, is featuring Ocean Grove and its difficulties persuading FEMA to provide funds for our rebuilding post-Sandy.

On Blogfinger we have been following this situation with great interest for over a year and we have considered and debated various reasons as to why FEMA has denied us, including the possibility of religious or political bias. (see BF links below) The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association has been avoiding any public speculation on the motives of FEMA.

Soon the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association will be taking its  last shot with FEMA by attending a face to face meeting with officials in Washington, probably next month, to try and persuade  them  to make a favorable ruling on our second appeal for disaster assistance.

The author of the Weekly Standard piece, Jonathan V. Last, a senior editor, explains why he believes that the explanation has to do with government’s current attitude towards religion in our national life. He says, “Yet the story of FEMA’s conflict with Ocean Grove is about more than just Barack Obama. It’s the story of modern America’s rebellion against its religious foundations, rendered in miniature.”

He also considers the history of gay rights in the Grove as a factor in our being singled out by Washington.  About that, Last says, “FEMA’s decision was a remarkably tortured reading of both precedent and fact. So tortured that it suggests some deeper motivation on the part of the federal government. What happened between the storms in 1992 and 2013 to change the government’s mind about Ocean Grove? The answer is simple: gay marriage.”

He makes a strong case for his theories, but there are no smoking guns.  FEMA has been very secretive as to the dynamics of their decision vis a vis Ocean Grove, and the media has been AWOL in reporting our story which is an exceptional David vs Goliath saga worthy of national attention.    Last’s ideas about how gay rights issues in the Grove tie into FEMA’s decisions are highly speculative, but his suspicions are worth discussion.

The author also provides an excellent and  comprehensive review of our town’s history. It is an accurate and well- researched summary.

One thing which he left out is that the OGCMA has raised $1.5 million, some of which is earmarked to help rebuild our beachfront. We are not only the one beach town at the Jersey Shore to not receive FEMA help, but we are the only town to raise this kind of money on our own.

He also didn’t mention the New Jersey political establishment, including the Governor’s office,the state legislators and our Congressional delegation  which have tried to persuade FEMA to reconsider their unfair ruling.  I also question his assertion that Ocean Grove has an “upper class tax base.”  If he checks out the 2010 census report, that is clearly not true, unless he is speculating about the second-homer population which is not counted in the census.

Blogfinger has a search engine on its homepage where anyone can look at our many articles on this subject since October, 2012 when Sandy hit the Jersey Shore.

I encourage all of you to read this provocative Weekly Standard piece.  It will certainly help to get our story known nationally and in Washington.

Here is the link to the article:      FEMA OG article

Here is the Weekly Standard’s home page link      Weekly standard web site

Here is a Blogfinger post about possible FEMA bias:  BF bias link

Here is another  Blogfinger article about possible FEMA bias:    Blogfinger link

Here is a link to Steven Froias’ Asbury Park Pulp:    PULP link

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What does Katrina have to do with our FEMA problem?

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Hurricane legacy, Hurricane Sandy funding in Ocean Grove, Hurricane Sandy in Ocean Grove, Hurricane Sandy recovery on October 27, 2013| 10 Comments »

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor  @Blogfinger

In December 1992, a vicious nor’easter destroyed the Ocean Grove Boardwalk and Fishing Pier. FEMA, understanding that the Ocean Grove boardwalk was owned by a private non-profit group (The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association,) readily agreed to pay for the reconstruction of those beachfront structures.

After that, FEMA regulations were changed, many times, over the ensuing years.  We don’t know exactly which/when regulatory changes affecting PNP’s  (private non-profits) were put in place, but OG ended up being rejected  by FEMA after Sandy, and we don’t know why those changes were made.

Ralph delCampo, interim COO of the OGCMA, in interviews with Blogfinger, said, at least twice, that we were suffering now because of rule changes made after Katrina hit New Orleans on August 29, 2005. New regulations were published in 2007.

Yet it seems that if we were eligible in 1992, then surely we should be eligible now.  If our boardwalk was understood to be for the public good then, so why is it now written off as a “recreational facility?”  Nothing has changed with respect to the Boardwalk’s functions.  If there were problems after Katrina, how could that have been something that would cause the rejection of  Ocean Grove now?

Consider this quote from the New York Times, last week;  in an article about how the Governor has been recently criticized regarding his failure to rebuild after Sandy in many parts of the Shore and to return thousands of citizens to their homes:

“Mr. Christie has blamed the slowness of federal agencies for delays in getting money to residents, and said that New Jersey was paying for the sins from Hurricane Katrina, as the Federal Emergency Management Agency put up hurdles to prevent fraud.”

Again a reference to Katrina, this time from the Governor, and it is about fraud after Katrina.   So how does Katrina fraud in New Orleans result in making OG ineligible for aid after Sandy?

Is it possible that Ocean Grove is being punished by being swept up in a storm of regulatory changes that weren’t meant to hurt places like the Grove?  Perhaps the issue was also one of cost cutting, but why cut out our boardwalk when it was equally as deserving as all other boardwalks back in 1992?  If cost is the concern, then why pay for every boardwalk except ours?

Here’s a quote from a FEMA regulatory statement dated 2007:

“FEMA policy 2007 ineligible PNP Facilities. ‘ Some PNP facilities that might have been assisted prior to 1993 are no longer eligible under the governing statutes and regulations. Examples include:  recreation facilities, etc.’ “

We have complained on Blogfinger that OG has been treated unfairly. BF is not the only source of such complaints on behalf of the Grove.  Below is a resolution from the NJ Legislature  (the link is below)

The synopsis says:   “…. urges the President and FEMA to ensure funding necessary to repair Ocean Grove’s boardwalk”

 

ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTION

No. 103

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

215th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED APRIL 4, 2013

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  MARY PAT ANGELINI

District 11 (Monmouth)

Assemblywoman  CAROLINE CASAGRANDE

District 11 (Monmouth) 

 

njleg resolution

When I appeared on a panel   (BF Link to podcast  ) recently to discuss our situation, Mark DiIonno, a Star Ledger columnist who was nominated for a Pulitzer this year said, referring to our denial by FEMA, “Their reasoning was absurd regarding the designation of the OG boards as  ‘recreational,'”

He noted that every boardwalk in New Jersey was recreational in the same way that ours is.  He referred to the “skewed reasoning of FEMA.”

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Need money to rebuild the beachfront? There is a precedent going back to 1885.

Posted in Hurricane legacy, Hurricane Sandy funding in Ocean Grove, Hurricane Sandy in Ocean Grove, Ocean Grove history, tagged , on October 13, 2013| 14 Comments »

Image 1

Sent by Estella: 1904 "..was up and down the boardwalk until 9:30 o'clock."

Sent by Estella: 1904 “..was up and down the boardwalk until 9:30 o’clock.”

On June 3, Frank S., a resident of Ocean Grove, commented regarding our failure to obtain FEMA funding. He said,  “Could OGCMA place a special assessment of $250 to $500 on its approximately 3000 homeowners/tenants ??”

No one reacted to his suggestion, even though the idea could have produced $1.5 million.   Now we see that there is a precedent going back to 1885.

Rich Amole, amateur OG history sleuth, found this news item in a long out-of-print book called “The Story of Ocean Grove…1869-1919.” The book was copyright in 1919 by the author Morris Daniels, a trustee of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association.

Rich says, “That paragraph is on page 265 and relates to a storm of 11/25/1885.”

November 1885

The book goes on to say that the citizens responded with “spirit” and that “the responses were a great encouragement to the Association.”  The assessments were voluntary. The total expense, including the repairs to the sewer amounted to $6,500.00 with the remaining $1,500.00 paid by the CMA.

J.H. Thornley, one of the members of the Executive Committee and D.H. Brown, Esq, the treasurer, “drove the nails next to the last, and the president the last in the the new boardwalk at 11:40 am, June 18 1885. …..refreshments and general congratulations followed.”

As many of you know, there were quite a few destructive storms that clobbered the Grove over the ensuing years, and there were a number of boardwalks and piers that were rebuilt by the OGCMA and perhaps the citizens as well.

At no time, until 1992, did the Federal government (FEMA)  ever help with rebuilding a boardwalk here.  At that time, the government had decided that it was its responsibility to help communities after bad storms, and that n’oreaster caused horrid damage to the beachfront.

In 1993 the rules were changed, and we have now been excluded by FEMA because of a technicality.  FEMA has focused on the ownership of the boardwalk instead of  focusing on our citizens who deserve to have their very public boardwalk restored by FEMA, so as to provide us with the same economic, safety, emergency, life style and access advantages that other neighboring towns have.

In addition, the CMA, in 1885, recognized that a boardwalk improved the financial value of all the homes in the Grove.  Those of you homeowners in town who cheered FEMA for denying help to the CMA are out of step with history, with fair logic and with your own financial interest.

—Paul Goldfinger, Editor  @Blogfinger

Annette Hanshaw–“It All Depends on You.”

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Ocean Grove is not alone in waiting for FEMA, but we are still different. Why?

Posted in Hurricane legacy, Hurricane Sandy funding in Ocean Grove, Hurricane Sandy in Ocean Grove, tagged , , on October 8, 2013| 8 Comments »

By Paul Goldfinger, editor @Blogfinger

Long Branch boardwalk post-Sandy (Long Branch Patch)

Long Branch boardwalk post-Sandy (Long Branch Patch)

Long Branch not only hasn’t rebuilt its Sandy-damaged boardwalk, it hasn’t even designed the new one. Although it expects to receive money from FEMA, it has no idea how much money it will get.  As a result, the city council there has not given their engineers the go ahead to plan the project. Mayor Adam Schneider is quoted by the Link News  (latest October edition) as saying, “A $10 million boardwalk would be designed differently than a $14 million boardwalk.” He said that he hoped the amount will be disclosed sooner than later.

As in Ocean Grove’s situation, the goal is to build a new boardwalk that is designed to withstand the ravages of another super storm.   There is one cautionary note:  FEMA will pay to rebuild boardwalks as they were before the storm.  They do not pay for newly designed  structural enhancements such as bulkheads.

Interestingly, the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association has gone ahead with planning for its project so that work can be begun as soon as financing is achieved.

A citizen questioned the Long Branch mayor as to why they are still waiting while Seaside Heights and other towns have already rebuilt.  He said that Long Branch’s situation is technically different because of the loss of sand and “bluffs.”  Long Branch took out a note for $5 million shortly after Sandy, but, as noted, no FEMA funds have arrived.

Unfortunately, 42 shore towns have sold nearly $400 million in short-term debt at a relatively high interest rate in order to get their recovery projects going after Sandy, expecting to be paid back by FEMA, but now some of those towns are sweating because FEMA has been slow to pay, even though Congress approved over $800 million for Jersey in January 2013.

Belmar is one of those towns that took on debt to begin a project that was estimated to cost $20 million.  The town borrowed multiple millions of dollars.  This summer, Belmar did receive $9.2 million from the feds  (Belmar Manasquan Patch July 13, 2013).   Manasquan borrowed over $3 million in August, and they are desperate to get the promised federal help

Long Beach Island borrowed $8 million in March and has only received 9% back from FEMA. Mayor Mancini of Long Beach Township said, “It’s an absolute disgrace that we’re going to have to go out and bond nine months after the money’s been appropriated by Congress.  We can’t self-fund any more. Our pockets aren’t that deep.”  (Bloomberg )

Asbury Park approved an emergency appropriation of $7.1 million that will be allocated over five years.  Their project was initially estimated at $12 million. We don’t know if they received any FEMA checks.

As for Neptune, the Manasquan Patch reported on August 23,   “Neptune Township, which includes hard hit areas of Ocean Grove and Shark River Hills, received …… just more than $1.9 million, according to the figures.

“Lynn Servon, secretary of the Neptune Township Economic Development Corporation, said FEMA estimated the township’s damages at around $7.2 million.”

This is the first we have  heard about FEMA payments to Neptune.  For more information about the Neptune payments, see comments.

FEMA paid $3 million to Seaside Heights for their boardwalk after Sandy, but the final bill will be much higher. Now, after the fire, the two Seasides expect to get $1.4 million more to re-do their boardwalks.  Reuters reported that there will be help for [at least 30]  privately owned businesses at the Seasides including Bubba’s Dog House, Kupper’s French Fries, and Marruca’s Tomato Pies.”

This is from Philly.com (Sept 19):     “The state chapter of Americans for Prosperity, which is affiliated with the tea party, believes the state should not cover fire losses that cannot definitively be tied to Sandy. And left-leaning housing advocacy groups say funds should not be diverted to unrelated needs as long as displaced New Jerseyans are still on waiting lists for housing aid.”   In addition, they asked, “So why is Sandy relief money being earmarked to rebuild burned structures – including, according to Christie, businesses unaffected by the storm?”

Sept. 13, 2013

Sept. 13, 2013

In May, the Point Pleasant Beach had received no money from FEMA for their boardwalk. They complained loudly and got a check for $2.1 million. (Point Pleasant.Patch.com)

When Spring Lake did not get its money, Rep Chris Smith (Monmouth County  4th district-replacing Rep. Pallone for OG) went to bat, and FEMA awarded Spring Lake over $4 million in federal funding in June toward the $5.5 million cost to replace their boardwalk.  Rep Smith said, “Boardwalks are the economic lifeline of beach towns, which would not fully recover unless their boardwalks are rebuilt and open for tourism. I will continue to work to help Spring Lake and other towns recover and rebuild.”  Rep Smith also announced  $2.3 million for Avon-By-the-Sea.

Rep. Chris Smith (r) in Avon.

Rep. Chris Smith (r) in Avon.

However, the people of Ocean Grove have never seen our Rep (Smith) in town. Most of us don’t even know he exists.  We are told that he is working on our behalf, but he really should show his face down by our grassy/sandy middle beach strip and say something to the people of Ocean Grove.

Our Senator Menendez is quoted as saying, when discussing Pt. Pleasant, “I will continue fighting for the federal resources we need to help all New Jersey communities rebuild even better and stronger than before the storm.”  (Pt. Pleasant Patch)  Where is he on Ocean Grove’s unique situation where our citizens are being treated unfairly?

The Governor said that part of the reimbursement slowdown is because some of  the towns did not do their paperwork properly.  (Ouch!)

As a result of the borrowing,  Moody’s gave negative credit ratings to Belmar, Lavallette, Sea Bright and Long Beach Twp.  Seaside Heights was significantly downgraded.

In June, FEMA said that it would reimburse these towns 90% of their expenses.

We may not have all the numbers right , but clearly only a small amount of approved FEMA money has actually been received by the towns around here. This is worrisome and requires our attention along with our chronic concern about the citizens of Ocean Grove’s status at the bottom of the heap.

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Latest News About the Rebuilding Project in Ocean Grove, N.J. —based on an interview with Ralph delCampo of the OGCMA, on August 26, 2013.

Posted in Hurricane Sandy funding in Ocean Grove, Hurricane Sandy in Ocean Grove, Hurricane Sandy memories, Music from the Broadway stage., Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, Ocean Grove portraits, tagged , on August 27, 2013| 4 Comments »

..and the walls came tumbling down. Auditorium roof pieces on Nov. 3, 2012. All photos © by Paul Goldfinger

“..and the walls came tumbling down.” Auditorium roof pieces on Nov. 3, 2012. All photos © by Paul Goldfinger. Left click all our photos.

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger

FEMA–REGULAR FUNDING SECTOR: The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association has submitted their second appeal to FEMA. Ralph delCampo, interim COO, OGCMA, told Blogfinger that his team has been working with “just about every elected official at multiple levels of government” including Neptune Township, NJ State legislature, Governor’s office, our Representative in Congress—Chris Smith, and our Senator Menendez. He also specifically mentioned Assemblywomen Angelini and Casagrande along with our State Senator Jennifer Beck.

We should have a response about our appeal around Thanksgiving time.

Mr. delCampo says, “We are trying to address every avenue we can and to leave no stone unturned.”

Based upon advice from consultants experienced with FEMA and Katrina, the CMA has been advised to request an oral presentation to FEMA in Washington, D.C. The CMA contacted them, and “FEMA agreed to a face to face.”

That should happen in October or November. Among the consultants who are helping is Ocean Grover Eileen Kean. Mr. delCampo says that she has “a lot of connections to a variety of government agencies.”

Nov 3, 2012. Many volunteers showed up. PG photo ©

Nov 3, 2012. Many volunteers showed up. PG photo ©

FEMA SPECIAL FUNDING SECTOR: It turns out that there is a separate funding section within FEMA that handles grants. A few weeks ago, three officials from that group visited Ocean Grove and met with CMA. The officials were given a tour and a presentation of the CMA re-design plans for the ocean front including bulkheads, boardwalk, sand replenishment, pier reconstruction and dunes. Mr. delCampo said that the visitors were “very helpful and interested.”

NEW JERSEY SOURCES OF FUNDING: The Governor’s office has referred the CMA to the State Department of Transportation which has grants of $200,000-$400,000 that we can apply for. That is being looked into.

TOGETHER FUND: So far this effort has brought in $1.265 million.

Volunteers came from all over.

Volunteers came from all over. © PG photo

GETTING READY FOR CONSTRUCTION: A parallel effort is going on in order to be “ready to go” when financing appears. The CMA met last week with their construction engineering firm in order to revisit the estimates and obtain bids for the Boardwalk. “We want to be proactive,” he said.

WORK PRIORITIES:

1. Middle Beach

2. Area north of Sea View Avenue

3. Rebuild the Fishing Pier (“This has always been part of our plan.”)

–A decision will not be made vis a vis the Fishing Club “until

there is clarity” regarding related issues.

4. Redevelop the North End

EXTEND THE FISHING PIER FURTHER? The CMA may get some “outside funding” to go another 30 feet, but we need some more engineering assessment of pilings out there. Maybe the pier can get over the water soon.

BEACH REPLENISHMENT by the Army Corps of Engineers. They are now in Manasquan and will head north. They should reach this area some time in autumn. The last time the beach was replenished was 2001, and the A.C.E. has engineering plans to use in order to get us back to pre-Sandy levels

AUDITORIUM: The new roof materials will be ordered shortly, and the roof should be done by year end.

Nov 3, 2012. A ray of hope: the first fisherman returns to the OG beach. PG photo ©

Nov 3, 2012. A ray of hope: the first fisherman returns to the OG beach. PG photo ©

Here is a link to another photo of the resolute fisherman, above.   Fisherman photo

From the Broadway show “Mame”

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Ralph delCampo to leave his position as OGCMA interim Chief Operating Officer on Nov. 6.

Posted in Hurricane Sandy in Ocean Grove, Hurricane Sandy recovery, Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, tagged , on August 27, 2013|

Nov. 3, 2013. Ralph del Campo (left) and Bill Bailey organize disaster volunteers in the Tabernacle. Paul Goldfinger photo ©

Nov. 3, 2012. Ralph del Campo (right) and Bill Bailey organize disaster volunteers in the Tabernacle. Paul Goldfinger photo ©

August 27, 2013. Ocean Grove, N.J.    By Paul Goldfinger, Editor  @Blogfinger

Ralph delCampo had just retired from his job as a pharmaceutical industry executive early in 2012. He was going to embark on a sabbatical to figure out what he would do next, but after only two months of that, he agreed to replace Scott Hoffman and become the interim Chief Operating Officer of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association.  He had been on the Board for a few years, and it seemed that running the CMA programs would be right up his alley.  After all, in his career, he was in charge of large operations including supervising corporate programs in multiple countries at the same time.

But when Sandy hit in October, 2012, he found himself faced with a huge challenge.  He has remained at his post longer than he ever expected and he has had to learn how to deal with large government agencies, especially FEMA.  But he has been quite comfortable in supervising the CMA response to the Sandy devastation including working with consultants, planning construction projects, coming up with technological solutions to structural challenges, dealing with elected officials and starting a fund raising campaign.  He and his colleagues have faced many challenges including planning for a future where another large storm will not destroy our homes and facilities.

His official departure date is November 6, 2013, but Ralph lives full time in the Grove, and he will continue to be on the Board of the CMA and on the Executive Committee. He said, “I’ll stay involved.”

The search for the new COO continues, but the field has been narrowed, and a replacement may be announced soon.

Everybody around here calls him Ralph, and his good humor and people skills have certainly come in handy as he pursues financing and reconstruction at the beachfront while supervising the vast programming activities of the CMA.

He also will be one of the individuals who will run the annual Labor Day CMA Public Meeting which will be held in the Youth Temple on Monday, September 2, 2013  at 9:00 am.  The agenda for that meeting is complicated, but Ralph is determined to move things along so that everyone can get to their holiday activities.  There will be the usual opportunity for Q and A at the end.

LEADBELLY

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