Work progresses near the wisdom bench. Were they wise enough to evacuate? March 20. 2013 (first day of spring). PG photo
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor Blogfinger.net
The OG Camp Meeting Assoc. is determined to have the community involved in the process of restoring the ocean front. So last night, several CMA officials met for the third time with leaders of OG organizations including Home Owners, Chamber of Commerce, Ocean Grove United, Beautification Project and the Fishing Club. The purpose of the transparency offensive is to keep the town informed with the latest news of Phase One and to elicit all sorts of cooperation including sharing ideas, moving benches, raising money, and spreading the word.
Ralph del Campo, interim CMA administrator, chaired the meeting. He said that he was interviewed on New Jersey television (NJ 12) today where he announced that “our target” is in sight and, even though money is a large issue, “we are taking a step of faith and moving ahead.” All the CMA officers present, including President Dale Whilden, revealed an optimistic view of the situation. They spoke about the volunteers who have saved the project many thousands of dollars including the Calvary relief group and the American Fence Company of Whitehall, Pennsylvania whose workers continue to help even after installing the snow fences (currently named “sand fences.”)
Bill Bailey, the Director of Operations, reported on the news from the trenches. The sinking of 30 foot pilings 25 feet into the sand at the South End has gone well, although they had a scare when they ran into some old concrete holding tanks. That problem was surmounted, and the pilings are “almost done.” Building materials will be delivered in a couple of weeks for the beach offices .
Reclaimed wood from the storm is being put to use building ramps and stairs to the beach and boardwalk. Railings are being restored at the South End, and some of those were donated by the Borough of Sea Girt. The composite materials being used to surface the boardwalk will be the latest technology which reduces slipperiness and are made from recycled plastic.
Sand removal and relocation continues to be a challenge. Recently 23 loads of sand were taken from the grassy areas and placed on the growing mountains at the north end. All that sand will eventually be sifted and brought back onto the beach. The Army Corps of Engineers surveyed the sand situation two weeks ago and they will be engaged in doing whatever is needed for the beach replenishment.
Dr Whilden pointed out that there are always issues that occur which are not visible. For example, the work on the Great Auditorium roof seems to be standing still, but there is only one company which can manufacture the stainless steel roofing which needs to be coated with zinc. But manufacturing that material cannot begin until May.
Mr. Bailey was candid when he admitted “feeling the pressure” as spring arrives and the target date looms closer for reopening the OG beach. “We are on a tight schedule.” he said. But he had a smile on his face and he seemed ready and able to keep the promise of a Memorial Day target. He pointed out that some area towns had “over-promised” their completion dates and underestimated their costs. Ocean Grove’s phased strategy is proving to be more realistic, and so we have a good chance of actually reaching the goal.
Steppin’ out on the new Ocean Grove boardwalk. Photos by Paul Goldfinger Blogfinger. net. Click once on images to enlarge. 7/4/14.
By Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor @Blogfinger.net
Once the ribbon was cut, the public was allowed onto the new boardwalk. Most were milling about watching Gov. Chris Christie mingle with the crowd. A few set out to be the first to walk the boards.
We met two people who were standing on the Trex, not wondering at all what material had been used under foot.
Nina Koridek (L), Danielle Kimelstein, Cooper Pickren. Photos by Paul Goldfinger Blogfinger
Nina Koridek is a “summer resident” from Stirling, New Jersey. Her family has been coming to Ocean Grove for seven generations. She was watching the governor carefully because she is “a fan.” Nina was carrying an American flag and wearing a broad rim hat in fashionable black. She said that she wasn’t confident that FEMA would help the Grove, but now she and her family were happy to be on the new boardwalk for this ceremony.
She and her son Cooper Pickren reached Governor Christie and posed for a photo with him. Cooper, a law student, got to talk a little politics with the Gov.
Then they were ready to pose for a Blogfinger photo on the new boards.
Patience M. Osborn Chalmers is from Spring Lake, but she loves to ride her 10 speed Schwinn into Ocean Grove and sometimes beyond to Pier Village. She confessed that she would like to ride her bike on the OG boardwalk during the day, and if a policeman stopped her, she would say, “But officer, isn’t it 3:00 am?”
Patience’s family has been in the area for numerous generations going back to around the Mayflower. (My family goes back to the Staten Island Ferry.) She likes to volunteer with the OG Ladies Auxiliary, and her current project is to help with their book sale which will occur on the weekend of July 10. I asked her how she liked the new boardwalk, and she exclaimed, “It’s fantastic.” She said that now all the elements of our shore area boardwalks have come together, and she is thrilled to be at our opening.
Ocean Grove Fishing Pier, November 1, 2013. Paul Goldfinger photo. Click to enlarge
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net 5/21/2014.
Just when the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association (OGCMA) thought that everything was going right, the local FEMA project office notified the CMA that the fishing pier was ruled ineligible for FEMA public assistance because it is entirely recreational (unlike the boardwalk) and it falls under the rules for nonprofit entities. This notification was received on May 16, 2014.
At a meeting tonight with the Community Leaders Group, COO J.P. Gradone announced this disturbing news. He said, “It shocked and disappointed us.”
“However,” he said, “We have a positive working relationship with FEMA and we will appeal.” Once again, the Governor’s office will supply consultants to help the CMA navigate these suddenly stormy waters. He also said, “We plan to pursue available assistance through other federal, state and charitable resources to complement potential FEMA funding.”
The CMA had attended several recent meetings with the local FEMA office regarding the three-phased project (1= middle beach; 2=North End; and 3=fishing pier,) and at those meetings the CMA received verbal commitments for all 3 phases. Mr. Gradone said, “There was no indication that there would be anything but total project approval for the 3 phases.”
However, in March, during the process of expediting the middle beach phase, the fishing pier phase 3 was removed from the project plan. At first this just seemed like routine paper work, but it actually was the beginning of a broken promise. Unfortunately , none of the written communications from FEMA ever formally mentioned the fishing pier. The estimated cost of the fishing pier is $1.1 million.
Attending the meeting this evening, besides the Community Leaders Group and J.P. Gradone, were CMA President Dale Whilden and CMA official Bill Bailey.
The appeal process provides for 60 days to file an appeal to regional FEMA. The appeal will be similar to that for the boardwalk–to try to persuade them that the pier is more than just recreational. Meanwhile, the CMA has continued to place discussions about the private Fishing Club on hold.
Regarding the current status of funding for the boardwalk project (middle beach and North End), the $2.3 million has been allocated by Congress. This is about 90% of the total needed for the Boardwalk. The rest will be provided with funds that were raised through the Ocean Grove Together Fund.
Neptune Township has issued a bond for $1.4 million to get things going at the Middle Beach, and it will be reimbursed by the CMA once the actual payment arrives from FEMA. COO Gradone said, “It’s a very complicated process, and we will work with the State while maintaining a positive attitude.”
Regarding the Together Fund’s $1.6 million, that will be used to pay towards the balance on the boardwalk, the Great Auditorium roof work (which will begin soon), and for a restoration of the Thornley Chapel. A full accounting of all these financial aspects will be presented at the Town Meeting on June 21.
Editor’s note; 3/12/23. At Blogfinger, after Sandy, we were critical of Governor Christy for not visiting the Grove. But it turns out that the Governor’s “people” were instrumental in getting FEMA to reverse its initial decision. And the Governor came to the dedication ceremony.
The CMA was disappointed about the reversal regarding the pier and they could have tried another appeal, but the decision was made that another appeal may ruffle too many federal feathers.
And now (March 12, 2023) 9 years later, we see the pier about to be completed.
When the pier in the shape of a cross discussion kicked in a few years ago, some supporters said that no one could see the cross unless they were in an airplane, and it looks like they were right. It remains to be seen how the Camp Meeting will utilize the pier. Will there be fishing, and what will the rules be? And will there be religious events there?
THE PEARLFISHERS. “Is It Any Wonder?” Album Across the Milky Way.
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.
New Shark River Municipal Marina construction: floating docks, June 9, 2013
New bulkheads, docking posts, water and electric almost complete. Blogfinger photos.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger. This topic came to the surface after Sandy, but it was relevant before then and is relevant today. Read it now in 2019 and you will see the similarities between Sandy and now. Neptune Township has not changed its stripes—it takes from Ocean Grove but doesn’t give.
It is a bizarre relationship that should be subject to legal scrutiny, but that doesn’t happen. We get minimal value for our tax dollars while other parts of town have favorite nation status. It was unfair then, and it is unfair now, and the 800 pound gorilla in the Township, the OG Camp Meeting Association, is not interested in recognizing this conundrum. (defined as “A paradoxical,insoluble, or difficultproblem; a dilemma.”)
The Fairness Dilemma in Neptune Township: (June, 2013) on Blogfinger.net
There are two similar public recreational places in Neptune Township: The Shark River Municipal Marina and the Ocean Grove Boardwalk. The Marina is owned by Neptune Township, while the OG Boardwalk is owned by the OG Camp Meeting Association. Both places are open to the public and provide public services.
Neptune manages and maintains the Marina, while the CMA does the same for the Boardwalk. Supposedly the Marina is self- sustaining, requiring no taxpayer dollars for its routine functions. The OG Boardwalk receives no taxpayer dollars from Neptune Township either.
But along comes a massive storm called Sandy, and there is destruction in both parts of town. A cleanup ensues after the storm, and Neptune Township borrows a great deal of money and quickly begins to deal with the mess at Shark River. It sends crews everywhere except the beachfront at Ocean Grove. Its workers do not step beyond the eastern curb of Ocean Avenue.
Marina building after post-Sandy demolition by Neptune Township
Ocean Grove embarks on a slow cleanup, mostly with the help of volunteers. A remarkable outpouring of support brings help from around the state and other states as well. While the CMA struggles with its oceanfront cleanup, it tries to figure out how to pay the bills for the boardwalk reconstruction. Because of the uncertainty of financing, a phased project is designed. Once FEMA rejects their initial application, they know that the boardwalk will not be done for this coming summer.
In February, 2013, construction work begins at the Marina to replace bulkheads, docks, electric and water systems. The Township is sure it can get funding from FEMA. Their confidence lets them issue bonds while they wait for FEMA to pick up 75-90% of the bill.
Now, June, 2013, expensive floating docks are arriving and being installed at the Marina along South Riverside Drive at the Shark River. There are plans to rebuild the Marina buildings which were demolished. The Marina will be operational this summer; boaters are already enjoying their new dockings. The Riverside Park across the street has already been rebuilt to help lift the spirits of the citizens who live near the river. The final reconstruction of the Municipal Marina will be expensive.
Riverside Park is across the street from the Marina. Blogfinger photo June 10, 2013
In Ocean Grove, a part of town which is almost identical in population to Shark River Hills, minimal rebuilding of the boardwalk has occurred—paid for by the OGCMA. There are no plans to reconstruct the entire middle of the Boardwalk at this time. No FEMA money is approved, and an appeal has been denied.
Not a dime has been paid by Neptune Township for the oceanfront cleanup, nor do they intend to help pay for the boardwalk. They have given some advice and moral support, but evidently, it appears that they are certain that it is not their business. The Mayor says that no money can come from NT because the Boardwalk “is private.” In fact the financial burden for that is all on the CMA, generous donors from outside, and the people of Ocean Grove.
Yet the citizens of both parts of town pay taxes to Neptune and the Federal Government. One part is being helped, but not the other part. The only difference between the two is that the owners are different. But in terms of public service, they are essentially the same. In fact Ocean Grove serves many more people on their Boardwalk than are served at the Marina.
Where is the fairness in that? The people who live by the ocean want access to their public place restored just as those who live along the Shark River do.
OK, the CMA owns the boardwalk, but it is used as a public facility and it has been recognized as such in the past by court rulings. (ref: State Sen. Jeniffer Beck) The CMA has acted in good faith all these years by maintaining the boardwalk so that it is accessible and free to everyone. I bet most of the boardwalkers never wonder who actually owns that wonderful place, and Neptune has not objected in the past to the public services provided by a private group. They were OK with the unique private/public relationship as long as they were getting, but not giving. But now, after the storm destruction, the boardwalk is recognized only as being private. They seem to have forgotten the rest.
Maybe the FEMA bureaucrats see a distinction according to their rules, but to the people of the Grove, it fails the smell test. The situation requires special consideration by Neptune Township because fairness is the American way, and, in our country, rules are often changed in the interest of fairness. Neptune needs to take down the smokescreen, start thinking out of the box, and try harder to find a way to help the taxpaying citizens of Ocean Grove.
2019 update: A private fund raising effort by the CMA brings in over $1,000,000 (the Together Fund.) The Township eventually issues bonds to help pay for part of the boardwalk, but that isn’t the same as free money provided by FEMA to the Shark River area. Eventually FEMA did award some money after appeals, but not enough to rebuild it all in the Grove, and they denied payment to bring back the pier after initially promising payment. It took several years to restore the entire boardwalk, one of the slowest beach towns to recover. Meanwhile, while the CMA had to beg for some FEMA money, parts of Seaside Park were rebuilt twice.
Today, Neptune Township continues to show little interest in its “historic district,” and it refuses to recognize the specific demographic of “OG residents.”
The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association is ready to complete work on the Great Auditorium roof, but they have had daunting problems deciding about which material to use. Their plan had been to obtain zinc coated stainless steel material, but manufacturing challenges have prevented that. JP Gradone, COO of the OGCMA, sent us the comment below in response to a Blogfinger inquiry yesterday.
“Our insurance company has recently agreed to pay for the installation of a temporary EPDM rubber roof on the damaged area while we continue to work closely with the insurance company to find a permanent solution to resolvethe situation with the roofing material. The temporary roof was completed this week and gives the Great Auditorium an excellent short-term solution while we carefully determine the best material for the permanent roof.”
EPDM rubber roofing on the south side. Blogfinger photos
EPDM rubber roofing on the north side.
One year ago we wrote about the Woody Allen movie “Stardust Memories.” Here is a link to that article because it shows the Great Auditorium decked out as the Stardust Hotel for that 1980 film which Allen considers one of his best.
And for this article about the GA roof, here is a version of “Stardust,” a song by Hoagy Carmichael, that was performed by Louis Armstrong in the movie.
But now, in 2015, we present a contemporary jazz version of “Stardust,” an instrumental, by Warren Vaché on trumpet (a Jersey boy,) Derek Watkins, and the Brian Lemon Quartet.
On December 9, 2014, the Jersey Shore got blasted by a nor’easter which produced several inches of rain and high winds. We went down to the Ocean Grove beach and found the beach and dunes to appear a bit wasted.
Four days ago, NJTV News posted a report from Mantoloking, Bay Head, and Ortley Beach (Toms River) regarding the sand and dune losses at those beach towns. All three had less damage to their beaches than what might have occurred if they hadn’t provided post-Sandy protections, including a steel wall, a rock wall with 7 ton boulders, and a huge dune respectively.
In Ocean Grove, the Camp Meeting Association has been engineering the new beachfront to provide protections from future storms, including our own steel bulkhead, new dunes, and a new strong boardwalk design.
We contacted William Bailey, Director of Operations at the OGCMA, and this is his reply:
“Paul, the nor’easter caused minimal sand loss, and we anticipate that it will once again build back up. The “sad” dune photo you posted was of the south end dune that was established in the months following the hurricane. That dune has remained as it is now, with little change other than more sand accumulating.
“The new dune process is from the Pier towards the boardwalk pavilion or between Heck and McClintock St. Those dunes were not affected by the nor’easter; in fact the newly established dunes along with the sand fence recently installed collected sand as designed, thus you will note there was no sand blown on the boardwalk or roadway.
“The dune work will be on going over the next year as more sand fence is installed and then dune grass plantings in the fall of 2015.”
William H Bailey
Director of Operations
AL JOLSON: (we’re sending this out to Susan and Jim of OG who themselves are soon heading for the Golden State)
Friday afternoon. May 30, 2014. Ocean Grove’s Middle Beach Boardwalk Project is underway—full steam ahead.
J.P. Gradone, COO of the CMA, had it right when he recently said, “It’s like when you build a house. Once the foundation is done, the framing goes real fast.”
And so it goes for the OG boardwalk project which seemed to be dragging in recent weeks during the excavation phase when the infrastructure was created including exposing the rusty hulk of a bulkhead. The boardwalk was to be set into place west of its prior location so that it could be behind the reinforced bulkhead.
But now, a busy crew is going full speed down there as they drive piles rapidly into the ground using a very tall machine that looks like the Parachute Jump at Coney Island. As each pile is driven into place, the machine seems to slow down, take a deep breath and then belch out some dark smoke—only to move onto the next one without delay.
Then those piles are set upon by a team of burly guys who create notches in the piles to receive horizontal thick wood beams. After that the components are sandwiched together, and the workers use long strong drill bits to chew into the wood rapidly, creating holes for the galvanized steel bolts which hold it all together. Then steel washers and nuts are cranked in place using hand operated big wrenches. Notches have also been placed into the steel bulkhead to receive the horizontal members on the ocean side.
A visit to the Phase One construction site late this afternoon revealed that much of the boardwalk excavation work is completed. The trench that had been dug received the wooden infrastructure and was covered over with sand. The top picture taken around the middle of the middle project shows the vertical wood piles that are being placed east of the metal bulkhead.
The second photograph is taken near the Boardwalk Pavilion where you can see what is going beneath the sand, because that part has yet to be covered over. Note how these elements tie together and will tie into the boardwalk itself.
If any of you can discuss the engineering of this project, please do so and explain these images.—–Paul Goldfinger , Editor @Blogfinger
Today, the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association received word from Congressman Chris Smith’s office that the CMA has been awarded a $2,377,329.00 grant by FEMA toward the reconstruction of our boardwalk. It appears that these funds are primarily for the Phase 1 project involving the Middle Beach which stretches from the beach office by Embury, north to the Boardwalk Pavilion.
Officials of the CMA will meet with FEMA next week to discuss the exact parameters of this grant.
Dale Whilden, President of the CMA, said tonight that this announcement represents Congressional approval of the funding and that it is one of a number of final steps that have to be taken in this process.
Dr. Whilden said, in a statement tonight, that “we are grateful for the ongoing assistance and advocacy of Congressman Chris Smith, Governor Chris Christie, Mark Ferzan (Exec. Director of the Governor’s Office of Recovery and Rebuilding,) Ocean Grove’s state legislators State Sen. Jennifer Beck, Assemblywomen Caroline Casagrande and Mary Pat Angelini, Neptune Township Committeepersons specifically Mayors Randy Bishop and Eric Houghtaling, as well as Neptune Township official Mike Bascom, Rich Cuttrell and Vito Gadaleta.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Thank you to CMA President Dale Whilden for allowing Blogfinger to post this happy announcement ahead of other media. Rep. Chris Smith is obviously helping us to achieve our reconstruction goals here in Ocean Grove, but maybe he can find an opportunity to come to the Grove, visit the construction site, and meet some of our citizens.
The same for the Governor who has yet to go down to the ocean and see our construction site. He will probably be in town for the Law Enforcement Memorial on May 20. Perhaps he will take the time to walk down to the beachfront in view of all the visits he has made to nearby beach towns which were hit by Sandy, as we were. —-PG
This image shows how far the boardwalk excavation is progressing. Lucky they found this bulkhead just in time.
BLOSSOM DEARIE. “Just in Time” from the 1944 Broadway hit The Bells are Ringing. Click on the comments button below to find the music player. Then use the return arrow to come back.
The subcontractor, EUC Co of Piscataway, has been excavating a trench east of the steel bulkhead. The entire bulkhead, which was discovered soon after Sandy, has been exposed. The part that you see extending the length of Middle Beach (above) looks rusty, but it is strong and it goes about 8 feet even deeper than you see in the photo.
Wood members are now being installed horizontally at the southern end, and pilings will be driven in a week or so. The wood infrastructure will tie into the new boardwalk and into the metal bulkhead. The boardwalk will run behind (west of) the bulkhead.
FEMA had stopped work for a few days last week over a bureaucratic technicality, but now it is full speed ahead.
After I took this photo, a very big guy in a hardhat chased me away. He was not impressed that I am from Blogfinger, a member of the press corps.
