
Water color of Ocean Grove coffee shop on Main Avenue (destroyed in 2015 fire).
From a series OG picture card scenes by Grover artist Sue Anderson Gioulis.
JULIE ANDREWS: From Camelot: Are we feeling lusty yet?
Posted in Ocean Grove artists, Ocean Grove fire February 2015, tagged Sue Gioulis artist Ocean Grove on May 3, 2017| 1 Comment »
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove fire February 2015, tagged Fire site reconstruction in Ocean Grove on April 3, 2016| 2 Comments »
Rich Lepore stands in front of his Smuggler’s Cove. That shop was destroyed in the Feb.9, 2015 fire. Paul Goldfinger photo ©
The site at #50 Main Avenue remains a foundation in progress. Moe Demby photo 4/3/16. Blogfinger staff photo ©
Maybe they will finish this job before Santa Claus comes to town. FRANK SINATRA AND CYNDI LAUPER
Posted in Ocean Grove controversies, Ocean Grove downtown Main Avenue, Ocean Grove events, Ocean Grove fire February 2015, Ocean Grove in the news, Ocean Grove Main Avenue photo news, tagged Fire on Main Avenue in Ocean Grove, Law suit over 50 Main Avenue rebuilding on February 5, 2016| 8 Comments »
February 5, 2015 fire on Main Avenue in Ocean Grove, NJ destroys a building at #50 Main Ave. CBS TV News Report
One year ago a rapidly progressive fire destroyed #50 Main Avenue and took with it some apartments and a few stores including Yvonne’s Restaurant, Smuggler’s Cove and Fusion. There was also some adjacent damage that ruined the coffee shop, The Barbaric Bean.
The plan was to rebuild by next summer, but things have slowed considerably. The foundation seems to be close to completion, but a shadow has been cast over the plans due to a law suit which challenges the project on a number of grounds including illegal density, violations of the State RSIS parking regulations, violations of the Federal Disability Act (including not providing handicapped parking) and a number of zoning complaints. With regard to the latter, if you look at the current foundation, it seems to extend beyond the legal setback, up to the sidewalk.
Another issue includes allegations that the lawyer for the Neptune Township Board of Adjustment illegally stopped the meeting in mid-stream for an intermission, allowing time for potential collusion.
The preliminary hearing will take place at Monmouth County Superior Court on February 24, 2016. The defendant is Kurt Cavano, the property’s owner, together with the Neptune Township Board of Adjustment. The plaintiff is Kevin Chambers of Ocean Grove, NJ.
If you want to attend you might have to call ahead to see if the hearing is open to the public.
Here is a link to the BF article from last October regarding this topic. If you go to that link you will find some additional new comments.
LONDON THEATER ORCHESTRA AND SINGERS
Posted in Ocean Grove fire February 2015, Photography by Paul Goldfinger, Photography: Ocean Grove Gallery, tagged Day two after the Ocean Grove fire 2015 on March 24, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Blogfinger photo news, Blogfinger Photograph, Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove fire February 2015, Ocean Grove fires, Photograph by Paul Goldfinger, Photographs Ocean Grove fire February 2015, tagged Main Avenue fire Ocean Grove 2015, Ocean Grove fire cleanup on March 24, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Ocean Grove fire February 2015, Ocean Grove news, tagged Fire site reconstruction in Ocean Grove, Ocean Grove Chamber of Commerce on February 26, 2015| 3 Comments »
We had received a report about the plans for rebuilding at the site of the fire. A detailed presentation was made by the building’s owner, Kurt Cavano, at the Chamber of Commerce meeting on Feb.24. Since the presentation was not said to be confidential, someone in the audience sent us a nice news report with the details which we posted this morning.
However, that citizen reporter received some heat about it and asked that we take it down. Although it is not our policy to do so, we agreed to that request, even though all who were at the meeting have been free to share the information with anyone.
Up until the time we deleted the post, it had received over 1,300 hits, so it is “out there.” In brief, a new building will replace the old. It will be 3 stories tall and will be designed by an OG architect. The builder will be Jack Green Co.
If more details are made public, we will post them. If someone else who was at the meeting, or if the owner wants to share the details, we will post it again.
Posted in Ocean Grove fire February 2015, tagged 50 Main Avenue fire 2015 on February 25, 2015| 1 Comment »
Posted in Ocean Grove fire February 2015, Ocean Grove fires, Ocean Grove Gallery, Ocean Grovers Around Town, tagged Beatles revival in Ocean Grove, Ocean Grove fire relief concert on February 22, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Ocean Grove fire February 2015, Ocean Grove fires, tagged Change smoke alarm batteries, Florida fire offers lessons for Ocean Grove on February 21, 2015| 1 Comment »
This historic building was destroyed in an early morning fire in Naples, Florida. A 32 year old man died. News-Press ©
Why are we reporting this story from Florida? Because all Grovers should know about this story. Our source is the News-Press of Southwest Florida.
The fire began in an outside overhang, so it was able to move undetected for awhile. An electrical source is suspected. The insulation in the roof was a rapidly burning kind that gives off fumes of carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, both gases tend to deaden the senses.
The building, the 1920’s era Eagle Eye Building on Fifth Avenue South, a major shopping thoroughfare, contained four businesses and one second floor apartment where the victim lived alone. The 911 calls came in late, at about 6:00 am, after the fire had a chance to progress. It was a very cold morning, so few people were out and about.
The man who died of fumes was an actor names Steven Ray Leonard. He was the only male cast member of the TV show “Paradise Coast Housewives.”
Firemen found that the apartment had two smoke alarms, both hard wired. One was not connected to power and it had a dead battery. The other seemed to be connected, but the battery said “2006.”
Does any of this sound familiar? In Ocean Grove we recently had a major loss on Main Avenue, and we also suffered huge fires in 2010 and 2011. I don’t know if any of those fires were thought to be suspicious, but it depends on the definintion of “suspicious.” Carelessness seemed involved in the Manchester fire, someone must have done something to ignite that tent recently, and who knows about Surf Avenue.
But, in every case, SOMETHING went wrong. So PLEASE listen to the OGFD and replace your smoke alarm batteries every 6 months. Also install carbon monoxide detectors on each floor. If you are a renter, PLEASE check them. Even if you are staying for just a week, please check them. If you are unsure, just change the batteries. You can use the changing of the clocks as a reminder, and write the dates on your batteries.
This guy in Naples should be alive today.
–Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger