David Bates in Ocean Grove. Retired New York actor. By Paul Goldfinger. Now departed since 2018.
Paul Goldfinger, Editor, Blogfinger.net.
We knew David Bates of Ocean Grove. He was often seen riding his bike around town, and he also had a residence in Greenwich Village. He did not have a car.
One time he pedaled by our house and he stopped to chat. It was the summer of 2012. I took his picture and posted it on Blogfinger. Recently. (2018) he biked by my house again, waving as he went.
In recent days I noticed quite a few “hits”on that 2012 post, especially yesterday and today, totaling over 100 visits. A Google search revealed nothing, but a comment today indicates that he has passed.
We do not do obits on Blogfinger, but re-posted portrait falls under the “by popular demand” category. Read the comments.
THE FANTASTICKS ran for years at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village, New York City. Here is “Try to Remember” by Jerry Orbach.
Memorial at a public bomb shelter where Israelis were murdered at the Oct.7, 2023 massacre—on a road near the Israel-Gaza border in southern Israel. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash 90. 9/19/24. JNS (Jewish News Syndicate. )
LaDonna: “Baruch Hashem” (ברוך השם) is Hebrew for “Blessed be G‑d,” and is used by Jewish people in everyday conversation as a way of expressing gratitude to G‑d for whatever we have.” By Chabad.org
Paul Goldfinger Kodachrome slide: conversion to digital. Digital storage is so much better than the old days of color film. If you have old slides, there are a variety of devices for conversion to digital. The photo above was done with a new app called “Photomyne.com.” SlideScan. Find the app on your iPhone.
But Paul, you say that “everything looks worse in black and white.” I can’t agree with you on that point. But we can debate that another time.
When I did shoot color in the past, prior to 2009, it was only with Kodachrome slide film. Eileen liked Kodacolor film which came back from the lab as prints.
By Paul Goldfinger Editor. Blogfinger.net Ocean Grove, NJ, USA. 10//5/24
If you go to the CC web site, you will not find a mission statement. What is their purpose in life? Today they had a “Fall Harvest Festival.” Has anyone seen any harvesting going on in this town?
Instead they took up a beautiful sunny OG Saturday by closing streets and attracting a multitude of tourists to “small town America” at the Jersey Shore. For what: “crafts, food, arts and music”. So how about returning the Grove to those who live here, their visitors and their families. We can enjoy music, the arts, crafts and food without the help of the Chamber of Commotion.
The usual jockeying for parking spaces was going on, especially in our North End neighborhood which provides an intersection of downtown Asbury Park with free parking here. I witnessed a crash on my block as one parked car clashed with one parking car.
Our reporter went there to the “festival” and he found a “mob scene” where it was hard to walk around. He spent a few minutes and then took a right turn to enjoy beautiful Fletcher Lake. He wasn’t interested in the shlock-fest and junk sale there.
As for today’s “Fall Harvest Festival,” why does Neptune Township allow so many of these gigantic events in our town? What good does is it do for Ocean Grove? Who gets the money, and why does the CC need to make money, especially on the backs of our beautiful historic shore town?
You cannot find another Jersey Shore town with such useless tumult and tourist mayhem as here.
If you look up the mission of local Chambers of Commerce you will find:
“We believe in the ability of American businesses to improve lives, solve problems, and strengthen society.” When did you ever see the OG “Area” Chamber of Commerce do any of that?
When have you ever seen this organization take an interest in our town, our governance, our history, education, juried fine arts, problem solving, improving lives, strengthening society, and be concerned about those who live here, own homes, or rent or maintain our historic sites and architecture?
We need toilets down town, affordable housing for young people who want to live here, improvement of our disgraceful parks, and activism to destroy the North End Plan and visit the phony zoning apparatus at the Mother Ship. And how about taking an interest in the tax assessments as described recently by Neptune United.
And more: who are these people and how are they helping us. Re-read the mission statement above. Is this some sort of scam?
The Chamber of Commercials act like the”homies” of Ocean Grove don’t exist. At least they could buy underwear for the poor as the Home Groaners are doing.
Tourists come here to admire our town and our historic architecture. We-the-People pay for keeping our homes historic and beautiful. When did the Chamber return any of their money to our town? And does any of this lower our taxes?
Who are they and why are they allowed to take over the Grove on multiple weekends in prime time.? Ae they trying to out-do the Camp Meeting?
I have complained about this topic before, and that is why I am Complainer-In -Chief.
And if you are sick of those worn-out blues players, try this by the Marvelettes.
“Conversations.” c. 1970. NYC Street Series. By Paul Goldfinger, MD. (published in the Morristown, NJ Daily Record). The little boy is Stephen Goldfinger, number one son. He just walked over and began a conversation with the man on the milk crate. Click to enlarge.
The Daily Record included this image in their “Visions” series of “exceptional black and white prints by readers and staff photographers.”
This is the accompanying essay by me which was printed with this photograph.
“It is often said that the people of New York are cold and indifferent to one another. In fact, New York consists of many neighborhoods in which a great deal of person-to-person caring and communication occurs.
“This photograph which I call ‘Conversations‘ was taken outside a grocery on Park Avenue near 96th Street. It is one of my favorites because it shows people spontaneously relating to one another, despite age, racial, gender and socio-economic differences. ”
By Paul Goldfinger, MD. Editor Blogfinger.net. Re-post from 2011 in Ocean Grove, NJ
Now here’s an Ocean Grove sound that many of you probably have never heard before. It was Saturday, Flea Market day, and we were sitting in Auditorium Park when a cacophony rang out from the front door of the Youth Temple. The sound was that of multiple shofars (rams’ horns) being blown simultaneously. There were people dancing around. By the time I got over there with my iPhone, I caught the tail end of a celebration by the “Jews for Jesus.”
A woman wearing a large star of David on her chest told me that the group was from all over and that they were Christians who were also Jewish. In the Jewish tradition, the shofar is usually blown one at a time, inside a synagogue, on the high holidays. But, considering that the first Christians were actually Jews for Jesus, I guess they can blow the shofar anyway they please.
2024: I met some Messianic Jews here this summer. It was a teen group in the Tabernacle. Here is a link:
