Blogfinger staffers celebrate at Days garden: Charles Layton, Yvette Blackman, Mary Walton, Paul and Eileen Goldfinger
By Charles Layton
The Historical Society of Ocean Grove gave out its annual Beersheba Awards on Monday evening, honoring local home owners for their work in preserving the town’s architectural heritage.
Blogfinger and its editor in chief, Dr. Paul Goldfinger, received the organization’s individual civic award. Ted Bell, the MC for the awards dinner, praised Paul for founding the website two years ago and building it into a local hub for the sharing of information about our town. Bell also passed along a copy of a joint resolution of the New Jersey legislature recognizing Blogfinger for “its significant contributions to the preservation, natural resources and cultural life of the community.” And Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. gave Paul a similar certificate of recognition from the U.S. Congress.
Speaking as his friend and colleague, I can tell you that Paul had a great time at this dinner and was genuinely touched. “We believe we’re doing something unique in this town,” he told me later, “and it’s good to get some recognition.” (Secret insider fact: we had a terrible time persuading Paul not to sprinkle his acceptance speech with old vaudeville jokes.)
A group civic award went to the Fletcher Lake Commission for its efforts toward preserving and maintaining that body of water.
The owners of eleven homes won Beersheba awards for their renovations, and a new construction award went to John and Theresa Raziano of 132 Franklin Avenue. The HSOG also presented a commercial award for the work on Dr. Dale Whilden’s dental office on Main Avenue.
In the coming months, Blogfinger plans to post full stories, one at a time, about the award-winning houses and their owners.
The Monday dinner marked the 16th year the HSOG has handed out preservation awards. Bell said a total of 170 houses have been recognized during that time. The dinner was held in the Days ice cream garden, with some 70 people attending.
Fans of historic preservation at Days garden. Photo by Paul Goldfinger