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Posts Tagged ‘WEsley Lake bridges’

Modern OG history–2023. A tempest in a teapot: “Bridgegate.” Just say, “No.” Here is the truth about the locked gates, now unlocked by the feckless Neptuners. (9/23/25)

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Bridgegate, tagged , on September 29, 2025| 8 Comments »

New Jersey Avenue Bridge at the OG side.  Photo June, 2018. Paul Goldfinger image. Blogfinger.net

 

Blogfinger photo at the New Jersey Ave.  Wesley Lake Bridge, OG side by Paul Goldfinger 2019.

In 2013 we posted a piece about this Bridgegate topic, and we received 50 comments.  Click the link to read this Blogfinger post from 2013

 

Bridgegate 2013 Blogfinger post.

 

Today (9/25/25) the Coaster reports that the Neptune Committee  has decided to end the Wesley Lake  gate locking on two bridges at the OG side, but the article is biased, political,  lacking in facts and showing preference to the Asburian Kvetchers Society.

BRIDGEGATE RISES AGAIN. NEPTUNERS FOLD FOR NO GOOD REASONS.

PLEASE READ OUR PRIOR POSTS  WITH THE  LINKS BELOW AND  COMMENTS FROM  2023.

And then check our latest editorial (below)  about the mash-mash at the Coaster with our review of the truth.

 

Blogfinger post on this topic:

 

To Asbury: Go soak your head!

 

And another Bridgegate 2019  rally:

More Bridgegate.

 

By Paul Goldfinger,  Editor@Blogfinger.net  2023 version below:

 

Blogfinger 2019-2023:      We all are aware that some folks from A. Park have complained about locking those two Wesley Lake bridge gates every day from midnight to 5 am.    Neptune Township Police Department has been satisfied with this crime-preventing procedure and so have most people in Ocean Grove especially those who live near the bridges.

Rumblings about this have appeared in the past, and recently the Coaster made it a front page issue just because some troubled Asbury Councilwoman complained publicly.

Then  at the June 24, 2019  Neptune Committee meeting, a handful of Asburians showed up to demand that the gates be removed.  Why?  What are the damages?

At the milder end of the spectrum are some who find the gates to be visually offensive, especially if they are locked.  The gates are locked in order to reduce the numbers of late nighters congregating on both sides. There are no other nefarious reasons.

Some years ago I interviewed the Neptune Police Chief who said that he had tried everything, without success, to reduce crime on both sides of the bridges, and the OG  gates with locks at night were successful.

Ocean Grove has its shares of crime, often small-time, but never without an element of fear and concern.  The elected Neptune Township government has a responsibility, according to the Township Attorney, Gene Anthony,  who said, “The first responsibility of a governing body is to protect the health, safety and general welfare of the residents.”    He said this to reinforce the reasons for the gates.

But what other damages are there to justify this bloated complaint?  What significant harm do those locked gates inflict?

Yes, they cause some inconvenience for those who get caught in A. Park after midnight, but there are other ways home.

One of the speakers at the public session of the meeting who wants the gates removed was the Chairwoman of the Wesley Lake Commission, a body supposedly devoted to cleaning up the Lake.  But Gail Rosewater of Asbury Park  and her colleagues have failed at that, so are they now seeking a political cause to fuss over?  She ought to  do her official job at Wesley Lake and butt out of policing decisions in Ocean Grove.

Another speaker at that public session said that Ocean Grove  was guilty of racism, and somehow she managed to attack the Camp Meeting Association in the same breath while mentioning the KKK.

Does Ms. Rosewater  want to associate herself with such an ignorant and paranoid colleague? Or is she so imbued with political correctness as to reveal herself to have poor judgement as a public official?

There are other elements to the discussion, such as related to parking, but really Neptune Township should just say, “No!” and end the discussion.

These Asburians came into our House last night to make demands on Neptune Township and they don’t even deserve the time of day.

Remember when we asked their City Council  to support our bid for FEMA/Sandy funds?  They refused: one of their reasons was the bridges and the other was about the irrelevant Pavilion matter of 2007.

And last year Neptune Mayor Williams went to them for help in dealing with our Asbury-related parking problems, and they told him to “jump in the lake” or “go fly a kite.”

It’s Ocean Grove’s 150th Anniversary. Let’s ignore this worthless “tempest in a teapot” and get on with the celebration.

 

HOLLYWOOD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA:    “Fly a Kite.”  from the movie The Kite Runner.

 

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Modern OG history—June 15, 2019: Asbury Park noisemaker and the Coastericans dredge up some old news: They say that locking the 2 bridges across Wesley Lake at night should be discontinued.

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, tagged on May 22, 2025| 7 Comments »

Intro:  May 22, 2025.    In today’s Coaster, there is a half-assed front page piece dredging up an old and worn  issue:  night-time locking of the Wesley Lake bridges.  The article failed to mention the history of this controversy.

The Coaster did the same thing in  2019, 6 years ago.

Today’s report  (5/22/25). fails to explain  why the  Neptune Comedy  decided to again  bring up  this  sensible practice which was proven by the NTPD to reduce crime in the Grove.

I want to know who is responsible for pouring gasoline on this  controversy  once again–it smells of political correctness.    No one has mentioned it again since after the last go-around reported in 2019 in Blogfinger (See below) and another post in 2023.

So  now the Neptune Comedy one-party-rule committee has found something to use to distract we-the-people.  Once again they raise this issue to stir the pot and promote divisiveness.  Blogfinger has previously found overwhelming support by Grovers for continuing  this crime-containment program.

Only the Asburians find this to be worrisome;  Why?

Below is our last piece on this subject from  June 2019, and there is much more on Blogfinger from 2013.   See below.

Neptune should not be caving in to Asbury Park on this law and order policy–Only the NTPD should rule on this.

 

Paul Goldfinger, Editor, Blogfinger.net

 

 

2019.  One of the Wesley Lake footbridges is shown. We thought this topic was sleeping with the polluted fishes. Click to enlarge.   Paul Goldfinger photo. Blogfinger.net

 

 

New Jersey Avenue locked bridge at 1:28 am. June 15, 2019. Stephen Goldfinger, Blogfinger.net.  Looking towards Asbury Park.

 

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net    June 2019:  Blogfinger’s  last major post on this topic.

In a front page piece in the Coaster,  June 2019, an Asburian noisemaker decides, out of the blue,  to make a fuss about those bridge gate  closures—-again.

In 2013 we did a poll, and over 200 Grovers participated.  77% favored the bridge lock downs.  The main reason was their proven benefit in preventing crime in that part of town.  The idea was implemented in 1995 for the two bridges.   We wrote a two part piece on the subject  in 2013 and received 50 comments, so it was a topic of great interest.

Now.  (2019)  an Asburian Councilwoman, Eileen Chapman,  has decided to toss this stink bomb over at us again.  Is she running for something and now wants to find an issue?

It seems that all Ocean Grove gets from its “sister city” is grief.   Remember when they refused to support our application for FEMA funds after Sandy.  One of their ridiculous reasons had to do with the bridge closures.  Then there was a request by a Neptune Committeeman to have AP  help us deal with the Asburian invaders  from the north who have turned the Grove into a free parking lot.  They practically threw him out the door.  And as for Wesley Lake pollution?—nobody home!

This time the Coaster makes headline news out of her desire to open the locks. Why?    They must be hard up for copy.  There is no current reason to make a fuss about this now. —just because a bored  AP Committeewoman makes some noise.

This is what Chapman came up with:

a.  The lockings are a “mistake.”

b. “Public bridges belong to the people, not to the city or township, and no one has the right to randomly close it off….”

c. “Neptune may be opening themselves to potential litigation…”

d.   A Grover is quoted:  “I am really more embarrassed by the social message the gates present than anything.  I think it sends the wrong message…..It is an outdated idea and really inconvenient. I don’t think they deter crime.”

e. Randy Bishop is quoted as saying “Some {Grovers} look at the gates as a symbol of past racism and others as helping to address crime and today’s parking issues.”

f;  Barbara Burns, the HOA President says, “There are various opinions about the gates in the community. Some people want them and some people don’t–it is really difficult for the Homeowners Association to take a position,” she said.  She also said “Parking is a big issue now regarding the gates.”

Thanks Barbara for taking a stand on this.  Your indecisiveness is inspirational.

 

Editor’s note:  There are   two Blogfinger articles written in 2013 on this subject.    The second article  (Part 2) offers 50 comments by Grovers.  It is below.

 

Also this time-worn topic resurfaced on Blogfinger in 2016:  Look at this one for the photo and the music:

 

2016 bridge locks—again

 

CLARAMAE TURNER    Cast of Carousel   (movie score)  Rodgers and Hammerstein:

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Bridgegate Poll for Ocean Grovers: Heavy “Yes” vote. Poll concluded.

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, tagged , on July 14, 2019| 11 Comments »

Mayor, Skip the Coaster interviews, take off your mask,  and tell us what you really think! Paul Goldfinger photo. Florence,  Italy. Silver gelatin darkroom print ©

 

By Paul Goldfinger,  Editor@ BLOGFINGER.net

BRIDGEGATE OPINION POLL   (below):   We closed the poll on July 15, 2019 after 247 voters chose either YES or NO.

224 said YES;  23 said NO.

91% of those who offered an opinion were in favor of keeping the gates locked.

 

The Mayor is meeting with the Asburians over this, but, according to the Qoastericans, the two sides cannot agree on anything.  Committeeman Brantley of Neptune says that “no firm decision has been made.”

But Mayor, why are you allowing yourself to be manipulated by the Qoaster and by Asbury rabble rousers?   Is it possible that you are giving serious credence to the Asburian Councilwoman Chapman who asserts that this issue “divides the communities?”

Do you believe those who say that Bridgegate is more about parking  than safety?

Will you agree with the disingenuous Asburians who want keys to the gates on the pretense of a possible emergency?    Surely Mayor you have heard of the Neptune Township Police Department?

And Mayor, how is this different from a gated community where an entryway is closed for safety?

So Mayor, is this just a headline-grabbing exercise in political  grandstanding?

When does your Committee begin to take a firm stand on behalf of Grover citizens?  You can take sides in a dispute, even one which is not yet settled.  Where is the courage?

Please stop playing games with these Northerners.  Quit the talks and get back to parking permits and potholes at the Mother Ship.  Don’t let them drag you down over this manufactured issue.

As for those Asburians who are proclaiming nonsense about this “controversy,” they are wasting their time and ours, because no one has yet provided a coherent reason to change the current policy of gate closures on the OG side.

Try to understand their theories, and it all  amounts to “gibberish and gobbledygook.”

 

Theme song for the Bridgegate talks:

KEK LANG with Nani Nani

 

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BRIDGEGATE! Asburian agitators blow into Neptune Township on a cloud of hot air from the Northland.

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Bridgegate, Wesley Lake, tagged , on June 25, 2019|

Wesley Lake Bridge on the OG side. Paul Goldfinger photo. ©

By Paul Goldfinger and Jack Bredin.  Blogfinger.net.

Breaking news.  10 am, Tuesday, June 25, 2019:

By tonight, Blogfinger will post a full report about what occurred at the Neptune Township Committee meeting last night, June 24,  when a crew of Parkers showed up to complain about the two bridges which connect OG with AP.

And they came with representatives of the Wesley Lake Commission.  Since when does the WLC  get political and go after its twin sister:  Neptune?  Aren’t they supposed to deal with the Lake?

The complaint is nothing new: It’s regarding the locking of those bridges every day by the Neptune Police, from midnight to 5 am, for purposes of crime prevention.

In addition to crime fighting, the policy also may impact the invasion of the parking snatchers which occurs as A. Parkers seek a free ride on the OG side, leaving their cars there and then strolling across the bridges to enjoy the dissolute pleasures at “sin city.”

Pending our later report, you can review our last Blogfinger article about this topic from ten days ago, after  the Coaster ran the first shot across our bow, at least the first since a few years ago.

Bridgegate BF article from 10 days ago

link to 2016 post:     2016 Bridgegate article.

 

Tune in tonight for our latest report on this newly inflamed clash with the Yahoos.com  from A. Park.

Let it not be said that those troublemakers from the North burned their bridges behind them years ago.  Bridgegate is back!

 

BAND OF THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION AND THE BAND OF THE H.M. ROYAL MARINES:  “A Bridge Too Far.”   From the album of great war themes  from the movies.

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