Modern OG history—-2022. Remember this trial balloon? “Fitnessgate:” How did the CMA, a private religious organization, receive $500,000 in public money for a “Fitness Path?”
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Will Grovers open their eyes to what’s going on in our town? Paul Goldfinger photo. 2021. Blogfinger.net. Tent Village. Ocean Grove.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor. Blogfinger.net. March 17, 2025 re-post:
The BS meter in Ocean Grove just blew up after today’s Coaster front page story justifying $500,000 of public funds to the CMA for a “fitness project.”
Our State Senator Gopal is behind this, and he says, “..The goal was to support a project that would benefit the entire Ocean Grove community, Monmouth County, and the State as a whole…I am confident that the funds will be spent to achieve that objective.”
Really?
Blogfinger has learned from an anonymous source that Sen. Gopal has been a member (honorary) of the Camp Meeting Association Board of Trustees. Does this smell like something fishy, even before our new OG Pier has been built?
In his statement to the Coaster, Gopal did not mention this. Do you think he will contact us to deny this information? There are others in the Grove who are investigating this concern.
This is the fourth front-page article promoting the CMA’s projects in recent weeks in the Coaster, all containing glowing quotes from Michael Badger.
You would think that he controlled the paper and maybe wrote the articles himself. But the Coaster wouldn’t stoop that low…would it?
According to the Coastericans, Badger is quoted as saying, “In fiscal year 2023, the State appropriations act granted the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, the only religious non-profit, to receive funding.” If so, why did they get special treatment?
And here is another absurd Coaster quote which should make your head spin:
” Badger said he believes that while the state legislature has always recognized the uniqueness of the community created by Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, the community has long put the safety, recreation and beautification of the area first.”
What freakin’ “community” is he talking about?
This nonsense raises the question: How does the CMA acquire such influence in Neptune, Trenton, Asbury Park (Coaster,) and even Washington DC. (FEMA?)
They even have influence over the OGHOA: The President of that Groaner group went out of his way last week to personally kiss up to Badger. Details of this report remain to be released.
Back in 2014, after two denials by FEMA to use Federal funds to rebuild the OG boards, in an unprecedented chain of events, FEMA made a total about-face and gave public money to the CMA.
At the time Blogfinger supported all that, but now, in reviewing the history, that same fishy aroma rises to the surface. And Governor Christy and other NJ officials showed up in the Grove to claim credit.
Then we learn that the pier design was chosen without any consultation/approval with the OG public, the Historical Society of Ocean Grove, or the Neptune government including zoning officials or HPC.
Also there is the North End, where the CMA persuaded the Neptuners to pass over the Master Plan and change the zoning to benefit the CMA, Neptune, and the secretive OGNED “developers.”
The residential community in the Grove was ignored.
And even though Badger claims that he always has placed the “area’s safety , recreation and beatification first,” all the advantages described above were to benefit the CMA.
At Blogfinger we expect that this “fitness” project will be torn apart by Grovarian critics, and they are welcome to hit our “comment” button below. Yesterday we had nearly 1,000 “hits” on Blogfinger, mostly about these issues.
There may be something rotten in Denmark, but keep your eyes open in the Grove. The NJ Attorney General should investigate our concerns, and you may be hearing more about that fitness trail from other sources.
ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST OF FIORELLO: Act 2–“Gentleman Jimmy.” Can Gopal fit into these shoes?
EDITOR’S UPDATE : 3/17/25:
It looks like we will have a sidewalk along the boardwalk side of Ocean Avenue. But why do we need that? And who is paying? Senator Gopal? And what happened to that $500,000 Senator?
Also, the grass is starting to appear, but will that lawn succeed? This is not an ideal time to plant grass seeds.
Blogfinger at the proposed “fitness path” at the project now showing by the OG boardwalk. Paul Goldfinger photo 3/17/25. The lady with the dog did not think the grassy area would succeed. “It was tried before..”
OG beach March 17, 2025. It was cold and windy. Dog walkers are out. Blogfinger photo. Click once to enlarge.
But the CMA usually gets its way; they just follow the “Company Way:”
Robert Morse in How to Succeed in Business—
Here is “The Company Way” from the Broadway show:
United States
