Northeast
Ocean Grove, New Jersey, beach ordered to open on Sunday mornings for first time in 155 years
A Christian shore town will open its beach on Sunday mornings for the first time in 155 years.
Since 1869, Ocean Grove, New Jersey, has kept its mile-long strip of Jersey Shore beach closed for religious observation until noon on Sundays.
Now, following ongoing pushback from the state of New Jersey, the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association (OGCMA) has been ordered to open the beach.
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“For 155 years, we have closed our beach on Sunday mornings to honor God — a core pillar of this community since the founding of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association,” the group wrote in a statement posted on its website.
“Now, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is ordering us to open our privately owned beach on Sunday mornings.”
The sun rises on Easter morning in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. (Joshua Comins/Fox News Digital)
The OGCMA announced that it will challenge the order “to preserve our property rights and religious freedom.”
The association wrote, “Our application for an emergent stay is pending, but we have no indication when an Order will be entered. We are currently compelled to comply with the NJDEP order to open the beach, but have not ceased nor abandoned our quest to protect our religious and property rights.”
NEW JERSEY CHRISTIAN BEACH TOWN FACES PRESSURE TO STOP ITS FAITH-BASED CLOSURES ON SUNDAY MORNINGS
Ocean Grove will provide lifeguards on Sunday mornings for the safety of beachgoers, in the meantime, it said.
“We continue to do ministry by providing opportunities for spiritual birth, growth and renewal through worship, education and cultural programs,” the OGCMA concluded in its statement. “As always, we welcome all to join us in ‘God’s Square Mile.’”
A sign displays Ocean Grove, New Jersey’s Sunday morning beach closure message. (Joshua Comins/Fox News Digital)
After finding the OGCMA to be in violation of the Coastal Area Facility Review Act, the NJDEP served the group with an administrative order in Oct. 2023 to remove the padlocks and chains from their beach site from May through September.
The agency threatened fines of $25,000 per day if Ocean Grove does not comply.
On May 21, NJDEP commissioner Shawn LaTourette denied the OGCMA’s subsequent request to stay, or halt, the order pending appeal.
NEW JERSEY SERVES VIOLATION NOTICE TO OCEAN GROVE FOR ITS SUNDAY BEACH CLOSURES: IT’S ‘ANTI-CHRISTIAN’
“I find that OGCMA has not demonstrated that a stay of departmental enforcement of applicable public access requirements is warranted in this matter,” the commissioner concluded in the legal document, which was shared with Fox News Digital.
“Accordingly, OGCMA’s request for a stay is denied.”
The NJDEP declined further comment to Fox News Digital this week, as the “matter is in litigation.”
An assortment of Ocean Grove’s community beach badges are shown in the Jersey Shore sand. (Joshua Comins/Fox News Digital)
In Aug. 2023, Ocean Grove received a letter from the NJDEP warning of this outcome.
Several protests also occurred last summer, as opposition groups trespassed onto Ocean Grove’s private beach property while it was closed for Sunday worship.
In a previous interview with Fox News Digital, former OGCMA President Michael Badger said the Sunday morning beach closure is important for furthering Ocean Grove’s tradition and respecting religious observation.
“It creates a quieter, less stressful environment,” he said. “It’s in keeping with the historic charm that is characteristic of Ocean Grove and differentiates us from our neighboring communities.”
He also said, “There’s less traffic in the streets. It’s slightly easier to get parking. You don’t have the Italian ice and ice cream trucks going up and down the street.”
Counter-protesters are pictured in front of an Ocean Grove beach entrance in 2023. OGCMA is a private, religiously affiliated nonprofit that owns the land in Ocean Grove — including the near-half-mile beach, boardwalk and pier. (Joshua Comins/Fox News Digital)
It also grants Ocean Grove’s lifeguards half a day off, he said — and allows people to attend church.
“Overall, it’s improving the quality of life that benefits both secular and religious intentions,” he said.
Ocean Grove has had its beach closed on Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon between Memorial Day and Labor Day for a couple of decades, Badger shared.
Before that, the city closed its beach all day on Sundays.
OGCMA is a private, religiously affiliated nonprofit that owns the land in Ocean Grove — including the near-half-mile beach, boardwalk and pier — and is home to the longest-serving lifeguard corps in New Jersey, according to Badger.
Fox News Digital reached out to the OGCMA for further comment.
For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.
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Maine
This Classic New England-Style Cottage in Maine Has 200 Feet of Atlantic Ocean Frontage
A waterfront home with open ocean views on the coast of Maine came to market Tuesday asking $4 million.
Built in 1978, the three-bedroom cottage is at the southern point of Cape Elizabeth, less than 10 miles from downtown Portland. The 1.1-acre property on Sunny Bank Road features 200 feet of south-facing water frontage on the wide open Atlantic.
It is bordered by a rocky sea wall that’s about 28 feet high, according to listing agent Sam Michaud Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty
“The views are like a Monet painting,” he said via email. “The water sparkles and the waves are endless.”
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The 3,364-square-foot home was built in classic New England style, with shingle siding, a single sloped roofline and large windows—complemented by white-washed walls, exposed-beam ceilings and wide-plank flooring on the interiors.
The main common area features cathedral ceilings with a step-down between the living and dining room, and a partial wall divides the dining room from the kitchen. There is also a wood-paneled family room off the kitchen, a gym and a covered porch.
The sellers purchased the property in 2010 for $1.562 million, according to property records accessed through PropertyShark. They could not immediately be reached for comment.
“I have received quite a few inquiries since hitting the market two days ago,” Michaud said. “Buyers understand that this is a golden opportunity to own over an acre with 200 feet of bold oceanfront in Cape Elizabeth.”
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There are currently just seven three-bedroom homes available for sale in Cape Elizabeth and fewer than five waterfront properties, according to Sotheby’s and Zillow data. It is also the most expensive listing in the town, with another waterfront property on a tiny lot just south of Portland coming in a close second, according to Zillow.
Michaud sold the former Cape Elizabeth home of Bette Davis this past summer for $13.4 million, the priciest sale on the cape in at least a decade—and even those views can’t compare. They’re “just magical,” he said.
Massachusetts
Body part found in Shirley, Massachusetts pond, police suspect foul play
A body part was found in a pond in Shirley, Massachusetts and investigators said foul play is suspected.
It was discovered around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday as a group of people were walking along Veterans Memorial Bridge on Shaker Road.
Police said the group noticed something suspicious in the water of Phoenix Pond. The Middlesex District Attorney confirmed that the item was a body part, but would not elaborate.
Police shut down the road and divers could be seen exploring the pond late Wednesday. Authorities were back at the scene Thursday morning.
No other information is available at this point in the investigation.
Phoenix Pond connects to the Catacoonamug Brook, which flows into the Nashua River. It’s also connected to Lake Shirley.
Shirley, Massachusetts is about 44 miles northwest of Boston and around 13 miles from the New Hampshire border.
New Hampshire
NH Senate Votes To Hike Turnpike Tolls for Out-of-State Vehicles
By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD – While Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte has said she opposes increasing highway toll rates across the state, the Senate voted Thursday to increase rates for out-of-state license plate holders.
It now goes to the House for consideration.
This would be a $1 increase for those who have out of state plates going through the tolls at Hooksett, Hampton and Bedford for out-of-state plates, a 75 cent hike for those taking Hampton’s Exit 2 and on the Spaulding turnpike at Rochester, and a 50 cent hike for those taking the exit off I-93 to Hooksett.
An analysis in the bill shows that this would increase toll revenue by $53.3 million in fiscal year 2027 and go up each year to generate $81.4 million a year in 2036.
Senate Bill 627 passed on a voice vote with two Republicans, Senators Regina Birdsell of Hampstead and William Gannon of Sandown opposing.
Senator Mark E. McConkey, R-Freedom, moved to take the bill off the table and offered an amendment.
He said the last time there was a systemwide increase to the turnpike toll was 19 years ago.
“I am sure we could all agree the cost of operations…has continued to escalate when revenue is not rising with it,” and he noted that with an enterprise fund, the state can only spend what it takes in.
The state has just completed a 10-year highway plan and there was a $400 million shortfall in projects that could not be paid for under the current income.
McConkey said the measure would not increase tolls for New Hampshire drivers with a state license plate.
“Why don’t we ask our neighbors,” to pay a toll increase. “We are getting the best of all worlds,” by passing the bill, he said, including “protecting our residents” and having resources for improvements to the turnpike system.
Sen. Gannon, R-Sandown, asked McConkey if there are any studies on impacts near the border on businesses.
If implemented, McConkey said the state will be the 27th lowest in per mile cost still. McConkey said the bill would also increase from seven to 14 days the amount of time for those with NH license plates to pay for a toll adding there are other states that also have different rates for out-of-state users.
The Hampton toll cost would go from $2 to $3, while Hooksett and Bedford would rise from $1 to $2 for out-of-state plates.
New Hampshire currently has the lowest rate per mile among states with tolls roads.
The governor said she does not support a toll increase.
“We are not going to put a burden on drivers for a toll increase,” Ayotte said. “Families are struggling.”
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