The True Story of Ralph

About the Book

After the northeast storm of 1992 destroyed the Ocean Grove Fishing Pier, Carol and Bob, a good friend, decided it would be a funny practical joke to put a dummy on the end of the ruins of the Fishing Pier. Bob named the dummy, Ralph. Neither Carol nor Bob thought that Ralph would last more than one week, but it turned out that he survived the summer, fall, and winter. When the pier was rebuilt in the spring, the members of the Fishing Club asked if Ralph could become a permanent fixture. To this day Ralph can be seen watching over South End Ocean Grove Beach.

About the Author

Born in 1952, as a child Carol Egner Boniello spent her summers in Ocean Grove, and can remember the time when you could not drive your car there on Sunday. A veteran physical education teacher in the Neptune Township Public Schools, she has dedicated her life to children as a profession and a passion. Carol has served on recreation commissions and advisor to church groups, and is currently the coordinator of the town Christmas pageant that includes over one hundred children each year. She is an accomplished seamstress and produces costumes for the pageant as well as other community events. She is an avid tennis player and "beachie." Carol continues to live in Ocean Grove with her husband Mike and dogs, Booker and Jessie, and cats, Cougar and Oogman.