A long picket line snaked back and forth down Park Avenue.
The battle for Muhlenberg is under way -- at least as far as Plainfield residents, patients and hospital staffers are concerned.
With chants of 'Ho Ho, Hey Hey, Muhlenberg has got to stay,' upwards of two hundred lively demonstrators of all ages -- including at least two in a baby stroller -- mounted a demonstration in front of the hospital at Park and Randolph yesterday afternoon. Saturday's rally was organized by the Plainfield chapter of People's Organization for Progress.
The only elected official I spotted was Councilor Cory Storch, though later a doctor in the picket line told a reader he had spotted Assemblyman Jerry Green, dressed in black and "looking appropriately like an undertaker", the reader quoted the physician.
As the solution proposed by Solaris Health Systems (Muhlenberg's parent corporation) of shutting down the hospital, leaving behind an emergency room, home care and the nursing school, sank in, the community reacted at first with shock -- and then anger.
"It's about time ordinary people got involved," said one participant, "I think we were a little too trustful of Solaris fighting to the finish for Muhlenberg and of Corzine coming to the rescue at the last minute. But better late than never."
I couldn't agree more.
Rose Marie Cathcart is a former cardiac patient
and a user of the Cardiac Rehab Center at Muhlenberg.
Nurses, doctors and other staffers were among participants.
This placard says it all.
-- Dan Damon
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2 comments:
You go girl, Cindy A!!! Keep that hospital open!
Dan, if Chief Santiago had stayed longer he would have known the crowd was much bigger than 200--I estimated we had at least 500 people there by the time the marching stopped and the rally started. You would have known that if you had stayed.
Especially heartwarming was the steady stream of supportive honking from cars and trucks driving on both Park Avenue and Randolph Road.
Among local politicians, you may only have seen Councilman Cory Storch, but I also saw Councilman Elliot Simmons. And the rally speakers included Assemblyman Green, Mayor Robinson-Briggs, and Council president Gibson. Also addressing the rally were members of the medical staff and people like Barbara Sandford, Rabbi Moshe Samber, and Carrie Faraone. Assemblywoman Linda Stender was there and was greeted with loud cheers. Both the head of the Plainfield Chamber of Commerce and the chair of Plainfield Area Equality were there.
You shoulda stuck around!
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