Council President Annie McWilliams interviewed by BKS1 Radio on Recreation rumors

Council President McWilliams in BKS1 Radio interview.

Plainfield's City Council President Annie McWilliams was interviewed by BKS1 Radio (Best Kept Secrets) concerning the misinformation being spread in the community about the Council's support of recreation opportunities for Plainfield youngsters.

Listen to the interview below --

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Reception for Annie McWilliams cancelled

The reception for Plainfield's new City Council president, Annie McWilliams, set for New Year's day afternoon has been canceled, owing to an illness in the family.

Councilor McWilliams will be sworn in as Council President at the reorganization meeting, which will take place in the Council Chambers/Courthouse at 1 PM.

-- Dan

Council-watching: What impressed the fly on the wall

Readers beware! Plainfield Today is filching from Olddoc today, sort of.

Chatting at the Council meeting last night, after I remarked that Bernice was a reporter and I was a partisan (perhaps more accurately, a meliorist), Dr. Yood said that he saw himself as an impressionist.

That was definitely a good thing to be at Monday's Council meeting.

Besides scheduling a budget hearing, the Council held an agenda-setting session to set up the reorganization meeting slated for New Year's Day.

(The Council, which is the City's corporate entity, exists as an annual creature, expiring on December 31st of each year, hence a reorganization meeting, at which new members are sworn in, the calendar for the year adopted and appointments and other housekeeping items taken care of.)

But back to the impressions of a fly-on-the-wall.

Of interest was item 'VI. Discussion Items', which indicated the Council President would entertain comments from Council members during this segment.

Right away, it got interesting, as Councilor Annie McWilliams seemed to take the lead in the discussions, first raising a point, with Burney then asking others to chime in.

It was unusual because McWilliams is not usually the first one to speak.

It became more unusual after an item or two more were discussed in the same fashion, with Council President Burney deferring to Councilor McWilliams and then pitching the ball to the others.

Hmmmmm...

Were we witnessing the 'soft launch' of next year's Council President?

Just an impression made upon a fly-on-the-wall.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Anonymous Plainfield Today poster shilling for ... Jerry?

President George W. Bush at Grace Episcopal Church, Plainfield, NJ, March 14, 2001.
Bush is greeting Tina Otte, director of the church's GirlSpace program.
Behind Bush (from the left) are Rev. 'Buster' Soaries, New Jersey Secretary of State,
Acting Gov. Donald DeFrancesco and Rep. Mike Ferguson (partly obscured by Bush).
(Photo by Dan Damon.)

The Plainfield Today post about the racist flyers portraying President Obama in whiteface (see here) has drawn a couple of strange comments, which I posted without hesitation, though with some puzzlement.

However, it seems the anonymous poster (I am guessing it is one person) has an axe to grind, which is OK until they start MAKING UP HISTORY.

The following was posted early on Sunday morning --

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Obama fearmongers hit Plainfield":

Bush came to Plainfield in 2001, brought by then-mayor Al McWilliams. I didn't call Bush a Nazi but I was disappointed that our "Democratic" mayor invited him and welcomed him with open arms. And where was Dan? Doing the mayor's PR as "public information officer" but the public got no real information from him then. If he's so devoted to Obama now he should vote for Corzine and all the Democrats--yes, even Jerry Green--and say so. Otherwise he will just continue to be known as another shill for the crowd that wants to get rid of Green no matter what kind of idiot replaces him. (Emphasis added --DD).

Posted by Anonymous to PLAINFIELD TODAY at October 4, 2009 6:39 AM

What's wrong with this little piece of 'history'?

Only that it never happened that way.

When President George W. Bush visited Plainfield, it was at the invitation of Martin Cox (through then U.S. Representative Mike Ferguson, Republican), who was then heading up a grant-funded youth program for which Rose of Sharon Community Church was the fiscal agent, which has since gone defunct. (Yes, the same Martin Cox who ran for mayor in this year's Democratic primary.)

The program rented space in the basement of Grace Episcopal Church, and that is the site that President Bush visited.

I had a connection with that visit, but it had nothing to do with my being a City employee.

At the time, I was a Warden of Grace Church (a lay officer of the parish) and had to interact with the Secret Service in making security arrangements for the President's visit.

In the first place, the parish was not approached about WHETHER we wanted the visit, but merely informed that it was SCHEDULED AND HAPPENING, which meant that it would interfere with regular parish activities.

The Secret Service, which is responsible for the President's safety, was very thorough in their inspection of the premises and their arrangements for security during his visit.

However, they wanted Grace Church to CANCEL its weekly Wednesday morning Mass and healing service, which would involve parishioners entering the chapel for the service shortly before the President's scheduled arrival.

The Secret Service did not like the idea of having people who they could not screen in advance come into a building which they had to make secure.

The demand to cancel the service came as a shock to us, as the parish had held the service without interruption for probably a hundred years or more.

As Warden, I told the Secret Service we could not cancel the Eucharist.

When they insisted, I said there was one thing we COULD DO, and that would be to REFUSE PERMISSION for the President's visit to the church premises.

That got their attention.

A compromise was worked out, the parish held its Eucharist, and President George W. Bush made his visit.

As I recall, there was a throng of politicians there (the invitee list was controlled by Martin Cox) -- including Mayor Al McWilliams and Assemblyman Jerry Green, both of whom (graciously, of course) welcomed the President to the city of Plainfield.

Sometimes, those in political leadership have to show good manners and good sense, and be in the company of people for whom they have no personal liking.

After all, the Mayor and the Assemblyman represented the City and its residents, and were welcoming the President of the United States as the president, not as a drinking buddy.

Scores of people showed up to protest the President's visit, and were allowed to gather at the intersection of East 7th Street and Cleveland Avenue, where they would not be able to directly confront the President. That crowd included many Plainfield activists from a variety of organizations, as well as folks from other area communities, and even a few Grace Church parishioners.

And that is the TRUE history of President George W. Bush's visit to Plainfield, New Jersey.

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• Plainfield Today: "Obama fearmongers hit Plainfield"

-- Dan Damon

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Council Reorganization: The Plainfield Today videos

Annie McWilliams, sworn in by Judge Key

Adrian Mapp, sworn in by his daughter Shermona

Plainfield's City Council reorganized on New Year's Day.

Here are videos of the remarks by newly seated Councilors Annie McWilliams (Citywide at-large) and Adrian Mapp (Ward 3). Those of newly-elected Council President Rashid Burney exceeded YouTube's size limit and will be posted in two segments later.

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-- Dan Damon

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'08's top 10 - #1: In referendum on Green, Plainfield chooses McWilliams, Mapp

Today, the No. 1 most-read, chart-busting, story of 2008 was a double post outlining the reasons the June primary was a referendum on the leadership of Assemblyman Jerry Green, and the first report of the trouncing his proxies got at the polls. Something to keep in mind as we enter the year 2009, in which both Jerry Green and Sharon Robinson-Briggs must face the voters' evaluation of their stewardship of Plainfield.

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"Primary a referendum on Jerry Green"

Assemblyman Jerry Green

For those who simply cannot get enough of Plainfield political hurly-burly, here are the links to my posts leading up to Tuesday's stunning defeat of Assemblyman Jerry Green's handpicked City Council candidates.

Was I wrong to cast the entire election as a referendum on Green's political leadership? 62% of Plainfield voters seem to think not.

Read on --

Primary Day: "Tuesday To-Do's: Vote, Party"
Monday: "The Assemblyman's panic attack"
Sunday: "The problem with Don Davis"
Saturday: "Slimemeister Green avoids Gibson's true cost to taxpayers"
Friday: "Plainfield's 'Corruption Tax', the Platters and You"
Thursday: "Gibson and Muhlenberg: Sleeping through the crisis"
Wednesday: "The Buying and Selling (out) of Plainfield"
Tuesday: "Primary A Referendum on Assemblyman Jerry Green"

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"Voters Rebuke Green Team With McWilliams-Mapp Blowout"

Annie McWilliams and Adrian Mapp celebrate with supporters after
sweeping Tuesday's Primary Election. (Photo, Allison McWilliams)

Plainfield voters soundly rebuked the political leadership of Assemblyman Jerry Green at the polls on Tuesday, giving the Democratic nomination for the citywide at-large seat to Annie McWilliams by a resounding 62% as against 37% for Green's handpicked incumbent, former Union County Public Safety Director Harold Gibson. Unofficial totals show 2860 votes cast, 1785 for McWilliams and 1075 for Gibson.

The win was continued in the Ward Three contest, where former Councilor and Freeholder Adrian Mapp beat out Green incumbent Don Davis and 'Buy Muhlenberg' founder Olive Lynch. While I do not have the totals for Lynch, Mapp drew 462 votes to Davis' 371 in the unofficial count. UPDATE AT 8 AM: The newspapers report Olive Lynch receiving 149 votes. The unofficial breakdown now stands at: Mapp, 47%; Davis, 38%; and Lynch, 15%. Combined, Mapp and Lynch garnered 62% of the vote, with 38% for Davis, reflecting the percentage spread in the citywide race.

Official figures will be available on the County Clerk's website later.

Running a low-budget grassroots campaign, the McWilliams-Mapp team used both tried-and-true techniques (walking the neighborhoods and talking with voters) as well as new methods of spreading their message (blogs) and gathering online contributions by using the Paypal service, which has been so successful for Barack Obama.

Assemblyman Green, on the other hand, relied on an old-style vendor-driven contribution operation which guaranteed oodles of cash but little-to-no grassroots support.

Preliminary numbers indicate McWilliams swept the Green machine in all four wards -- including strong showings in Ward 4 (especially Neighborhood House) and Ward 1, both of which Green has relied on in the past.

One of the sights caught by voters entering the polls at Plainfield High School was Her Honor, Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs, dutifully handing out palm cards in support of Assemblyman Green's handpicked candidates. (You will recall SHE was herself handpicked by the selfsame Assemblyman Green in 2005.)

McWilliams and Mapp trounced Gibson on his home turf -- Ward Three -- with Mapp taking the Ward Three council nomination despite a run by 'Save Muhlenberg' activist Olive Lynch, who drew substantial support.

In my mind, the Ward Three results also represent a rebuke of Assemblyman Green for his dismal performance on the Muhlenberg Hospital question, where he first found himself asleep at the switch and then spent his initial energies organizing the hospital's shut-down.

The people, evidently, will have none of it, and this does NOT augur well for Green on other fronts.

In a heavily Democratic community such as Plainfield, nomination virtually assures election in November, in which both Annie McWilliams and Adrian Mapp will appear in the regular Democratic lineup.

The times, as Dylan said, are a changin' --

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

You may substitute the elected officials of your choice in the lyric.

UPDATE: The County Clerk's official, certified tally of the June 2008 Democratic Primary is available here.

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• No. 10 - Nov. 17: "Plainfield official using vehicle without permission?"
• No. 09 - Oct. 08: "Mayor loses bodyguards: Right move, wrong reason?"
• No. 08 - July 14: "Council discusses troublesome South Avenue zoning changes"
• No. 07 - Jan. 28: "Plainfield rallies for Obama tonight" (plus followups -- the rally, the Primary)
• No. 06 - Apr. 1: "Dan tosses his hat in the ring"
• No. 05 - Mar. 20: "Jerry's troubling trifecta: Muhlenberg, Abbott, Santiago"
• No. 04 - May 9, 20: "Saving Muhlenberg or Jerry?" | "The Mayor and the Muhlenberg Mess"
• No. 03 - Sep. 30: "Development: The meltdown hits Plainfield"
• No. 02 - Dec. 2: "Mayor abruptly fires Plainfield's finance director"
• No. 01 - June 4: "Primary a referendum on Jerry" | "McWilliams, Mapp trounce Green team"
  

-- Dan Damon

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'Thank You' from Annie and Adrian and a catch-up note

Annie McWilliams and Adrian Mapp, winners of the Democratic primary, have recorded a 'thank you' to all who voted, volunteered or gave their support in other ways. You can listen to it here: "Annie and Adrian say 'thanks'".

While I'm catching up on things, ALL the many comments on the various Primary campaign and election stories have finally been posted (whew!), and you can check them out HERE.

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-- Dan Damon

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Primary Election: A look at the numbers

Plainfielders interested in how the votes went district-by-district in June 3's primary election will find the complete unofficial results posted here (PDF).

Official results are certified by the County Clerk, based on tallies from the voting machines plus military and absentee ballots. The numbers I have posted are from the City Clerk and will form the basis of the certification by the County.

While primaries are often the victims of low turnout, Tuesday's Democratic primary drew unusual interest -- in part because it was cast as a referendum on the political leadership of Assemblyman Jerry Green, the city's Democratic chair. With 2,931 votes cast on the Democratic side of the primary, nearly 30% of the city's registered Democrats voted. That fact alone should give the Assemblyman and the Mayor pause.

In Thursday's Ledger, both Green and defeated councilor Harold Gibson were interviewed. While throwing his running mate Davis under the bus, Gibson opined some people may have lumped him together with Davis, thereby helping explain his defeat.

Nice try, except it ain't so. The piece which cited Don Davis' bar tabs and DWI case was only mailed to the 3rd Ward, which could hardly explain Gibson's defeat elsewhere.

68% of the total vote came from Wards 2 and 3.

In Ward 2, with 1,007 total votes, Gibson lost to McWilliams 73% to 27% -- nearly three to one. In Ward 3, Gibson's home turf, he lost 60% to 40%, managing to best McWilliams (by TWO votes) in only one of the ward's ten voting districts.

In Ward 4, which Assemblyman Green often tries to play against Ward 2, Gibson managed to win only one of the five districts (by FOUR votes). McWilliams nevertheless took the ward, 61% - 39%.

Ward 1 was the only ward where Gibson prevailed (by NINE votes). His strength here was based in Richmond Towers (District 3), where he pulled in 48 votes. This is the district where I sat as a volunteer challenger throughout the day, and I can attest that much of his success is owed to City Committee member Hattie Williams, a resident of Richmond Towers who perpetually works as a county poll worker for the district. Although I must note that there was a sharp increase in the number of Hispanic voters for both the 3rd and the 5th districts, the two whose polling place is Richmond Towers.

If, as Assemblyman Green says in the Ledger story, 'all indications pointed to a Gibson and Davis victory', one has to wonder about the quality of his intelligence, given the magnitude of his defeat.

In the three-way race for Ward 3, candidate Olive Lynch received 155 votes -- far less than one might guess from Assemblyman Green's rhetoric in the Ledger article. But, together with Adrian Mapp's commanding 48%, the two bested incumbent Don Davis with 63% of the vote -- beating Davis by 26 points.

Together, Adrian Mapp and Olive Lynch
took 63% of the Ward 3 vote.

In a heavily Democratic town like Plainfield, victory in the primary ensures election in November, so we may say that Annie McWilliams and Adrian Mapp are the presumptive councilors to be seated in January.

And that is when Assemblyman Green and his proxy, Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs, will begin to get their real headaches.

Until then, we should all enjoy the summer. We've earned it.

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• "2008 Democratic Primary: Unofficial Results"

-- Dan Damon

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McWilliams & Mapp: Celebration slideshow

A slideshow of pictures snapped at the McWilliams and Mapp victory celebration after the polls closed on Primary Day, June 3, 2008.

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Voters Rebuke Green Team With McWilliams-Mapp Blowout

Annie McWilliams and Adrian Mapp celebrate with supporters after
sweeping Tuesday's Primary Election. (Photo, Allison McWilliams)

Plainfield voters soundly rebuked the political leadership of Assemblyman Jerry Green at the polls on Tuesday, giving the Democratic nomination for the citywide at-large seat to Annie McWilliams by a resounding 62% as against 37% for Green's handpicked incumbent, former Union County Public Safety Director Harold Gibson. Unofficial totals show 2860 votes cast, 1785 for McWilliams and 1075 for Gibson.

The win was continued in the Ward Three contest, where former Councilor and Freeholder Adrian Mapp beat out Green incumbent Don Davis and 'Buy Muhlenberg' founder Olive Lynch. While I do not have the totals for Lynch, Mapp drew 462 votes to Davis' 371 in the unofficial count. UPDATE AT 8 AM: The newspapers report Olive Lynch receiving 149 votes. The unofficial breakdown now stands at: Mapp, 47%; Davis, 38%; and Lynch, 15%. Combined, Mapp and Lynch garnered 62% of the vote, with 38% for Davis, reflecting the percentage spread in the citywide race.

Official figures will be available on the County Clerk's website later.

Running a low-budget grassroots campaign, the McWilliams-Mapp team used both tried-and-true techniques (walking the neighborhoods and talking with voters) as well as new methods of spreading their message (blogs) and gathering online contributions by using the Paypal service, which has been so successful for Barack Obama.

Assemblyman Green, on the other hand, relied on an old-style vendor-driven contribution operation which guaranteed oodles of cash but little-to-no grassroots support.

Preliminary numbers indicate McWilliams swept the Green machine in all four wards -- including strong showings in Ward 4 (especially Neighborhood House) and Ward 1, both of which Green has relied on in the past.

One of the sights caught by voters entering the polls at Plainfield High School was Her Honor, Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs, dutifully handing out palm cards in support of Assemblyman Green's handpicked candidates. (You will recall SHE was herself handpicked by the selfsame Assemblyman Green in 2005.)

McWilliams and Mapp trounced Gibson on his home turf -- Ward Three -- with Mapp taking the Ward Three council nomination despite a run by 'Save Muhlenberg' activist Olive Lynch, who drew substantial support.

In my mind, the Ward Three results also represent a rebuke of Assemblyman Green for his dismal performance on the Muhlenberg Hospital question, where he first found himself asleep at the switch and then spent his initial energies organizing the hospital's shut-down.

The people, evidently, will have none of it, and this does NOT augur well for Green on other fronts.

In a heavily Democratic community such as Plainfield, nomination virtually assures election in November, in which both Annie McWilliams and Adrian Mapp will appear in the regular Democratic lineup.

The times, as Dylan said, are a changin' --

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

You may substitute the elected officials of your choice in the lyric.

[ Click HERE to email this story to your friends.]

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-- Dan Damon

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Green's Muhlenberg proposal: Statement by McWilliams and Mapp

Below is the text of a statement issued to the media by Plainfield City Council candidates Annie McWilliams (Citywide at-large) and Adrian Mapp (Ward 3), who were unable to attend Wednesday night's presentation on Muhlenberg by developer Drew Piscatelli at an event organized by Plainfield Assemblyman Jerry Green.

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The people of Plainfield and the surrounding communities are dismayed and angered by the proposal of Solaris Health System to close Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center.

The impact of such a closure on Plainfield will be devastating. Not only would the critical acute-care facilities be lost to those who rely on them, over 1,100 employees will lose their jobs. Many of these will have great difficulty finding jobs to replace the ones they have had at Muhlenberg.

Our business community will also be severely impacted -- not only through the loss of doctor's offices on Park Avenue, but through the loss of business throughout the community by those shops and services which depend on Muhlenberg employees and the dollars they spend.

While Assemblyman Green is to be applauded for finally getting behind efforts to keep Muhlenberg open, we are skeptical of his proposal that it should be taken over by the City of Plainfield and run as a "doctors' mall". Whether or not the idea has merit as a business proposition, it is clear to us that it will take too long a time to put in place.

In the meantime, if Solaris has its way, Muhlenberg will be shut on June 15 as planned, and the net effect on the community will be the same as if the Assemblyman's scheme had never even seen the light of day.

We have held from Day One that closing Muhlenberg is in violation of the state's own criteria for shutting down hospitals, since Muhlenberg's presence is vital to an UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY and there is no surplus of hospital beds in the Muhlenberg market area. As we see it, the state has a moral and ethical responsibility to keep Muhlenberg open.

We believe that the Assemblyman's efforts would be better spent demanding that the State stop the closure process and give emergency funding to Solaris to tide it over until a more rational and equitable approach to managing New Jersey's hospital crisis can be arrived at.

Candidate Meet-and-Greet Brunch this morning

All are invited to come out and meet City Council candidates Annie McWilliams (Citywide at-large) and Adrian Mapp (Ward 3) this morning. A continental breakfast will be served.

Candidate Meet-and-Greet
10 AM
YWCA Terrace Room
East Front & Church Streets

We'll be out in time to go to the 'Save Muhlenberg' Rally at Noon at Park Avenue & Randolph Road.

McWilliams to run for Council

Annie McWilliams, eldest daughter of the late Mayor Al McWilliams, today announced her intention to run for the citywide at-large Council seat in Plainfield's Democratic primary.

"Plainfield is facing challenging times," Ms. McWilliams said, "with the threatened loss of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center, changes to school and school construction funding, and the impact of the deepening recession on the residents and taxpayers of the community. I want to help us face and overcome these challenges successfully."

Hundreds upon hundreds have been drawn into action around the issue of retaining Muhlenberg, and the dissatisfaction voiced with how local elected officials have allowed things to get into such a state is sure to help propel the candidacy of a newcomer like McWilliams.

The announcement caps a day in which McWilliams' father, Al, was remembered at services led by the Rev. Dr. Gerald Lamont Thomas at Shiloh Baptist Church on the first anniversary of his passing. The McWilliams family are members of Shiloh, and Dr. Thomas referred to Al McWilliams as a "good friend" during his remarks to the congregation, which included members of the Shiloh church family as well as friends and supporters of the late mayor.

McWilliams, 24, is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School of Business. She works for Citigroup in New York City.

Annie McWilliams will be facing Harold Gibson, who was the Democratic machine's pick to replace the late Ray Blanco.

Petitions must be filed in the City Clerk's office by 4:00 PM Monday. The Democratic primary election will be held on Tuesday, June 3.

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-- Dan Damon

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Public memorials and namings in Plainfield [a slideshow]

As friends and family of the late Mayor Al McWilliams prepare to honor his memory at Sunday service at Shiloh Baptist Church, I am reminded that the proposal for a public memorial in Al's name was removed by Council President Gibson from the Council's business agenda and has not been heard of since.

This proposal was driven by the expressed intent of the Council in appointing a committee to bring back a proposal to the governing body.

The committee did what it was asked to do.

Council President Gibson had another thought.

"There is not the kind of precedent anywhere for what they’re looking for." -- Council President Harold Gibson, as cited in the Plaintalker.

What is it that there is no precedent for?

Here are a selection of city-designated memorials and public namings.

This does not include those done by the Board of Education or Union County.

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-- Dan Damon

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Al McWilliams Anniversary Sunday at Shiloh

Mayor Al McWilliams and his wife, Darlene, at the dedication
of the Veteran's Memorial, 2001.

Family and friends of the late Plainfield mayor Al McWilliams will gather for worship Sunday, April 6, at Shiloh Baptist Church's 9:00 AM service.

Sunday is the first anniversary of Al's passing and Shiloh's pastor, the Rev. Dr. Gerald Lamont Thomas, will offer reflections on Al's contributions to the life and betterment of the community.

All are invited to share this time of worship and fellowship.

Mr. Greg Lance-Watkins, who lives in the United Kingdom and is a ten-year survivor of kidney and bladder cancer, maintains an online information resource and support center at Kidney Cancer Resource, and has graciously put up a memorial page to Mayor McWilliams on his website (see here). Many thanks to him for remembering our fallen friend and for the great good done by his site in offering information and support concerning this deadly disease.

You may also wish to visit the remembrances page on Plainfield Today, where scores of those whose lives were touched by Al McWilliams posted their remembrances and expressions of sympathy at the time of his passing (see here).

Readers should feel free to post reflections and remembrances by using the comments option at the bottom of this page.

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Shiloh Baptist Church
West 4th Street at New Street
Sunday, April 6, 2008 · 9:00 AM

-- Dan Damon

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Council asked to designate McWilliams memorial plaza

The Al McWilliams Memorial Committee presented its report to the Plainfield City Council Monday evening, recommending a location for a memorial by the City to the late two-term mayor.

In a presentation by committee members Annie McWilliams, Al's oldest daughter, Linda Payne and Mary Burgwinkle, the group -- with representatives drawn from throughout the city's four wards -- proposed that the City Council designate the triangular public space on the southeast corner of East Front Street and Park Avenue as the 'Albert T. McWilliams Jr. Memorial Plaza'.

The proposal included raising the funding for a statue by public subscription, to be installed at a later date.

The Council received the proposal warmly, and it appears on track for adoption by resolution in time for a special service at Shiloh Baptist Church on Sunday, April 6, the first anniversary of Mayor McWilliams' passing.

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-- Dan Damon

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McWilliams team slated for weekend event

Darlene McWilliams and her five children -- Annie, Allison, Albert, Adam and Avery -- form the base of a team that is participating this weekend in Plainfield's first-ever 'Relay for Life' event.

Plainfield has been designated a site of the American Cancer Society's signature community-building and fundraising event for the first time in 2007.

'Relay for Life' is a thirteen hour overnight walk/run event in which participants, organized in teams, honor cancer survivors and their caregivers as well as remember friends and family who have died from the disease.

Plainfield's 'Relay for Life' event will be held at Hub Stine Field, on Randolph Road below Woodland Avenue, starting at 6 PM on Saturday, June 16 and concluding on Sunday morning at 8 AM.

Monies raised through pledges and registration fees support cancer research, screening and education.

Darlene McWilliams, who received many queries about how to make a meaningful gift in the name of her husband, former mayor Al McWilliams, who died of renal cancer in April, hopes that the 'Relay for Life' will provide a suitable opportunity for those who wish to remember their friend and former mayor.

Here is a letter being circulated to friends in the community --

It’s reasonable to think that, when it comes to life, there will certainly be a rocky road or two, or perhaps a small mountain to climb for everyone. Culturally, we continue to believe that life is never perfect, but with good planning, hard work, determination and love, one has a pretty good chance of conquering the important battles of life. History tells us that the use of such good character is how many great wars in the world have been won. And in America, we frequently witness the inspiring stories of many who have conquered great challenges of the “Mount Everest” kind. Still, contrary to all of this, far too many men, women and children will die before you finish reading this story. They are fighting a battle that as of now they have no chance of winning. And, while many scientific advances have been made and many lives have been saved, there is so much more work to be done. My strong desire to urge you to participate in the Relay for Life Walk this coming weekend comes out of my greatest personal loss, the death of my beloved one, the former Mayor Albert T. McWilliams.

In 1982 and just under a year and a half after we first met, my husband and I were married in my parent’s backyard. Like my parents and his, we were deeply in love and took a vow of love everlasting. And like our parents we kept our promise to each other. My parents were married over 43 years before my father’s passing and his parents were married for over 52 years before his father passed away. We knew that we were destined for a long and happy life together, and nothing would be impossible for us.

Our first daughter was born two years almost to the date of our wedding, and there would be four more beautiful children to follow over a period of 11 years. My husband was not only a strong and able role model for our family, but a great Dad, the most romantic husband, my best friend and mentor, and a great leader in our community. To our amazement many people who really knew us, referred to us as the “Cosby Family.” For us, this was a kind of humbling applause…and we were flattered but chose not take it too seriously. Life, we thought, was a gift and a chance to live and work in a way that would inspire others. The effects of the Civil Rights Movement rubbed off on us, and we were proud to be the beneficiaries of the fruit it bore. Doing the right thing was our duty. In our youth, we were the first in the history of our families to have gained the same rights of our white counterparts, and our children were the first to be born with the same rights of their white counterparts. We were the first in our immediate families to become college and post college graduates. We were free to dream, and life for us was better than good. We had reached the American Dream.

Although our dreams and accomplishments were big, early last summer and just months before our 25th wedding anniversary, we declared even bigger visions. And by that October, it looked like they were also about to come true. Then suddenly within days apart we received conflicting reports. First, we heard the exciting news about a business opportunity, and then, the sad news of my husband’s diagnosis of renal cell cancer. Before we could absorb the meaning of it all, or find any effective treatment, it spread throughout his body faster than a baby could possibly grow in his mother’s womb. It changed the course of our lives, forever. Just five months from diagnosis, he passed away.

Cancer is no respecter of persons, incomes, colors, or genders. It does not care about your dreams or your rich history. Cancer is the thief that comes to rob and steal in the middle of the night, when you least expect it. If it hasn’t touched your life already, it will affect someone you love, or perhaps you, yourself.

Whereas I feel certain that if heaven is possible, Al is there, I am equally certain that his family has been chosen to help inform the world about this ugly thief called renal cell cancer. We, the McWilliams family want to encourage you to take a proactive step towards fighting this demon. Join with us in the Relay For Life Walk this coming weekend. Together, we can make a difference.

Relay for Life of Plainfield
Hub Stine Field
(Randolph Road near Woodland Avenue)
6 PM, Saturday, June 16
through
8 AM, Sunday, June 17
The website is here.

-- Dan Damon

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ARCHIVED POSTS OF PLAINFIELD TODAY FROM 11/03/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
http://plainfieldtoday.blogspot.com/

Plainfield Gazette - In support of Sharon!

Candidate Robinson-Briggs and supporters on steps of City Hall.
The original Plainfield Gazette flyer supporting her candidacy
was circulated at City Hall during her 2005 primary campaign.

Let's not overlook the fact that the purpose of the now-infamous 'Plainfield Gazette' leaflet (link is to printable copy) was to support Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs, her administration and its policies. Just as the Plainfield Gazette flyer distributed at City Hall during the 2005 mayoral primary was in support of her candidacy.

Her friend Joan Hervey, in a post to Plainfield Today ("Plainfield Gazette: Hervey raises more questions") only raised more questions.

One wonders if the Mayor is not asking herself by this time whether with friends like this she needs enemies.

Her Honor says to the Courier News ("Mayor probing document slurring former city spokesman") that she is investigating.

The leaflet, put out for the public in the City Hall rotunda exactly one week after the funeral of the late Mayor Al McWilliams, dishonors the man who finally got Plainfield moving after decades of being mired in backbiting politics --

"[Damon] heaped constant praise upon a mayor who he said could do no wrong and ha ha, ha, ha!...

"We also know that McWilliams during his forced departure placed his 'loyal' employees in cushy positions with increases but of course, there is no mention of that..."

"Ha ha, ha, ha"?

And let's name names, anonymous leafleter. Who exactly are the 'loyal' employees placed in cushy positions with increases?

The rap, if there is one on Al McWilliams, is that he DIDN'T pad the payroll for hundreds of thousands of dollars in salaries for cronies and political paybacks.

Never mind. The man has been slurred. Freshly in the grave.

By a faceless coward or cowards afraid to put their name to their words.

Mayor Robinson-Briggs should offer an apology to the McWilliams family if she has not already done so, letting the world know in no uncertain terms that she doesn't need or tolerate this kind of 'support'.

Unless, of course, she does.

-- Dan Damon

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ARCHIVED POSTS OF PLAINFIELD TODAY FROM 11/03/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
http://plainfieldtoday.blogspot.com/

McDonalds remembers Al

McDonalds on South Avenue remembers Al McWilliams. Thank you, Mrs. Adderley and the South Avenue McDonalds staff. And thanks to reader VG, who called PT's attention to the display.

-- Dan Damon

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ARCHIVED POSTS OF PLAINFIELD TODAY FROM 11/03/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
http://plainfieldtoday.blogspot.com/

Honoring Al: A Modest Proposal

While many Plainfielders struggle to come to grips with the loss of the community's beloved friend, Mayor Al McWilliams, some are beginning to give thought to how the city can best honor the leader who, as so aptly expressed by Councilor Rashid Burney, "got the city back up and running."

The generous comments of Assemblyman Jerry Green and Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs have been positively inspiring.

Assemblyman Jerry Green's assessment -- that Al McWilliams "was a champion in moving the city ahead," and that Green would "like him to know that what he did for the city was appreciated, because it was" -- has resonated deeply in the community.

As has Mayor Robinson-Briggs' vow that "the city will do whatever we need to do to honor him."

Plainfield Today has a modest proposal.

It would be the PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE gesture to name the Park-Madison office building the "Albert T. McWilliams Building."

After all, Al McWilliams was the one who successfully broke the jinx that had left the demolished four-acre plot at Plainfield's main intersection as an embarrassing symbol of Plainfield's failure and decay for decades.

It was his vision that transformed it into the bustling, spacious and attractive new hub that is beginning to anchor a downtown revival.

As Assemblyman Green said, "Plainfield is better because of him."

What better way to honor him?

-- Dan Damon

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ARCHIVED POSTS OF PLAINFIELD TODAY FROM 11/03/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
http://plainfieldtoday.blogspot.com/