Rihanna thanks Plainfield Good Samaritans

Pop star Rihanna thanks Plainfielders for help with flat tire.

 

In an item on Daily News 11, pop idol Rihanna is said to thank Plainfield Good Samaritans for coming to her aid when she had a flat tire while passing through the Queen City (read the story here). My thanks to reader JB for the tipoff.

The Barbadian-born superstar considers Madonna her idol and biggest influence, though she recalls as a child going around the house singing Whitney Houston songs and using her hairbrush as a mike.

Rihanna graciously thanks the several drivers who stopped -- without knowing who she was -- to offer her help with the flat.

The story warmed the hearts of several readers who posted positive comments about Plainfield to the article's Facebook page.

The only problem is that Daily News 11 is a fantasy news site, with most of its articles being fantasy or satire.

Pity is wasn't factual, since Plainfield's Barbadian-born mayor, Adrian Mapp, would surely have given her a key to the City and offered some of his fabulous homemade rum punch.

Maybe next time, Rihanna!

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Facing Foreclosure? City offers help

Free workshop for those facing foreclosure.

 

Though the nation's housing bubble collapse is nearly eight years behind us, many Plainfield homeowners are still facing foreclosure.

The City of Plainfield and Shiloh Baptist Church are sponsoring a FREE workshop for homeowners facing foreclosure this Thursday (May 19), from 6:30 to 8:00 PM.

The Sun Foreclosure Prevention Program will discuss what options are available to homeowners in distress, including new and innovative programs.

If you are facing foreclosure, you may not have to lose your home.

Though the program is free, reservations are requested as space is limited. Call (908) 753-3610 to make your reservation.

The free workshop is being held at Shiloh Baptist Church, West 4th and Liberty Streets. Parking available in the West 5th Street lot.

If you're having trouble with your mortgage, you owe it to yourself to check out the help this program offers.

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Tuesday is last day to register for June Primary

Final opportunity to register for the June Primary election.

 

Plainfield residents get one last chance to register for the June 7 Primary Election.

Whether you want to weigh in for The Donald, Bernie or Hillary or any of the other offices on the ballot, if you are NOT registered, you will miss out unless you take advantage of this last-minute opportunity.

Municipal Clerk "AJ" Jalloh announced that the Clerk's office will be open Tuesday, May 17, from 6:00 AM to 9:30 PM for in-person registration.

If you are not sure about your registration, you may check it online here (and also find your polling location).

For your convenience, you may download a voter registration form from the City's website here.

The City Clerk’s Office is located on the first floor of City Hall, Watchung Avenue at East 6th Street. Parking and entry available at the rear of the building. For more information, call the Clerk's Office at (908) 753-3222.

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PEA seeks input on lunches in Plainfield schools

With Sodexo contract expiring, PEA seeks input.

 

The Plainfield Education Association (PEA), the union representing the school district's teachers and support staff is seeking input on the school lunch program.

Sodexo is the current contractor for food services to the District, and its contract expires June 30.

PEA has put up an online survery (see here), seeking input from District employees, parents and the community.

Though there is no due date mentioned in the survey, if you are going to take it, please do so as soon as possible.

If you are a community member and you wish to make suggestions, please note that you must answer each of the questions in order to complete the survey. If you have no first-hand experience of the individual questions, use the "other" line, which allows you to do type a short string o text (I suggest "N/A" or "not applicable").

School lunches have been in the news lately, with lawyers Kirk Nelson and Frank Capece coming to trial over allegations of abetting misuse of the Federal free lunch program in the Elizabeth school district.

As a result of that investigation, the Elizabeth Board of Ed reimbursed the lunch program for $182,000 in meals to the Board itself and another $90,000 for meals to prinicpals and administrators (see story here).

While I have never heard even a whisper of such abuse in Plainfield, it would be fair to ask how the Board's meals are paid for and how that vosts.

The next regular business meeting of the Board of Ed is Tuesday, May 17, at 8:00 PM.

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Jazz with a classical twist at Sunday's French School concert

Classically trained jazz pianist Vince Di Mura
is featured in Sunday's French School concert.

Plainfield's French School of Music presents jazz pianist and composer Vince Di Mura in concert Sunday afternoon.

Di Mura, who is currently Resident Composer and Musical Director at Princeton University's Lewis Center for the Arts, is a former piano student of French School founder Yvonne Combe.

With five commercially released CDs, Di Mura has garnered a reputation for his jazz piano interpretations of such pop icons as Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.

He has also been commissioned for musical scores ranging from the Barrymore-nominated score for More Grimm's Tales to his jazz fusion opera For Lost Words.

The concert is a benefit for the French School, of which Di Mura is an alumnus.

The concert gets under way at 3:30 PM, Sunday, May 15, in the recital room of the school, at 210 West 8th Street (across from Higgins Home for Funerals). Suggested donation: $30/adult, $10/children.

Since space is limited, please make reservations in advance by calling the school at (908) 757-3087.

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Plainfield's PAAAS makes US News' list of best high schools in US

Plainfield's PAAAS makes list of best high schools in US.

The school district's Plainfield Academy for the Arts and Advanced Studies (PAAAS) has won a place in the US News and World Report annual ranking of US high schools (see story here). PAAAS is one of only 3,500 high schools nationwide to earn a Bronze ranking.

The 374-student competitive-entry high school is one of three in the Plainfield district and the only one to make the US News rankings. It is housed in the former National Starch corporate headquarters building at West Front Street and Rock Avenue.

The student body is 97% minority students, 61% female and 39% male. The graduation rate is 100%.

According to US News, 94% scored as proficient in language tests, and 72% in math, giving what US News refers to as a "college readiness" index of 14.7. (A parent emailed me that the scores used by US News were incorrect: the students scored 98% proficiency in Language Arts and 84% in Math -- which might have bumped the school to an even higher "silver" ranking.)

If you are interested in the methodology used by US News for these national rankings, see here.

As an aside, you can meet students in the visual and graphic arts at tonight's opening for their annual art exhibit. The exhibit is in the Anne Louise Davis Gallery at the Plainfield Public Library, from 6:00 - 8:00 PM.

Congratulations to the students and staff of PAAAS for this fine achievement!

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A lesson for Danny Dunn on the Pledge of Allegiance

Pittsburgh school children salute the flag in 1933.
The universally used "Bellamy salute" was adopted by the Nazis
leading us to adopt the "hand on heart" gesture in 1942.

After Danny Dunn's tirade at Monday's Plainfield City Council meeting, he followed me out to my car and continued his harangue over Councilor Rebecca Williams' practice of standing, but not reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Dunn's verbal assault on Councilor Williams reminded me that we have been down this road before -- when former Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs attempted to deflect questions on her fiscal pranks by citing the pledge matter. At the time, Williams responded on her blog (see here) that her religious beliefs precluded her reciting the pledge and that she shows her respect by standing during the pledge.

Williams is not alone here. Jehovah's Witnesses, many of whom are diligent and loyal employees of the city, do not recite the Pledge. Many Quakers and Adventists also decline to recite the pledge.

Dunn's intemperate rant got me to thinking, though, about the Pledge: where did it come from? Has the custom always been the same?

A BRIEF HISTORY

My earliest memory of reciting the pledge is in grade school, where we began each day with the custom. We were taught nothing of its complicated history.

The first surprise is that for more than forty years, there were TWO pledges of allegiance vying for supremacy.

The older, devised by Civil War veteran George Balch in the early 1880s was very simple --

We give our heads and hearts to God and our country; one country, one language, one flag!

In 1892, Baptist minister and Christian Socialist Francis Bellamy contrived a pledge, which President Harrison declared by executive order should be recited by all school children on October 12,1892 -- the 400th anniversary of Columbus arrival in the New World.

Bellamy's original pledge reads --

I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

The two versions duked it out until 1923, when Bellamy's version was finally agreed upon as the "official" pledge,with a tweaing by replacing "my Flag" with "the Flag of the United States of America".

Balch's concern had been to recover the sense of patriotism from the Civil War era, which he felt had been lost. Bellamy was concerned to "Americanize" the recent waves of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe.

This 1923 version was the one I was taught in grade school. It wasn't until 1954, when Dwight Eisenhower was president and I was a high school sophomore, that the words "under God" were added. To this day I stumble at this point, because it just does not feel "natural" compared to the version that was originally drilled into kids of my generation.

You can read more detailed histories of the Pledge here, and here.


CUSTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PLEDGE

Dunn would no doubt be surprised to know of some of the customs associated with the Pledge of Allegiance.

The first is that the "hand on heart" gesture is not original.

Originally, children were taught to use the "Bellamy salute" with heels together and right arm outstretched toward the flag, palm down. This gesture was in universal use until 1942, when the "hand on heart" gesture was deemed proper as the Nazis had appropriated the Bellamy salute (for more on the Bellamy Salute, see here).

The second surprise for Dunn would be that the U.S. Flag Code (see here) requires that "persons in [military] uniform should REMAIN SILENT", stand at attention, and salute the flag.

So, Mr. Dunn, active duty personnel do no disrespect when they stand silent and do not recite the Pledge. What do you make of that?

I think it would be appropriate of Danny Dunn to apologize to Councilor Williams for his outburst and personal attack.

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Child safety near Hannah Atkins: A Modest Proposal

One solution would be to block both ends
permanently and construct a new driveway
for residents to access their parking.

For several months now, Plainfield resident Danny Dunn (brother of former Councilor Malcolm R. Dunn) has been on a tear about traffic on the block of West 3rd Street between Liberty Street and Plainfield Avenue.

That block separates Hannah Atkins Park from the Joanne Hollis Gardens apartments. Dunn called for speed bumps, and the City did install temporary rubber speed bumps.

However, when he complained about the issue again in open comments at Monday's Council meeting,it came to light that the temporary speed bumps had been removed. According to Councilor Bridget Rivers, they were damaged "by residents" and had to be removed.

Public Works Director Eric Watson and Public Safety Director Carl Riley said they would be replaced in due course, even as Councilor Barry Goode pressed for a more specific date -- which was not supplied.

When resident Curtis Weaver, who lives in the neighborhood, came to the mike to comment, he observed that the problem arises from drivers who wish to avoid the long 3-phase light at West 4th and Plainfield Avenue and use the West 3rd Street block as a shortcut, speeding as they go.

Perhaps the question should be framed differently. Instead of thinking of it as a speeding issue, would we better off thinking of it as an issue of providing the safest access to Hannah Atkins -- a heavily used city park -- for the children and residents of Hollis Gardens who must cross West 3rd Street to get to the park?

If the City were to take that view, then maybe the safest solution for residents would be to stop using that block of West 3rd Street as a through street between Liberty Street and Plainfield Avenue.

Another option would be to erect a
permanent barrier midway in the block,
preventing through traffic.

Two possible solutions come to mind --

1. Make the block impassible by installing a barrier in the middle of the block, preventing through traffic. The two halves of the block could then be converted to two-way traffic to be used by residents only to access their parking spaces at Hollis Gardens. This would shunt the "shortcut" traffic to the first block of South Second Street, which begins alongside Mt. Olive Baptist Church and is little used.
   
2. A second alternative would be to block off West 3rd Street permanently at both the Liberty Street and Plainfield Avenue ends and construct a driveway for residents of  Hollis Gardens along the property line behind Mt. Olive Baptist Church that would provide access to their parking areas from South Second Street.
   

Either way, the children and residents of Hollis Gardens would have safer access to Hannah Atkins Park, and dangerous traffic would be diverted away to a less busy street.

Since Councilor Rivers proposed a community meeting with the residents to discuss the issue, perhaps she could float the idea with them to get feedback.

Though, of course,the downside is that Mr. Dunn would lose a drum to bang.

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After five years, Elizabeth school lunch case moves to trial

Cranford attorney Frank Capece, longtime associate of former
Union County Dem powerhouse Charlotte DeFilipo, faces trial
in the Elizabeth free school lunch caper...

... along with former Board Attorney Kirk Nelson of Roselle,
whose trial begins this morning. (Photos, Star-Ledger.)

After five years, two attorneys caught up in the Elizabeth school lunch case are finally coming to trial. Plainfielders with long memories will recall that one of the lawyers, Frank Capece, was a close associate of former Union County Democratic chair Charlotte DeFilippo. Today's Ledger story on the matter is here.

DeFilippo was also chair of the Union County Improvement Authority, which has been involved in numerous Plainfield projects, including the County Office Building, the BUF Early Learning Center and the (former) Central Jersey Arts Charter School.

Capece, who served as an outside attorney for the Elizabeth school board, and Kirk Nelson, a Roselle lawyer who was the board attorney at the time are accused of removing a fraudulent free lunch application for then-Board member Juan Donoso's child from the records supplied to the State Police to comply with its subpoena of documents relating to the case.

The state alleges that after the State Police reviewed the records, Capece and Nelson replaced Donoso's records back into the files. The Donoso child was also allegedly switched in the free lunch program's computer system from "free" to "paid" lunch.

Though originally scheduled to be tried together, a Union County judge has severed the cases. Nelson goes on trial today; Capece's trial will follow Nelson's.

Donoso has yet to come to trial. Can you hear the canaries singing?

As a result of the school lunch investigation, the Elizabeth Board of Ed reimbursed the federal free lunch program $182,000 for meals for the school board charged to the program over six years, and an additional $90,000 in catering food for principals and administrators spent over several years.

The wheels of justice grind, as they say, slowly.

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HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
¡FELIZ DIA DE LAS MADRES!

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Plainfield Symphony closes season with "Rule Brittania!" concert tonight

A procession with pomp and circumstance. The guy on the right, carrying the mace,
is a beadle, whose job is to lead an academic procession.

The Plainfield Symphony Orchestra closes its 96th season Saturday evening (May 7) with a concert titled "Rule Brittania!" under the baton of music director Charles Prince.

The program is a feast of Edwardian English music by composer Edward Elgar.

Besides the famous Enigma Variations, the orchestra will present the Elgar's perennial crowd pleaser, the Pomp and Circumstance march (yes, you may wear your mortarboards).

The Madison String Quartet will be featured in the Introduction and Allegro, which is scored for string quartet and string orchestra.

The only thing not showing on the program and which would thrill this Anglophile would be for the evening to conclude with a lusty singing of Sir Hubert Parry's setting of William Blake's poem Jerusalem, in actuality a severe critique of the Industrial Revolution infused with Biblical imagery and which traditionally that most Brittanic of all concerts, The Proms --

And did those feet in ancient time,
Walk upon England's mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On Englands pleasant pastures seen!

And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?

Bring me my Bow of burning gold;
Bring me my Arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!

I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand:
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In England's green & pleasant Land.

Plainfield Symphony programs are presented in Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church, East 7th Street at Watchung Avenue and start at 7:00 PM. Tickets: $55/Reserved, $35/General admission, $25/Seniors/Students. Info: (908) 561-5140 or visit the PSO website: plainfieldsymphony.org/.

The church is an accessible building and parking is available in the church lot on First Place, on the street or in the Swain Galleries parking lot.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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WWJJD?

Google honored Jane Jacobs on her 100th anniversary
on Wednesday with this graphic for its search box.

No, not "What would Jesus do?", but rather "What would Jane Jacobs do?"

Wednesday was the 100th anniversary of the birth of Jane Jacobs, the Scranton, PA, native who made a name for herself fighting the mighty modernist planner/developer Robert Moses (he of the wretched Cross-Bronx Expressway and other nightmares) to a standstill.

Her book, The Life and Death of Great American Cities, early on became the bible of resistance to urban renewal's vision of neighborhoods replaced by towers and expressways.

Moses had an autocratic style, considered public input unnecessary and built an empire by creating public interest corporations that generated their own finances and made him mostly independent of government funding, intervention or oversight.

Jacobs, on the other hand, lived in Greenwich Village and was an acute observer of neighborhood and street life. Her observations of what makes neighborhoods work -- diversity of uses (residential, small businesses and service providers all mixed together) -- along with her insistence on public input into the deelopment conversation as well as taking a long-range view on providing infrastructure support, made her a folk hero.

Her most basic characterization was that there are "foot people" and "car people". She was a foot person; Moses a car person (though he used limousines rather than drive himself).

I thought of Jacobs at once when a Mr. Cooley came to the mike at Monday's City Council agenda-setting session concerning a vacant city-owned lot he has helped turn into a community garden.

The property on South Avenue, abuts a brownfields lot created when the city demolished an existing building during the Robinson-Briggs administration.

Mr. Cooley told the Council that he had been told by an inspector from the city to stop gardening on the unused city lot. Seeing nothing wrong with trying to beautify the neighborhood on a volunteer basis, he was seeking help on the matter.

Jane Jacobs would have applauded these grassroots efforts and encouraged the city to work out some agreement with the neighbors so they could continue to use the property as a community garden until there was a buyer or other use for it.

This led me to wonder what Jacobs would think of some of the various projects currently under way throughout the city.

Here is how I think she would see them --

ELMWOOD GARDENS

This Housing Authority project to replace several mid-rise apartment buildings with a smaller number of townhouse-style dwellings would probably get mixed reviews. The main reasons being that there was very little public input into the process, leaving the residents fearful and anxious for an undue length of time.In the end, many families were displaced in the density-reducing scheme.

In the meantime, new owners on the streets abutting the site (Elmwood Place and Plainfield Avenue) have made improvement to several residences. In addition the former Getty station at Front and Plainfield has become a source of foot traffic now that is is a garage and convenience store.

LIBERTY VILLAGE

In 2014, proposed new owners of this 1970s townhome complex were trying to negotiate a purchase and extension of the underlying PILOT agreement.

The City Council's assent was needed to extend the PILOT, but the Council dragged its feet and opposed Mayor Mapp's effort to move the PILOT forward, citing time constraints that would cause the deal to fall through if no action was taken. A Council majority was unmoved, even though the failure of the deal might mean that residents would lose their rent subsidies and be put out on the street.

In the course of the controversy, it came to light that the owners had sued the Housing Authority to void its management contract because the property had been neglected under their stewardship.

Councilor Rebecca Williams, whose ward includes part of Liberty Village, came to the aid of the distressed tenants. Mobilizing them to come to the Council and protest the delaying tactics, she and the residents were able to overcome the Council majority's resistance. The PILOT measure was passed, the deal closed and no residents lost their apartments.

Jacobs would certainly approve of the tenants' activism and Councilor Williams' role in mobilizing them.

SOUTH SECOND STREET

Jacobs would probably also give mixed reviews to the proposed mixed use development on South Second Street between Grant Avenue and Muhlenberg Place.

It can be argued that the proposal fits in with suggestions developed as part of a citizen-driven charette conducted by Rutgers urban planning students a few years back.

A five-story apartment complex will rise at the corner of Plainfield Avenue, and a modern commercial warehouse will occupy the other end of the parcel. There is a small existing neighborhood shopping area along Grant Avenue and some shopping on nearby West Front Street. This project has been fast-tracked by the City Council.

While these are pluses, I am not aware of any changes to the public transportation access in the immediate neighborhood to make the residential portion truly "transit-oriented".

SOUTH AVENUE GATEWAY

This large-scale luxury apartment complex is slated to occupy eleven existing properties along the south side of the avenue near Plainwood Square Park. It was the subject of a special meeting of the Council last evening to amend the development agreement to include a new ownership structure for the project.

I think Jacobs would give this project mixed reviews also.

While it is expected that residents will help improve the services businesses along the South Avenue corridor and it is within walking distance of the Netherwood train station neighborhood input was cursory -- when compare with the South Second Street project.

Also on the negative side is that one of the city's thriving restaurants (not to mention the unofficial Democratic "watering hole" (the Netherwood) is being driven out by the debvelopment. This is an unfortunate loss which I am sure Jacobs would find disappointing.

Secondly, the project fails to comply with one of the most basic principles of "transit oriented development" in that it is entirely residential, with no retail component.

While Jacobs would no doubt be pleased to see Plainfield beginning to move forward, I am sure she would insist that we can do better as we do so.

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Special Council meeting tonight includes add-on item

Notice for tonight's meeting includes an add-on item.

 

City Council will meet in a special session tonight to adopt Plainfield's 2016 budget. The meeting, per the notice above, is set for 7:00 PM at the Plainfield Senior Center, 400 East Front Street.

One additional item has been added to be taken up, a name change in the ownership of the South Avenue Gateway project. According to a source, it is a time-sensitive issue and could not wait to be taken up at the June business meeting.

All are welcome at the meeting tonight, but please be mindful not to park in tenant spaces if you use the East Second Street lot behind the building. Parking is also available on the street.

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(Board of Ed) Mayor Mapp swears in new Board of Ed members

Plainfield Education Association President Eric Jones (l)
shares a moment with Mayor Adrian O. Mapp after the meeting.

Plainfield's newly elected Board of Ed members were sworn in by Mayor Adrian O. Mapp Tuesday evening at the reorganization meeting in the PHS Auditorium.

One by one, Mapp swore in Lynn Anderson, Dorien Hurtt and Carmencita Pile as a crowd of family, friends and supporters looked on and applauded loudly. Among those in the audience were teachers' union president Eric Jones, the president of the Administrators and Supervisors union and a representative of NJEA, the state union.

After newly sworn members were seated, the Secretary conducted the election of the Board President. Emily Morgan and David Rutherford were nominated. Smith proceeded to a roll call for Morgan, the first nominated, with the following tally: Anderson, Hurtt, Jeffers, Morgan and Pile with the motion; Bellamy, Campbell, Rutherford and Wyatt against.

After a moment's confusion, Smith declared Morgan the new Board President.

Board President Morgan delivered brief remarks welcoming the new board members, and pledging to work together with the other members and the District's administration to advance its educational goals. Stressing the need for unity, she echoed Mayor Mapp's mantra -- One Plainfield, One Future.

Superintendent Anna Belin Pyles spoke briefly, welcoming the new members and pledging to work together with the Board and its new President, Mrs. Morgan.

During the Privilege of the Floor, Mayor Mapp and Council President Cory Storch (himself a former Board member) congratulated the new members and pledged to help the City and the District to become better partners in the community.

Storch pointedly suggested the PHS Auditorium was not the best venue for encouraging a feeling of community, a sentiment that was echoed later in remarks by Mr. Hurtt and Ms. Pile.

At President Morgan's request, two items were tabled -- Committee assignments (for which she requested members email her their preferences by Friday) and the schedule of meeting dates and locations. The vote to table was unanimous.

Except for the Code of Ethics, all other resolutions were adopted in a single consent resolution.

President Morgan requested that the members read aloud together the Code of Ethics, which the group did, after which the meeting was adjourned.

Several oversights tended to underscore Board Secretary Smith's unfamiliarity with the routines: There were not enough chairs on the stage at first to accommodate all the new members; no Bible was on hand for the swearing-in (thankfully, Ms. Pile's family had brought one along); Smith took seconds on the nominations, though Robert's Rules and the evening's agenda both pointed out seconds were not needed. Lastly, there was the inexplicable hesitation over declaring Morgan the winner immediately, despite her clearly having the majority of votes.

I suspect some changes in the conduct of the meetings will be made immediately.

The next meeting of the Plainfield Board of Ed is a Work/Study session on Tuesday, May 10, at 8:00 PM in the PHS Conference Room.

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(Board of Ed) Burning question: Where is tonight's BOE reorg meeting?

Today's burning question:
Where will tonight's BOE reorg meeting be held?

 

When she was reached out to over the weekend, Plainfield's school superintendent promised in a text message to a Board member-elect to poll all the current and new Board members about their preferences for the location of the reorganization meeting slated for 7:00 PM tonight.

On Monday, when another Board member phoned the Superintendent, she promised she would have the poll done and get back to them.

As of 10:20 Tuesday morning, this had still not happened, though there seems to be a Board sentiment for using the PHS Library.

The District's website still shows the PHS Auditorium.

I would suggest calling the Superintendent's office during the day to find out the exact location. The number is (908) 731-4335.

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Time and place screwups over Plainfield Board of Ed reorg meeting

 

Plainfield's Board of Ed reorganization meeting scheduled for Tuesday evening (May 3) has an extraordinary number of screwups -- even for Plainfield.

Evidently the Superintendent, on her own initiative, changed the originally scheduled 8:00 PM event to 7:00 PM,which caught some Board members by surprise.

Then, with a classic "tin ear" move, she changed the location from the PHS conference room to the PHS auditorium. Evidently, she never got the message that the public finds the auditorium an unfriendly space for these meetings.

The last I heard was that the newly elected members were protesting the choice of the auditorium, and the Superintendent agreed to poll eveyone by phone to get agreement on the location.

My suspicion is that the PHS Library location will win out (which is where last week's meeting was held, meeting with general public approval).

But to be safe, call the Superintendent's office ahead of time at (908) 731-4335. The website still shows the auditorium.

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Monday's Council a 3-act play

Classic theatre masks representing
comedy and tragedy.

 

Tonight's Plainfield City Council meeting will be a play in three acts.

ACT I

A special meeting called for 7:00 PM will take up possible amendments to the 2016 budget. After review by the Council and the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee, some tweaks are expected and a hearing is slated on any proposed amendments. If amended tonight, the Council would be expected to meet in another special meeting on Thursday (May 5) to vote on the budget's adoption.

ACT II

The PMUA Commissioners are slated to meet with the Council as the opening portion of the agenda-setting session, slated for 7:30 PM.

Though called for in the Interlocal Services Agreement establishing the PMUA, you can count on one hand the number of joint meetings that have been held in the past 21 years.

Since the Commissioners insisted on written questions in advance, this is likely to be as compelling as a badminton match.

ACT III

The Council's agenda-setting session will follow the PMUA discussion.

Among the major items are an $863,000 contract for resurfacing East 2nd Street from Leland to Terrill -- a major roadway project, and heavy equipment purchases (front end loader and dump trucks) for the Division of Public Works.

All of tonight's activities are slated for the Council Chambers/Courthouse, East 4th Street at Watchung Avenue.

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Plainfield Dems kick off June Primary campaign

Plainfield Dem chairman Adrian O. Mapp introduces candidates
Rebecca William and Charles McRae at Saturday's kickoff breakfast.

 

Plainfield Democrats kicked off the June Primary election season with three events this week.

Friday evening, members of Plainfield LGBT community packed the home of Jim Spear and Dan Crigler for a meet-and-greet to toast the campaigns of Rebecca Williams for citywide at-large Council seat and Charles McRae for Ward 3.

Williams, Plainfield's only openly gay councilor was greeted enthusiastically, as was her running mate Charles McRae, a longtime community activist.

They were introduced by Mayor Adrian O. Mapp, who is chair of the Plainfield Democratic Committee. Freeholder candidate Linda Carter -- whose first foray into elected office was as Ward 1 councilor in a campaign managed by Williams -- also addressed the crowd.

Mapp said afterward that he had been copied on an email to all NJ Democratic county chairs that pointed to the LGBT event as an idea for other counties to follow.

On Saturday, volunteers and supporters filled the newly opened campaign headquarters at 31 Watchung Avenue (next to Antojito's Restaurant) to share a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, home fries and turkey bacon.

Chairman Mapp outlined the Democratic primary ticket with Hillary Clinton at the top of Column A, then our own Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, the Freeholder candidates -- featuring Plainfielder Linda Carter -- and Council candidates Williams and McRae.

He also introduced campaign staff: Jim Spear, campaign manager for Williams; Ron Scott Bey, who is in charge of headquarters operations; and Mary Burgwinkle, campaign treasurer.

Hundreds of campaign signs, featuring a large "A" for the team's column placement were taken by attendees for placement.

A very successful fundraiser for Williams and McRae at the West 8th Street home of John Stewart and Craig Bowman on was held on Wednesday evening.

The Primary campaign is off to a roaring start.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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