Two new blogs swell Plainfield blogger ranks

Nat Singleton's blog debuts today.

Two new blogs join the Plainfield blogosphere today: Nat Singleton, prompted by Jerry Green's misinformation, is blogging back at Dumbed Down America, where his 'Welcome' post sets out the reasons he is blogging and his vision for the blog.

Vashon Hill's student blog joins the lineup today.

Vashon Hill, president of the Leadership Project, is blogging at A Student's Prospective, with a host of topics looking forward to the new school year. The Leadership Project, which is serving both Jefferson and Cook schools has a mission statement that includes --

The Leadership Project is an investment in the future of the Plainfield Public School District and it’s community. Its purpose is to broaden awareness and develop leadership skills in a select group of students, motivating them to become positive role models, active and committed to their community responsibilities.

"We are prepared to do whatever it takes to help our future students achieve high academic standards"

I hope you will find them both interesting, informative and another part of your essential daily Plainfield 'fix'.

This brings the total number of regular (and semi-regular) Plainfield bloggers to NINETEEN as far as I can tell. Can any other community of similar size boast so many?

Beginning tomorrow, both will be integrated into the daily updates on the CLIPS blog here.

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• New Plainfield Blogs --
• Vashon Hill:  A Student's Prospective
• Nat Singleton:  Dumbed Down America

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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ShotSpotter® conversation amps up with Storch, Jerry and Nat weighing in

What smallery1-square mile coverage could look like.

With a growing chorus of questions from Plainfield homeowner taxpayers about the Robinson-Briggs administration's proposal to adopt the ShotSpotter^® gunshot-detection technology, the conversation has been amped up with blogs posts by Councilor Cory Storch (see here), Assemblyman Jerry Green (see here) and Nat Singleton (see here).

While Olddoc (see here) points out the comments that his, Cory's and Jerry's blogs have elicited on the matter, it is Nat's post of yesterday that essentially gives the City Council A FREE CONSULT, based on his forty years experience in the technology-hustling game that IBM and UNISYS are both practitioners and victims of.

Councilor Storch gives a good overview of the issues that ought to be on Councilors' minds as they try to come to a decision on the Administration's proposal. Let's hope similar thinking is going on among the other Councilors.

Jerry is...well, Jerry. We learn that he also has questions about ShotSpotter^®, and that he's in touch with alternative providers. Too bad he spoils that good news with his tantrums about Storch and further falsehoods about the Council and the 'previous administration' (have you ever noticed there are never identifiable specifics?).

Nat's blog post gives the Council the benefit of his experience in dealing with the slipperiness of vendors seeking contracts -- and how to make sure you are getting the best product for the best price, and are protecting your organization from being ripped off if the 'steak' doesn't match the 'sizzle'. (This is the kind of hardboiled business sense we can only hope people mean when they speak of bringing a business perspective to government.)

So far, the Robinson-Briggs administration has managed the whole business more as a public relations offensive than as a considered part of any STRATEGY for dealing with crime and gunplay. Consider for instance that the press was invited to the vendor demo at the Rock Avenue ballfields while the Council was not. Consider also that public input -- despite Mayor Robinson-Briggs' much-touted WBLS broadcast -- is only now coming into play with the scheduling by residents of a town hall meeting for Sunday afternoon.

City Administrator Bibi Taylor made it very clear at the last Council meeting that the Robinson-Briggs administration's intent is to go forward, whether by bonding (which the Council must approve), grants (which would not come online for a minimum of two years AFTER APPLYING) or simply piling more onto already overburdened taxpayers by a DIRECT BUDGET ITEM.

All of which is good reason to make plans to come out Sunday AND Monday. On Sunday, you can raise your concerns and questions in a public forum NOT RUN BY THE ADMINISTRATION (see the flyer posted on Maria's blog here) and on Monday, you can hear the Council deliberate further on the proposed bond issue.

Full disclosure: Nat is my partner, Jerry is not. I am godfather to Councilor Storch's children (previously noted) and consider Olddoc a wise voice to be heeded.

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SHOTSPOTTER TECHNOLOGY TOWN HALL MEETING
Organized by West End Heights Homeowners

Sunday, October 3 | 4 PM

Clinton Elementary School
West 4th Street at Clinton Avenue
(Parking in Clinton Avenue lot)

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CITY COUNCIL AGENDA SESSION

Monday, October 4 | 7:30 PM

City Hall Library
The Public  is welcome and may speak at the end of the meeting.

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• Councilor Storch:  "ShotSpotter: Two things to consider, two to avoid"
• Jerry Green:  "9/29/2010 Thoughts"
• Nat Singleton:  "ShotSpotter:  My comments, Green fails at gundown of Storch"
• Olddoc:  "5 weeks till election"
  

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Guest Column: An IT professional on Plainfield's IT moves

Plainfield's City Council approved a salary ordinance (MC 2009-18) Monday which puts the Robinson-Briggs administration on track to hire an Information Technology (IT) Manager (Level 1) with a salary range of $70,000 - $110,000 (see the state's Civil Service title description here).

Guest blogger for this post is Nat Singleton, a retired IT professional. Nat worked for IBM for twenty years as a telecommunications manager in systems architecture and network development and consulting. For IBM, he worked on assignment in Europe on the establishment of SWIFT, the worldwide financial funds transfer system. After retiring from IBM, Nat spent fifteen years with Unisys, as a manager responsible for risk assessment on projects for several Fortune 500 companies, including PSE&G. Nat is a twenty-five year resident of Plainfield, a member of the board of the Plainfield Area YMCA, and a former commissioner of the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority.

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CITY PUTTING ITS IT CART BEFORE ITS HORSE

With the passage of the salary ordinance establishing an Information Technology manager's position, the Robinson-Briggs administration and the City Council are embarking down a path they hope will solve the problems of the city's IT infrastructure.

They are hoping that this new hire will create and manage a new IT infrastructure that will bring the City of Plainfield into the 21st century, technologically speaking.

The problem here is one of putting the cart before the horse.

Let's look at how it seems this will roll out and the possible costs involved.

First, an IT Manager will be hired with a salary of $70-110,000, exclusive of health and pension benefits.

What will this person do?

Let's clear away first what they probably WON'T DO.

The Administration has given no indication whether the new hire will do any of the following --

1. Network design and implementation.
2. Man the Help Desk.
3. Problem solving/troubleshooting hardware and software issues.
4. Teach people how to use the system.

Well, you may ask, what DO they do?

The new hire will manage, which means they will - whoops! - need a staff (according to the Civil Service description, up to ten people)

The new hire (plus any staff that is added) will have to begin by doing what should have been done in the first place, BEFORE anyone was hired: perform a Needs Assessment.

A Needs Assessment is a specific methodology done by trained IT professionals which, when done correctly, should provide an organization a road map of where they are now, where they need to be, and how to get there. Unless the new hire is a seasoned hand with many such Needs Assessments under his or her belt, it is best done by outside professionals.

That will add a cost of $30,000 to $60,000 to the first year's expenses for the assessment.

So, if the manager hires a staff of say three persons and has an outside needs assessment done, we can quickly see the City's financial commitment -- with benefits -- ballooning toward $400-500,000 in the first year alone.

All of this comes with no guarantee of success.

IS THERE A BETTER WAY?

Is there a better way, you might ask? Is there a way of thinking outside of the box where the same thing can be done for less money?

I think so. Nowhere in the Administration's headlong rush to get an IT manager has the phrase ‘shared services’ come up. I can only surmise that the Administration is unaware that Plainfield already has a cost-effective, highly competent and well-thought-of IT organization in place, one that is ALREADY paid for by the taxpayers.

That organization exists at the Plainfield Public Library. Why not be creative for a change, go outside the box, and make the Library the technological hub for the City of Plainfield?

This would provide a logical extension of the Library's expertise and experience, good public relations for both the city and the Library, and allow us to say 'the buck stops here.'

How can we determine if this is feasible?

Easy. Before anything else is done, hire the Library to perform the Needs Assessment.

Based on the results, we will be able to know if the Library can become the City's technology hub and whether it really makes sense for the city to continue going down the path of creating its own independent IT staff.

Finally, Plainfield might even be able to get the state to fund such a project as a pilot for developing a future technology role for libraries in the state of New Jersey.

-- Nat Singleton

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-- Dan Damon

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Plainfield blogger beat Ledger to punch on use of N-word in West Orange schools

The language in question derived from a mystery novel by Agatha Christie.

It was a month ago that Plainfield blogger Nat Singleton, writing at Dumbed Down America, wrote about an incident involving the use of the N-word in a West Orange middle school language arts lesson (see here), beating the Star-Ledger to the punch.

The incident led to a complaint to the District by the student's parents, Demond and Tauheedah Baker-Jones, a friend of whom had tipped Nat to the story. Eventually both the NAACP and ACLU were drawn into the matter.

That complaint led to a meeting and proposed steps by the District to address the issue which formed the basis of a front-page Ledger story yesterday (see here).

Baker-Jones did not object to the use of the material per se, but to the lack of proper introduction and context-setting concerning the language in the selection given to the students.

The class was handed an excerpt from a stage adaptation of a 1939 novel by the famed English mystery writer Agatha Christie, a story which ultimately came to be known as 'And Then There Were None' (see more here).

The N-word reference was dropped long before the 1945 movie version.

The plot concerned ten guests invited to a remote mansion for a weekend house party -- a classic English mystery motif. One by one, the guests are murdered in grotesque fashion, playing on the song of the title. (I remember seeing the movie as 'Ten Little Indians'.)

To date, the book is still Agatha Christie's most popular mystery, with over 100 million copies sold.

Christie is not thought to have had any racist intent in using the N-word, but was referring to a song that would have been well known to an audience of her time and place -- exactly the sort of condition that Baker-Jones says calls for teachers to set the context and perhaps have an important 'teaching moment' with their students with regard to ethnicity and racial stereotyping.

West Orange superintendent Anthony Cavanna, in a CYA move, says the district will hire an outside consultant to assess 'what the district is doing right and what it could do better'. Gimme a break.

Good pedagogical sense should have prevailed all along, no matter how large a percentage of the District's students were white, nor how small a percentage were minority. The fact that Cavanna says the unit has been in use for years without any prior complaint only makes the conduct more egregious, in my opinion.

There have been several film, TV and stage adaptations of the novel. It should be noted that the N-word reference was withdrawn very early on, in favor of an old rhyme concerning the fate of 'ten little Indians'.

Not really more sensitive, by my lights, but they must have thought so seventy years ago.

Nat closed his essay by noting he hoped he was wrong and that someone had played a practical joke on him.

Not so lucky.


DISCLOSURE: Nat is my partner. He has not seen this piece prior to my publishing it.

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• Dumbed Down America:  "N-word taught in West Orange middle school"
• Ledger:  "School officials review diversity training, curriculum after class handout includes racial epithet"
• Wikipedia:  "Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None"
  

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Fire literally stops dress rehearsal of free play at Senior Center set for Thursday evening

A car fire interrupted the dress rehearsal of Thursday's
free theater production at the Plainfield Senior Center.
(Photo courtesy Nat Singleton.)

Shouts of "Fire!" rang out about 8:00 PM on Wednesday as the cast and crew of Thursday's free theater production at the Plainfield Senior Center was wrapping up its dress rehearsal for the production.

Everything came to a standstill immediately.

There was a fire indeed, right at the front door of the Senior Center, where a late model minivan had caught on fire (see photo above), sending billowing clouds of smoke into the night sky.

But not to worry, no one appears to have been hurt and the Fire Division arrived quickly and extinguished the blaze within a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, the free production of local playwright Ben Marshall's "Incident at Willow Creek" will take place Thursday evening (see my previous writeup here).

The doors open at 5:00 PM and the play begins at 6:00 PM promptly. The playwright and local elected officials will be present. There will be a short Q&A after the production.

All are welcome!

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 -- Dan Damon [ follow ]

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Final election push unusually sleazy, even by Green standards

Plainfielders are generally inured to mudslinging by Assemblyman Jerry Green in the final weekend of the primary campaign season.

This year may be an exception, however, as the Democratic City Committee chairperson decided to go after Cory Storch's daughter for having been a summer intern at the PMUA. (Green fails to mention that it was an intern's job, or that Storch was not in public office when his daughter became one of many students taken on for summer youth employment.)

Green's handpicked candidate, Tony Rucker, takes the road of 'plausible deniability' in his blog post today, saying 'it didn't come from my campaign'. (This is similar to the question of the Park Hotel residents urging votes for Rucker four years ago.)

Cory Storch answers Green and Rucker point by point, noting there is time for Rucker and Greaves to repudiate Green's attacks (see here).

Candidate Dee Dameron also addresses the Green mailer as one of desperation, detailing all she had done for Green and other Dem candidates in the past, only to be treated like this (see here).

Coucilor Rebecca Williams notes both Storch and Dameron have been models of poise amid all the savagery (see here).

Candidate Rucker tries to distance himself from the Green mailer (see here).

Nat Singleton's post has been taken down at the request of Councilor Storch (see here).

Meanwhile, the New Dems were chasing down rumors on Saturday that delivery of their mailings was being held up purposely at the Netherwood postal station, which serves  both the First and Second Wards.

For some, Wednesday can't come soon enough.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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UPDATED: City fronting expense for free IT training -- potential 6-figure salaries

Plainfield is underwriting cost of Cisco training at UCC.
Graduates can earn up to 6-figure salaries.

See update at end of post.

The City of Plainfield is fronting the money to pay for free IT classes for Plainfield residents at Union County College that could lead successful graduates to 6-figure IT careers.

In partnership with Union County College, a Cisco training program is being offered to Plainfield residents who are at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent (GED).

According to Nat Singleton, Director of Information Technology for the City of Plainfield, residents who meet those qualifications are invited to an information session on Monday, September 24, from 5:30 - 6:30 PM in Room L-20 at the UCC Plainfield Campus.

The classes will include a classroom instructor, online content, hands-on training with Cisco equipment and preparation for the workplace through project collaborations and presentations.

Those who complete the course will be able to take the CCNA exam. Salary ranges for CCNA certificate holders range from about $62,000+ at the entry level; with experience, that can rise to over $100,000.


Register to attend the information session here --

https://form.jotform.com/IBIatUCC/ccna


Union County College Plainfield campus is at East Second and Church Streets (behind the Post Office). Parking in the college lot on Church Street or on the street.

UPDATE: Starting in October, Cisco and Digital Literacy training are also being offered by the City at New Covenant Church. The training schedule is outlined below:

• Mondays-Digital Literacy 10 am -12 noon
• Tuesdays-Digital Literacy 6 pm – 8 pm
• Tuesdays-Cisco CCNA training 10 am -2 pm
• Wednesdays-Cisco CCNA training 6 pm to 10 pm
• Thursdays- Cisco CCNA training 10 am to 2 pm
• Fridays- Cisco CCNA training 6 pm to 10 pm

For more information contact Shakirah Campbell-Huggins at 908-753-3237 or shakirah.campbell-huggins@plainfieldnj.gov.

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 -- Dan Damon [ follow ]

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A firearm is a silent character in "Incident at Willow Creek", a free play for the community Thursday at the Senior Center

The city offers a FREE production of Plainfield playwright
B.V. Marshall's play this Thursday at the Senior Center.

A firearm is a silent character in "Incident at Willow Creek", a FREE play for the community being produced Thursday at the Plainfield Senior Center.


Plainfield Mayor Adrian O. Mapp has encouraged the production of this play by Plainfield's award-winning playwright B.V. Marshall as part of the city's community outreach effort.

With violence very much on everyone's mind (especially with the recent horrific attack on Jewish worshipers in their Pittsburgh synagogue), the play is a gripping take on a current issue that involves us all.

Verité, an African-American professor, is at a crossroads.

She’s smug about her neutral stance regarding guns, yet she obsesses over a recent gun incident that resulted in the killing of an innocent black man. She closely follows the story on TV and radio and is torn between the need to defend oneself and the need to comply with law enforcement.

At the same time, a student perplexes her with his own fixation on guns. He even offers to teach her how to shoot, and that conflicts with her sense of self. With her own college preparing for security risks, Verité is forced to confront her beliefs, her passive nature and her own physical safety.

B. V. Marshall, the playwright (known to many of us as "Ben"), is a longtime Plainfield resident and teaches at Middlesex County College.

Marshall’s work has been performed and developed at the HBO New Writers Workshop, Theatre for the New City (New York), Luna Stage, Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey, Interact Theatre in Philadelphia, WBEZ Chicago public radio, the Kennedy Center, the Warner International Playwrights Festival and the Berrie Center at Ramapo College.

Most recently, “Incident at Willow Creek” was awarded the Stanley Drama Award, a national competition that is judged by New York City's Wagner College, which is considered the premier university drama program in the country.

A reading of Marshall's “Five Husbands” was also presented as part of the city of Plainfield’s 2018 Gay Pride Celebration.

Some of his honors include fellowships from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities and four playwriting fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

His recent essay appears in the book, “What Does It Mean to be White in America?” He has directed numerous productions and readings, including the upcoming musical “Harlem Ladies Knittin’ ” and “Bitchin’ Society.”

As an associate professor at Middlesex County College, he specializes in African-American literature, creative writing and playwriting. The school recently named him its scholar of the year for his creative work.

This production has been mounted by the City of Plainfield.

Nat Singleton is the producer, and Danielle Tucker of M. PoWeR Arts is directing the production with an ensemble from her theater group including the following --

• Stage Manager - Myra McDonald
• Verite' Jackson - Onyx Keesha
• Maxwell Adams/Police Officer - Claudio Venancio
• Sophie Capella/Cashier/Nurse/Passerby - Sharon McGuire
• Ray Copeland/Brother/2nd Police Officer - Donell Stevens

The play starts at 6:00 PM sharp this Thursday (November 8), with the doors opening at 5:00 PM. The Plainfield Senior Center is at 400 East Front Street. Parking available in the street (and in the Bank of America lot). The Senior Center is ADA-accessible.

The playwright will be in attendance, and there will be a short Q&A afterward.

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 -- Dan Damon [ follow ]

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Pre-parade breakfast kicks off long day for officials

For elected officials, July 4th is perhaps the longest working day of the year.

Their day gets under way at 9:00 AM with a breakfast at City Hall. As the officials and parade dignitaries assemble, it is time to put on the sashes that are dole out, grab a bit to eat, chat with fellow officials and get a ride to the staging area off East Front Street.

After the parade, there is usually a luncheon for elected officials and parade staff.

At five o'clock, the concert begins -- and runs non-stop right up to the start of the fireworks display at dusk.

After the last spectacular shell bursts, officials and July 4 staff can finally call it a day -- somewhere around 10:00 PM.

Thanks to Nat Singleton, Director of the city's IT shop, for this footage of the morning breakfast event.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Novel promotion of Plainfield Rec Easter Egg Hunt

 

Colorful in-house produced "video flyer" is a new outreach tool.

For years, Plainfield's Division of Recreation has sponsored an annual Easter Egg Hunt for youngsters.

Under its new Superintendent, Roni Taylor, this year the Division is trying something new. In addition to the usual flyers available in several pickup locations, the staff has produced an in-house "video flyer" for the event and posted it on YouTube (see here).

Mayor Mapp enthusiastically approved the new outreach method after viewing the video. Watch for a link on the city's website and/or view on PCTV shortly.

Meantime, you can also view it on Plainfield Today below.

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Congratulations to the city staffers who put it all together, Nat Singleton and Carmencita Pile.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Which is worse, Jerry embarrassing Union County Dems, or Union County Dems embarrassing themselves?

Most of the time I think you need a secret decoder ring to understand what Plainfield Assemblyman Jerry Green is trying to say.

 

Take his blog bomb (see here) dropped the Tuesday before Thanksgiving Day -- when most folks had their minds fixed on a real turkey and a long holiday weekend. At the time, blogger Nat Singleton was the only one to pick up on Jerry's attack (see 'Assemblyman Jerry Green, a closeted anti-Semite in sheep's clothing' here)

Why is a decoder ring needed?

Well, the post begins with a quintessentially Jerry attack on Councilor Cory Storch which does not fit the style or content of the rest of the piece. What's up?

It only became clear on Wednesday, when PolitickerNJ's Max Pizarro wrote on the 'open letter' (see here) that the letter was not by Jerry Green at all, but by Roselle council president Jamel Holley, who was circulating it among Union County Dems for signatories. Even with a decoder ring, you can't be sure from Jerry's post that he is signing it, but let's give him the benefit of the doubt.

So, Jerry embarrasses the Union County Democrats by deviating from their line and attempting to smear Storch. Since the import of the 'open letter' is that the GOP candidates are racists, Jerry is here really PLAYING THE RACE CARD, and not the 'closeted Republican' allegation against Storch. Jerry's attempt to call Storch a racist doesn't stand up to the light of day -- but don't expect Jerry to stop; Jerry's got an agenda of his own.

I find it interesting that Jerry is lining up behind Jamel Holley's leadership, given that Holley escaped criminal prosecution for voter fraud in the 2006 election cycle by the skin of his teeth (see here, and here), getting off with pre-trial intervention being imposed by a completely independent and non-political Union County judge incapable of being suborned.

But, hey, Holley is a comer in Union County politics, having been championed by the disgraced ex-Assemblyman Neil Cohen (now facing jail over a child pornography conviction) as well as Sen. Ray Lesniak and sometime State Dem chairperson Joe Cryan. This is what makes politics -- especially New Jersey politics -- so interesting.

But Holley exposes the Union County Democrats to embarrassment and ridicule, too.

While attempting to paint the defeated Republican candidates as racists (unproven in my mind), Holley has exposed the Democrats to the scrutiny they deserve with regard to Union County's diversity and their record in promoting it.

And, guess what? The Union County Dems come up short, as CountyWatcher's Tina Renna pointed out in a blog post of November 29 (see here).

The record of Union County Democrats in opening up leading county jobs to women and minorities is abysmal. Make that ABYSMAL. Renna ticks off all the top county positions and the woeful record of filling them with minority and/or women candidates. 95% white men, by her count.

And to make things worse, when Union County Dem chairperson Charlotte DeFilippo decided to dump Freeholder Rayland Van Blake (a story which I broke on March 5, see here), Jerry Green was prepared to let the seat be filled by a white male candidate from Linden (since the nice white lady from Linden had moved to Westfield and had no intention of stepping down).

Ready, that is, until the PLAINFIELD TODAY post lit a bonfire under the Assemblyman, who finally got the gumption to say that Plainfield would like to see an AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN have a chance at the seat, thank you very much.

DeFilippo swallowed hard. Linda Carter got the nod and will be duly sworn in on January 1st.

The County Dems should get to work on really correcting THEIR embarrassing lapses.

Racism, anti-Semitism and intolerance go hand in hand. Assemblyman Jerry Green should apologize to Cory Storch for his insinuation.

'Do the right thing', as the man said.

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• Jerry Green's Page: "An open letter to the 2010 Republican candidates..."
• Dumbed Down America:  "Assemblyman Jerry Green, closeted anti-Semite in sheep's clothing"
  
• PolitickerNJ --
• 11/24/2010:  "Union County flare-up: Dems go after GOP candidates over post-election remarks"
• 8/27/2009:  "AG's office indicts Holley 'by accusation' with 2006 vote fraud"
• 10/8/2009:  "Judge orders Holly into PTI for 'overzealous' pursuit of signatures"
• CountyWatchers:  "Let's talk race"
• Plainfield Today:  "County Dems dumping Van Blake from Freeholder slot?" -- and followup here.

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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