Vote on the school budget

Besides a contentious Board of Ed race, voters will be faced with the school budget question.

The table below summarizes pertinent facts --

	PROPOSED	CURRENT
BUDGET1	$145,002,375	$153,821,983
TAX LEVY2	21,848,819	19,862,563
PROPOSED JOB REDUCTIONS	108
1Includes State aid. 2Amount to be raised from Plainfield taxpayers.

The proposed budget reflects REDUCED state aid. The proposed tax levy reflects the STATE-MANDATED INCREASE for former Abbott District Schools.

I recommend a YES vote on the budget.

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BOARD OF EDUCATION ELECTION
AND SCHOOL BUDGET QUESTION

Tuesday, April 20
2 - 9 PM
At your regular polling location

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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What is at stake in Tuesday's school board election?

What is at stake in Tuesday's Plainfield school board election? A lot, but not everything.

The Plainfield public schools are under a state mandate to correct some of the abuses that have plagued its personnel decisions in recent years, and that -- limited as it is -- is a very good thing.

The Board of Ed will also be conducting its evaluation of Dr. Gallon's performance, which must surely be impacted by the protracted revelations of personnel shenanigans and the spotlight cast on the situation by the state's OFAC report.

So, no matter who is elected in tomorrow's Board of Education elections, positive changes will be coming to the District. Sadly, they will not be because the Superintendent or the Board took the initiative.

What to make of some of the issues swirling round this year's campaigning?

ENDORSEMENT POISON?

There has been something of a flap over the weekend concerning UNION ENDORSEMENTS of two of the slates subsequent to the League of Women Voters forum last Wednesday (for candidate answers to the LWV's questions and their self-submitted profiles, see the LWV website here).

On Friday, Renata Hernandez (one of the Elect a Grand S.L.A.M.) candidates reported the team's endorsement by the teachers union, the Plainfield Education Association (see here).

Over the weekend, potential voters received mailers from two other unions. Service Workers United (SWU) endorsed the Coalition for Better Schools slate. SWU represents cafeteria workers in Plainfield who are employed by Sodexo, an outsourced service. Their contract is between Sodexo and the union, and does not involve the school district.

The state AFL-CIO also send out an endorsement of incumbent Christian Estevez. The AFL-CIO does not have any contracts before the Plainfield school board. Those endorsements are discussed on the team's campaign blog (see here).

Endorsements are a longstanding practice that is entirely legal.

Some have raised the question of whether they might involve recipients of the endorsements in an ethical tangle that could lead to 'sweetheart' contracts.

The ONLY endorsement that could possibly go in this direction is that by the Plainfield Education Association's endorsement of incumbent Wilma Campbell and teammates Rasheed Abdul-Haqq, Renata Hernandez and Keisha Edwards.

Bear ALL OF THE ABOVE in mind when weighing endorsements as a factor in your decision.

SHOULD THE INCUMBENTS GO?

Whenever there is controversy, incumbents often take the hit for it, whether blameless or not.

Three Plainfield Board of Ed incumbents are running for re-election: Martin Cox, Wilma Campbell and Christian Estevez. (Cox and Estevez are running on the 'Coalition' slate and Campbell is on the 'S.L.A.M.' team.)

Each incumbent can point to District achievements during their time of service, particularly adopting a K-8 configuration that will eliminate the Middle Schools; a district-wide school uniform policy; and removal of PHS from the state's 'persistently dangerous' list.

That being said, each incumbent is embroiled in some of the issues churning this election --

CURRICULUM: Wilma Campbell has chaired the Curriculum committee for years, yet there is no district-wide curriculum in place and the public only learned at the LWV forum that she has had problem with cooperation from District administrative leadership since last October. Why was she not bringing this up at each and every public Board meeting, instead of waiting until it came up in the campaign. (Incidentally, Campbell -- who was one of the 3-member team to visit Gallon in Florida and positively gushed in favor of his appointment -- has never really explained how and why she became his antagonist.)

PERSONNEL: With regard to the flim-flammery of Dr. Gallon's three ill-fated appointments, the best that can be said of Cox's and Estevez's initial support in 2008 for the appointments is that they took the Superintendent's word when we now know they should have probed further. But to rehire two of the uncertified administrators in late 2009 the same night as their contracts were rescinded as a result of the County Superintendent's intervention looks like boneheadedly poor judgment.

While Estevez has said he was not one of the four Board members who were briefed on the personnel mess by HR head Dr. Garnell Bailey, Renata Hernandez deduces that Cox must have been among the four who knew and did nothing about it (see her post here).

As I mentioned previously, a candidate's husband remarked to me that 'there were mistakes made all around'. Mistakes can be forgiven. Mistakes can be learned from. Each voter will have to decide for themselves whether any of the incumbents deserve a second chance.

Come Wednesday, the voters will have chosen four Board of Ed members.

Besides the immediate issues of correcting personnel practices as demanded by the state's OFAC report, and considering Dr. Gallon's performance (and possibly his continued presence as Superintendent), the newly constituted nine-member Board will have the continued policy challenges of improving student performance and outcomes; dealing with reduced state funding and increasing the local tax levy; and -- to my mind at least -- being more open, less secretive and less defensive about public scrutiny of Board and District affairs.

To paraphrase Dottie Gutenkauf's remark to the Board at last Tuesday's meeting, we should not forget who works for who here.

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BOARD OF EDUCATION ELECTION

Tuesday, April 20
2 - 9 PM
At your regular polling location

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• League of Women Voters: "2010 BOE Candidates: Bios and Answers to Questions"
• Renata's Blog: "PEA endorses Grand S.L.A.M. slate"
• Coalition for Better Schools: "Union Endorsements"
• Renata's Blog: "Brilliant Deduction" -- Concerning the identities of the 4 who were briefed on personnel matters.
  

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Mayor's vaunted 'pocket park' suffers neglect...or worse

The 2008 sign was misleading since the Council
had neither been consulted nor approved the Pocket Park.

In the summer of 2008, as the real estate market had collapsed (and therefore also the development market), Plainfield Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs turned a vacant West Front Street lot slated for development into a 'pocket park'.

And proudly proclaimed such with the sign shown above. Except, of course, that it was misleading because the City Council had not been consulted (they, and they alone, can create a park, which must be by resolution), nor did they approve the expenditure of any funds in relation to its creation (considered a mere nicety by Robinson-Briggs, which the brewing flap over the Senior Center 'fitting out' simply repeats on a larger scale).

The 'pocket park' was originally outfitted with two benches for passersby.

The sign came down as soon as the oversight in not consulting the Council was pointed out.

Although always somewhat scraggly, the little park with its two benches eventually was taken to heart by those who shop, dine or pass through the neighborhood, and small knots of people could be seen morning, noon and evening enjoying a brief respite.

That is until recently.

I noticed this week that the benches had been removed, leaving visitors nowhere to sit down.

The scraggly grass was nearly overcome with dandelions (actually a rather pretty sight -- I am partial to dandelions, and besides they make a great wine).

What has happened to the little park that earned its way?

Has the Mayor given up on it?

Or perhaps is she less than thrilled with those who found it attractive?

The 'pocket park' lost its benches recently.

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• Plainfield Today --
• 8/10/2008: "Plainfield's latest 'park' not its greatest"
• 9/30/2008: "The market meltdown hits Plainfield" -- Pocket park section is halfway down.

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Plainfield Gangstas: Dyslexic or Illiterate?

This graffito was spotted in the alleyway alongside 132 East Front.

Two graffiti seen around Plainfield raise the question of whether our local gangstas are dyslexic or illiterate.

To this day, my 'baby' brother (now in his sixties) spells 'girl' as G-R-I-L -- one of the signs of dyslexia -- as he has done since we were kids.

On the other hand, our local gangstas may just be illiterate.

What's your thought?

This graffito is in the vacant city-owned lot
on East Front Street, across from Hugo's.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Jean Mattson photo exhibit opens tomorrow with reception

One of the images featured in the Jean Mattson retrospective.

Plainfield photographer, history enthusiast and community activist Jean Mattson will be honored with a retrospective exhibit of her work -- highlighting her Plainfield portraits and daily life and scenes from Dublin, Ireland -- that opens tomorrow at the Plainfield Public Library.

Jean realized a number of years ago that an important group of Plainfielders, who had taken part in the great changes in the community over the past half century or so were becoming older and she determined to capture portraits of them while they were still with us.

This led to expanding the record to include younger people and newcomers to the community, thus comprising a special window into Plainfield as the Queen City left the 20th and entered the 21st century.

Her meticulous composition, posing and lighting showcase her desire to capture the 'essence' of the subject at hand. Elegant, and with attention to light and shadow, they engage viewers by showing Plainfielders as fully present yet somehow timeless.

Born in Plainfield in 1927 (Saturday will be her 83rd birthday), Jean is a descendant of the Squier family, early settlers of Union County who played a special role in towns such as Rahway, Clark and Elizabeth.

Professionally, Jean worked in the Media Department of Kean University for many years, retiring at age 80.

In the Plainfield community, however, she is better known for her interest in local history, and will be long remembered for organizing and curating an exceptional series of exhibits at the Drake House in 2000 that documented Plainfield in the 20th century.

That exhibit drew on her wide range of contacts throughout the community to display photographs, ephemera and daily objects reflecting the families and daily life of the Queen City, decade by decade.

Her late husband, Lutheran pastor Norman 'Moose' Mattson, had a career that took the family from Illinois to Minnesota to Alberta, Canada and back to Union County, where he retired from the ministry and went to work for the state.

Jean then found the time to earn two Masters degrees, one from Columbia University in African History and the other from Temple University in Educational Media.

Her community activism led her to become an early and enthusiastic supporter of the late Mayor Al McWilliams, who always fondly referred to her as 'The Citizen'. She stumped her neighborhood and the community for McWilliams, turning her vast network of friends and contacts into supporters for the up-and-coming father of five (whose daughter Annie is currently City Council president).

The reception will also serve as a 'birthday party' for Jean, with a cake provided by her daughter Lois Mattson and son-in-law (and Ward 2 Councilor) Cory Storch.

Anyone wishing to honor her may want to consider making a donation to the Plainfield Public Library, an agency close to Jean's heart, and -- if you've been following the news -- one now taking a severe hit from the current fiscal difficulties of the city and the state.

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Opening Reception: Photography of Jean Mattson

An opening reception for an exhibit including her photographs of Ireland and Plainfield subjects
The exhibit runs through June 30th

The Room 2 Gallery
Plainfield Public Library
Park Avenue and 8th Street

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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After forum, Board of Ed campaigns move to endgame

Campaign signs are sprouting
(Here shown in alphabetical order by team name).

The hundred or so Plainfielders attending last night's League of Women Voters forum got a final chance to hear each of the fourteen candidates for the school board.

With the election next Tuesday, the campaigns now move into their endgame -- with mailings, literature drop and other marketing moves in the next few days.

Please check the other blogs for coverage of the the forum (I am still struggling with my pages of notes).

You can also check the three teams that have online presences (independents Catherine Crittendon and Denise Riley do not have websites) --

There are three teams of candidates running for three 3-year seats and 1 one-year seat. Each has a campaign blog, listed below in alphabetical order by team name/designation. Incumbents are designated by an asterisk (*). There are two independent candidates who are not blogging as far as I know.

CHANGE OUR SCHOOLS - CHANGE OUR CITY
3-year term: Jaclynne (Jackie) Callands, Dani Fletcher, Mahogany Hendricks; 1-year term: Clayton Tucker, Sr.
COALITION FOR BETTER SCHOOLS
3-year term: Mary Burgwinkle, Martin Cox*, Christian Estevez*; 1-year term: Carmencita Pile
ELECT A GRAND S.L.A.M. (SCHOOL LEADERSHIP ADVOCACY MOVEMENT)
3-year term: Rasheed Abdul-Haqq, Wilma Campbell*, Renata Hernandez; 1-year term: Keisha Edwards
DENISE RILEY, independent candidate for 1-year term (Courier News item)

If you have been expecting more from the various teams' online campaigns, join the club. Once they put their sites up, they appear to have pretty much run out of steam (though Rebecca Williams did promise on behalf of the League of Women Voters to email last night's questions to the candidates so they could post their answers online -- if they do, that will be a plus).

I'll be writing more as we enter the final days of the campaign.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Agenda for tonight's Muhlenberg advisory group meeting

Hundreds protested Muhlenberg's closure.

Plainfielders can attend a public meeting of the Muhlenberg Community Advisory Group tonight, the first since its belated inception (Assemblyman Jerry Green and Mayor Robinson-Briggs only established the group nearly a year after the hospital's closure when Commissioner Heather Howard threatened to take the matter into her own hands -- see my report on that here).

Here is tonight's agenda, as distributed in an email blast by Dottie Gutenkauf --

• 7:30: Overview of the CAG’s Purpose, Accomplishments (co-chairs Assemblyman Green & Mayor Robinson-Briggs)
  
  
• 7:45: Overview of Current & Transferred Services—Satellite Emergency Department, Muhlenberg Campus (Adam Beder, Solaris)
  
  
• 8:00: Overview of Services: Plainfield Neighborhood Health Center (Rudine Smith, PNHC)
  
  
• 8:15: Status of Litigation (Ventantonio & Wildenham, attorneys representing Plainfield in the appeal to State Court)
  
  
• 8:30: Community Health Needs Assessment; Information Gathering; Questions & Answers (Eugene Baucum, PNHC)

There has been much discussion and concern over transportation issues (service provided by Solaris, vouchers for transport to Trinitas and the Plainfield Rescue Squad), and they may be raised tonight.

As a refresher, you may want to check out the State's conditions on Muhlenberg's closure which I posted online in June 2008 (see here), recalling the list of key points in the closure --

• COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP: Solaris will set up and appoint co-chairs of an advisory group [since superseded by the CAG] to be in place for at least three years and charged with monitoring the closure process, performance of conditionally mandated services, 'explore options' for reinstatement of medical residency program, and examine the need for any services approved (by the state) for closure;
  
  
• MIDWIFE PROGRAM: Solaris to totally fund a physician to oversee midwifery services at the Neighborhood Health Center (NHC) for at least two years;
  
  
• OUTPATIENT PRIMARY CARE: Solaris shall 'initiate' primary care services 'at Muhlenberg or in conjuncion/agreement with NHC' Mon-Fri, half-day Sat and 2 days with evening hours;
  
  
• TRANSPORTATION: Solaris will be required to operate, at no cost to passengers and without regard to insurance status --
  
  
• SHUTTLE: MRMC to JFK, continuous, Noon-8:30 PM, 7 days/week
• MEDICAL TAXI: Contracted door-to-door service in Muhlenberg's primary and secondary areas, for non-emergent services at JFK (this section does not mention insurance status);
• AMBULANCE: Transport by contracted services from Muhlenberg's satellite ER to area providers, on a 24/7 basis;
• TRINITAS: Solaris to provide SCHEDULED transportation for obstetrics and behavioral health patients and their families at no cost from Muhlenberg's satellite ER to Trinitas (details of pre-natal/obstetric care by Trinitas are not provided other than a general statement of its 'willingness to serve');
  
  
• OUTREACH: An outreach effort, 'especially to the medically indigent', to ensure all residents of the hospital service areas have access to AVAILABLE SERVICES at the two Solaris locations -- JFK and Muhlenberg ER;
  
  
• DaVITA DIALYSIS CENER: Solaris shall not terminate the lease unless DaVita has obtained an alternative site 'within the same service area'; and lastly,
  
  
• COMMUNICATIONS PLAN: Solaris must notify the public with ads in Spanish and English in at least two newspapers, as well as advising impacted hospitals and EMS providers 15 days in advance of closure.

In addition, the state is now recommending the satellite ER be kept open for at least FIVE years (rather than three), and outline detailed transportation concessions proposed to be mandated for five years.

However, there were some weasel words: skipping over exactly to what extent Trinitas is taking on obstetrics patients and compelling midwifery oversight funding for only two years (much else is for five).

Assemblyman Jerry Green originally posted the CAG roster on his blog July 13, 2009 (see here) as follows --

1) Assemblyman Jerry Green
2) Sharon Robinson-Briggs, Mayor
3) Marc Dashield, City Administrator (now presumably Bibi Taylor)
4) Rashid Burney, Council President (now presumably Annie McWilliams)
5) Marc Collicchio, Municipal Health Officer
6) Jenny Purnell, Plainfield Rescue Squad
7) B.J. Fleming, Captain – Plainfield Fire Division (alt. Firefighter Sheldon Green)
8) Troy Edwards, Sgt. – Plainfield Police Division (alt. P.O. William Tyler)
9) Colleen Mahr, Mayor (Fanwood)
10) Carmen Salvarrietta, Community Activist
11) Dottie Gutenkauf, Community Activist
12) Jay Jimenez, St. Peter's University Hospital
13) Lynn Kearny, Rahway Hospital
14) Dennis McGill, MD, Somerset Regional Medical Center

If you are concerned that Solaris is living up to the terms of the Muhlenberg closure agreement or if you have any questions about the process you should be present at tonight's meeting.

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Muhlenberg Community Advisory Group

Tonight, 7:30 PM

Washington Community School
427 Darrow Avenue
(Parking available in the Spooner Avenue lot)

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• Plainfield Today --
• 7/19/2009: "Something odd about upcoming Muhlenberg forum"
• 6/19/2008: "PT exclusive: State's Muhlenberg closure recommendations"

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Let there be no mistake: Bernice BROKE the Senior Center story Monday afternoon!

Let there be no mistake: Bernice BROKE the Senior Center story early Monday afternoon (see her post here), as opposed to merely 'commenting' on it (as I erroneously tagged the link to the Courier story on today's CLIPS blog (see here).

That being said, there are plenty of unanswered questions about how we came to be in the current situation. Hopefully those will be addressed, providing more opportunities for nimble bloggers to BREAK THE NEWS.

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• Plainfield Plaintalker: "Senior Center costs: More than $1"
  

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Last night's Board of Ed meeting a warmup for tonight's League forum

With Plainfield's school board election less than a week away, last night's BOE meeting focusing on the personnel brouhaha showed the public is becoming highly engaged. The BOE's meeting room, a former school auditorium, was jammed to the walls, with an overflow crowd in the adjacent hallway.

Speakers stood patiently in line for an opportunity to quiz, challenge and vent at the Board of Ed and Superintendent Steve Gallon over the personnel mess that has drawn unflattering attention to Plainfield -- first from the media, and now from Gov. Chris Christie himself.

Though laced with bitter humor that drew bursts of laughter from the audience -- there were references to Dr. Gallon as a 'criminal' and 'the fox in charge of the henhouse' -- the gist of speakers' comments was dead serious.

The months-long tussle over the hirings of uncertified Florida colleagues of Dr. Gallon as top administrators in the district culminated in a damning state report (the OFAC report, see here [PDF]), making the issue -- rightly or wrongly -- the touchstone for the election.

Speaker after speaker lambasted the Board of Ed for its perceived foot-dragging on the issue, and called for voters to reject anyone who supports Dr. Gallon's policies, personnel decisions, corrective action plan or other proposals.

If it is a 'throw the baby out with the bathwater' moment, the blame rests squarely with Dr. Gallon for both his management of the crisis and his personal style, considered haughty and dismissive.

Though the Board finally made some personnel decisions (after I left at 10ish), as reported on Maria's blog (see here, and here), these may be seen as too little, too late by residents who feel the Board has equivocated for months.

In any event, all this is warmup for tonight's League of Women Voters forum, at 6:30 PM at the Emerson Community School.

This will be the last opportunity to see and hear all fourteen candidates, and to pose any question you think is important.

2010 marks the 90th anniversary year of the Plainfield chapter of the League (one of the earliest formed), and attendees will see why the organization has had such staying power: no soap opera, no drama, just hard but fair questioning of the candidates with all given an equal opportunity to persuade voters of the justice of their cause.

See you there!

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League of Women Voters: Board of Ed Candidate Forum.

Wednesday - April 14
6:30 - 9:00 PM

Emerson Community School
East 3rd Street and Emerson Avenue

All fourteen BOE candidates have been invited to take part in the League's candidate forum.
The LWV, an organization open to women and men of all political parties,
maintains the 'gold standard' in candidate forums, with a trained volunteer moderator
from outside the community and the opportunity for all attendees to submit written questions
to one or all of the candidates. More information at the LWV website here.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Council not happy with Senior Center bait-and-switch

Senior Center, under construction.

Hey, Plainfielders! The next time Jerry Green tells you something 'won't cost the taxpayers a dime', grab your wallet or purse and run, RUN, RUN in the opposite direction as fast as your little feet will take you.

If you don't, you're likely to find yourself subject of a bait-and-switch ploy.

A resolution (R-138-10) quietly slipped into last night's Council agenda provoked questions by the public that led to a Council discussion that ended with the resolution tabled pending answers to a number of questions.

Dr. Harold Yood (known affectionately to all as the blogger 'Olddoc') was the first to speak when the public comments section was opened up, and he zeroed in on the resolution, which was to authorize the mayor to execute an agreement with Dornoch Plainfield, LLC, for the PURCHASE of 400 East Front Street, Unit 101 for use as a Senior Citizen Center and Unit 102 for use as a Veterans Center.

Jim Pivnichny, Republican candidate for mayor last year, seconded Dr. Yood's questions.

Yood, Pivnichny and I all recalled that the Senior Center was supposed to be 'free' (Assemblyman Green's word) -- well, alright, it was to cost $1. That is the same amount for which the property was conveyed by the City to the UCIA and thence to the developer.

Corporation Counsel Dan Williamson agreed, but noted that that was for a 'plain vanilla box' and that the dollar amount involved here -- $257,000 -- was for work done to outfit the space for its actual uses.

This provoked a long discussion between Council members Mapp, McWilliams and Storch and the Administration over the expenditures, how they were decided upon, why they were so high, and whether or not there were other shoes to drop in this matter.

When Councilor McWilliams protested that the matter was being presented 'undiscussed' and that there was no money to pay for this, I thought I heard Mr. Williamson say it could be taken out of the bond ordinance for $4.4M which had been adopted just moments before.

Councilor Mapp stated in no uncertain terms that that was not permissible.

Councilor Storch moved to table the resolution. Having a second, Council President tried to bring the matter to a vote when Councilor Reid objected that he had a question. McWilliams explained that a motion to table is privileged, stops all discussion, and must be voted up or down before the meeting can move forward.

The Council voted 5-1 to table the motion (Reid voted no, Councilor Burney was absent).

I have two really big questions about this whole mess --

First, how could the Administration authorize work to be done to the tune of $257,000 without first coming to the Council for authorization to spend the monies?

Who authorized the work to be done? By whom was the work done? Were the state's public bidding laws violated in having the work done? Why was nothing ever presented to the Council before this? And why wasn't the matter on last week's agenda-setting session?

This reminds me of the extra-legal goings-on under Mayor Robinson-Briggs' first city administrator, who spent over $100,000 without Council approval. He left under a cloud.

Second, I question the reference to a PURCHASE of the Senior Center and Veterans Center units.

In the Developer's Agreement (see link at end of post), Section 9 (b) says that 'upon issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy for the Senior Citizens Center, ANY HOLDER OF A MORTGAGE OR OTHER ENCUMBRANCE OR LIEN UPON THE PROPERTY in accordance with this Agreement shall execute a WRITTEN RELEASE OF THE SENIOR CENTER in recordable form' (page 9, emphasis mine). This would seem to indicate the Senior Center is the City's, period. Alright, maybe we'll have to cough up a dollar.

As for the Veterans Center, the Developer's Agreement addresses this issue in two places: Section 7. (a) (iii) says the veterans area shall be used as a sales model until all units are sold (page 4), and Section 8. (b), which provides that upon sale of ALL the condo units, the developer shall convey 'a fee simple interest' in the Veterans Center to the City for $1 (page 8).

If anything, the Administration has either got it wrong or is being disingenuous.

Since the Developer's Agreement is between the UCIA and the developer, what standing does the City have to modify any of the terms of the Agreement?

The Council is perfectly right to demand answers to the questions that have been raised before they do anything along the lines proposed by the Robinson-Briggs Administration.

NOTE ABOUT VIEWING THE DEVELOPER'S AGREEMENT:

The upside-down issue came from the way Staples did the scan.

Here's the fix --

Click on the document window and make sure it is loaded.

Right-click on the document and select 'Rotate clockwise'; this will make a quarter-turn of the document. Do it again and the document will be right-side up and easy to read.

If you're left-handed, you can rotate counterclockwise, as long as you do it twice.

Note however, that if you revisit the document in the future you will have to rotate it again.

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• Plainfield Today: "Monarch Condo documents: Developer's Agreement"
  

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Muhlenberg's oldest nursing alum celebrates 97th

Mildred Goff's 1934 graduation portrait.

Mildred Goff Garrett, 1934 Muhlenberg Nursing School alumna, recently celebrated her 97th birthday. Mrs. Garrett is shown above in her graduation portrait and below in a recent photo.

Her son, Bill Garrett, is a Plainfield history buff and preservation enthusiast, and has donated thousands of historic photographs from the Paul R. Collier collection to the Plainfield Public Library.

Mildred Goff Garrett now lives in Wolfeboro, N.H.

Bill relates that upon graduation his mother became the head nurse in charge of the 'accident room' (in the days before Emergency Rooms). The job required living at the hospital. If there was an emergency at night, she would go down, unlock the door and turn on the lights before the ambulance arrived.

Bill's father George drove the ambulance (there was no Rescue Squad until years later) and the couple met when he brought a patient to the 'accident room'. Their first date was a bus trip to Newark -- for ice cream sodas! Since the hospital discouraged fraternization between employees, Mildred and George used to slip off to a small brick bus shelter at the corner of Park Avenue and Randolph Road to be alone.

The 1929 Buick ambulance that Mildred's future husband George drove.

According to Bill, there was a dog living at the hospital. Occasionally he would disappear and George would have to go looking for him, usually finding him sleeping on some patient's bed, getting his ears scratched. (So today's 'therapy dogs' may not be such a new thing after all.)

Mildred also identified the operating room staff members in the Collier photo below, taken ca. 1940.

Operating Room in the 'old wing' of Muhlenberg, ca. 1940.
From left: Dr. Valentine, Dr. Hayward Day, Dr. Wolfe Lurie,
O.R. Supervisor Evelyn Lawson, and Mildred Bahr, RN.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Four meetings NOT to miss this week

Plainfielders actively concerned over some of the city's biggest issues are well-advised to rest up, remember to take their vitamins (and maybe an extra cup of strong coffee) and mark their calendars for FOUR must-attend events this week.

Beginning TONIGHT, if you own or operate a business in Plainfield. The City Council will take up a revised ordinance updating license fees affecting businesses at tonight's meeting. You may want to check out Mark Spivey's summary in today's Courier (see here).

The others are --

• TUESDAY, 7 PM: School District's Corrective Action Plan

The 49-page BOE agenda includes a Corrective Action Plan addressing the findings of the OFAC investigation into hiring practices in the District (see page 15 of the agenda, which is here [PDF]). Note: The meeting begins with a student performance/presentation. At the Board of Ed Administration Building (Jefferson School), 1200 Myrtle Avenue. Public welcome.

• WEDNESDAY, 6:30 PM: League of Women Voters Board of Ed Candidate Forum

All fourteen BOE candidates have been invited to take part in the League's candidate forum. The LWV, an organization open to women and men of all political parties, maintains the 'gold standard' in candidate forums, with a trained volunteer moderator from outside the community and the opportunity for all attendees to submit written questions to one or all of the candidates. More information at the LWV website here. At Emerson Community School, East 3rd Street and Emerson Avenue. FREE.

• THURSDAY, 7:30 PM: Muhlenberg Community Advisory Group's first public meeting

The first public meeting of the entity organized in the wake of the closure of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center in August 2008, which is charged with monitoring compliance by Solaris Health System with the terms of the closure. At Washington Community School, 427 Darrow Avenue. (Parking available in the Spooner Avenue lot.)

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Census2010: Plainfield Caravan of Errors

City Hall's lawn has suddenly sprouted Census signs.

Plainfield Today has heard back-channel grumbling about Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs' lack of communication with Census2010 officials about Plainfield's planned participation in the outreach activities associated with the final push to get folks to mail in their Census forms.

Communities nationwide were scheduled to participate in local 'March to the Mailbox' events on Friday, but there was no word on Plainfield's website about whether and how Plainfield would participate.

Running into former mayoral candidate Jim Pivnichny Friday evening, I learned that the Mayor's office had left him a voicemail in the morning -- the day OF -- which he did not hear until AFTER the event was over.

Also got to chat with one of the Hispanic leaders in town whom the Mayor mentioned by name in response to Council President McWilliams' inquiries about the Mayor's 'Complete Count Committee' at a Council meeting months ago. I asked how the committee's work had gone, and she replied, 'What committee?' Seems the Mayor never got around to inviting her participation, despite the very public announcement.

The Courier did get the word about the mid-day march, however, and dispatched beat reporter Mark Spivey and photographer Kathy Johnson to cover the event, which appeared in Saturday's print and online editions (see here). For some reason, the Courier has taken down the 81 photos originally posted to its online gallery here. As of Sunday morning, visitors were greeted with the following web page:

The Courier has inexplicably removed Mayor Sharon's 'March to the Mailbox' photos.

I got a call Friday afternoon that there would be a SECOND event at City Hall at 5:00 PM.

This turned out to be a caravan using a float operated by Census2010 staffers.

When it didn't appear at City Hall, I was advised to hotfoot it over to McDonald's, where the crew was said to be assembling. By time I got there, parked in the County Office Building lot and walked around the corner, the float was nowhere to be seen.

In the few minutes I had been navigating, they had taken off westward on Front Street towards points determined by Mayor Robinson-Briggs' confidential assistant Barbara James.

The Elmwood Gardens visit was somewhat muted (Reader-submitted photo).

The caravaners' adventures included a swing by Elmwood Gardens, see photo above, where an observer tells me the desired impact was tempered by the presence of the Police Division's narcotics unit being there at the same time.

The crowning touch of Ms. James caravan route, however, was to guide the Census2010 crew to the Bravo Supermarket at West 7th Street and Clinton Avenue, which is NOT in Plainfield, but rather in South Plainfield, which also happens to be in Middlesex County.

Mayor Robinson-Briggs was spared any embarrassment by this gaffe by not being present for the caravan at all.

All of which leaves unanswered the basic question which has bothered Plainfield's Census2010 campaign from its outset: Is the lack of a plan, a committee and clear communications purposeful (to undercut the count and leave CDBG funding in the hands of the County's Dem machine)?, or is it simply a further manifestation of the general bumbling of the Robinson-Briggs administration?

Cynics are equally divided over the matter.

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• Courier: "Plainfield urges residents to participate in Census"
  

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Bob Franks, former Congressman represented Plainfield

Former Congressman Bob Franks.

Bob Franks, former Congressman who represented Plainfield before the redistricting after the 2000 Census, passed away suddenly early Saturday from an aggressive cancer only diagnosed in February.

Though he would tell you Bobby Kennedy had been an inspiration, Bob's first great political feat was developing the strategy against Gov. Jim Florio's tax increases that led to a GOP landslide that swept Democrats from power.

Bob represented Plainfield in Congress for four terms in the 1990s. After the 2000 Census, New Jersey's redistricting added Plainfield to the already-safe district of Rep. Frank Pallone.

Plainfielders will remember him as an unfailing gentleman, a true bipartisan eager and willing to work across the aisle with Democrats to foster projects aimed at strengthening New Jersey's economy and prosperity.

He was an old-fashioned New Jersey Republican, the kind whose socially moderate views and fiscal conservatism won many Democratic votes; sadly, this kind of Republican seems to have no place in today's Grand Old Party.

That is a loss to America as great as the loss of Bob Franks is to the residents of New Jersey.

Below are links to various obituaries and assessments of Bob's life and contributions.

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• Ledger, Tom Moran: "A personal appreciation of a political gentleman"
• PolitickerNJ --
• Obituary: "Bob Franks dies at 58"
• Statements: "Statements on former Congressman Bob Franks"
  
• 'Wally Edge': "The Bob Franks Story"
  
• NYTimes: "Former New Jersey Congressman dies"
  

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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'Monetizing' Plainfield Today?

Google's AdSense displays ads on blog pages.

Plainfield Today finally took the 'monetizing' plunge.

Google, which owns Blogger, the service that hosts Plainfield Today and CLIPS is constantly nudging bloggers to try and get a little income from their efforts by using Google's 'AdSense' ad-placing service.

Once you are approved and set up an account, Google supplies the code for placing small ads on a blogger's pages (those on Plainfield Today will be in the right-hand column and at the bottom of the most recent post).

They are supposed to reflect a blog's geographical or topical niche.

I'm not so sure -- the first ad that popped up was for a bridal service, something that I wouldn't associate with the PT reader profile. The next was for a Westfield-based business. We already have enough folks shopping in Westfield, so I was a little leery of that one.

As I learn the ins and outs of the ads, there may be a way to fine-tune them.

The minute I see one for an erectile dysfunction product though, I'm outta here.

Meanwhile, I await the promised cheques. Perhaps there will be enough to buy a cup of coffee.

Eventually.

There will also be PSAs -- Public Service Announcements.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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And the winner is ... a Plainfield Today reader!

ShopRite has been running a grocery giveaway contest in the Courier.

A Plainfield Today reader is the lucky winner of the Courier's most recent grocery giveaway -- $100 worth of groceries every week for the rest of this year.

Congratulations to Rosemary Pittis.

Many may know Rosemary as a member of the Plainfield Music Club, a soprano soloist much sought after and an accomplished harpist -- that would the Irish harp (clàirseach).

She and her husband Albert (known to everyone as 'Al') are also stalwarts of the Netherwood Heights Historic District.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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State forces removal of mayor's City Hall banner

The election pitch was deemed campaign speech and painted over.

The banner acknowledging Plainfield Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs' selection as the Gateway Chamber of Commerce's 2009 mayor of the year had long overstayed its welcome by the lights of many Plainfielders.

Originally depicting the mayor pumping her fist in the air, and sporting a button that read 'Sharon for Mayor', the ethically challenged banner was altered (see above) with red paint smeared over the portion of the button that made it campaign art after public protest.

Yet the banner hung on, through snow, through rain, through heat, through gloom of night -- and hung on, and hung on, well beyond any decent interval.

That is, until the New Jersey Historic Trust learned that the jerry-rigged lines holding up Her Honor's visage could damage the sandstone columns on the facade of Plainfield's historic City Hall.

You will recall that the NJ Historic Trust has funded the restoration of City Hall's exterior, including completely rebuilt windows, and does not take kindly to cavalier abuse of historic properties it preserves.

Once Trenton got on the horn, the banner quickly vanished.

Which, of course, only means that City Hall's exterior has been rescued for now, but that is no guarantee it is safe from future predations.

How long City Hall will escape further predation is anyone's guess.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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