Upwards of a hundred folks gathered for the New Dems potluck and food drive at Councilor Adrian and Amelia Mapp's home Saturday evening.
A mountain of bags and boxes containing canned goods and nonperishable food items took shape on the sunporch as guests arrived with their contributions, all of which will aid Plainfield's feeding programs, which are struggling to meet the unprecedented demand cause by the hard economic times.
In addition, guests were invited to contribute to the Haitian relief effort by texting the word 'Haiti' to 90999 -- which makes a $10 contribution to the Red Cross relief fund (the amount appears on the donor's next phone bill). While there is no way of knowing exactly how much was raised, I saw twenty or thirty fiddling with assorted cellphones, Crackberries and iPhones when the announcement was made.
Tables groaned under the load of homemade dishes and desserts. (The baked fish was excellent -- and gone when I went back for seconds; and Pat F's carrot cake was scrumptious.)
Music was provided by Joe Bonini, making a perfect backdrop for animated conversation taking place throughout the house.
Many thanks to Adrian and Amelia Mapp for opening their home and to all who came and made the party such a success.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
UPDATE: New Dems Potluck aids Haiti relief, food programs
Bill Hetfield memorial service today
A memorial service for Plainfield community activist and preservation enthusiast Bill Hetfield will be held this afternoon.
Friends may pay their respects to the family beginning at 1:00 PM at the Higgins Home For Funerals, West 8th Street at Arlington Avenue. A memorial service will be conducted at 2:30 PM, under the leadership of Rev. Robert Martin, pastor of Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church.
A full obituary appears in Friday's Courier (see online version here).
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Bill's memory to The Pingry School, Financial Aid Fund, Office of Alumni & Development, P.O. Box 366, Martinsville, NJ 08836.
Condolences and expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at --
The Hetfield Family
1434 Evergreen Avenue
Plainfield, NJ 07060
Memorial Service for Bill Hetfield
Higgins Home For Funerals
West 8th Street at Arlington Avenue
Visitation: 1:00 PM
Memorial Service: 2:30 PM
-- Dan Damon [follow]
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Mayor keeps residents waiting at 'Break-ins' meeting
Taking the organizers at their word, about 40 Plainfield residents showed up at '6:30 PM sharp', only to have to wait twenty minutes for Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs to appear so the 'Sleepy Hollow Break-ins' forum could get under way.
While her appearance was definitely more than the 'wave-by' her confidential aide told a reader to expect, the aide was correct in saying the Mayor would have 'nothing substantive' to say.
After organizer Princetta Edwards had welcomed attendees and told them the evening would be about 'safety, prevention and protection', she introduced Mayor Robinson-Briggs.
The Mayor opened her remarks by saying that she had 'just left an important meeting at City Hall, which is ongoing...and I have to go back to that'. (After four years, this one is getting a bit worn, she really should try for a new excuse. -- DD)
Her Honor's first point was to make it clear the event was not a city-sponsored one, which she said had been a matter of confusion with several callers to her office over the past few days.
Then, she lugged out the crime stats board from her State of the City Address and went into her stat shtick.
Her interpretation of reality is like fingernails on a blackboard to those who know THE FACTS, to wit -- 'In 2005, a lot of officers were laid off, and our safety was jeopardized...'
The fact is that though layoffs WERE discussed, and the City Council eventually adopted a plan, the effect was mitigated by retirements and attrition -- exactly the tactics Robinson-Briggs is herself using in the face of unprecedented budget pressures.
Moreover, in Al McWilliams' last year in office, 2005, the Police Division stood at 156 sworn officers -- and even when (and if) the six new recruits sworn in this week (see Courier story here) finally don their badges in six months, the number will still be FIVE FEWER THAN THE McWILLIAMS FORCE LEVEL, a fact which Mayor Robinson-Briggs continually sidesteps.
Nevertheless, Robinson-Briggs perpetually fudges the facts. It's enough to put one in mind of Hitler's and Goebbels' idea of the Große Lüge., or, perhaps more kindly, Daniel Patrick Moynihan's famous quip (see here) that 'everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts'.
Her Honor then turned to podium over to Capt. Anthony Celentano, and sat down at the speakers' table, causing some in the audience to wonder what had become of the urgency of 'getting back to the meeting at City Hall'.
Celentano first went over the history of recent incidents, noting that there had been four break-ins -- one in November and two in December in the Sleepy Hollow area, and one this week on Central Avenue that a quick-thinking contractor had thwarted when he called the cops after seeing a young man walking down the street with what he thought was a TV.
His advice was simple and direct --
ALARMS: If you have an alarm system, use it. Use it every time you go out, even if only for a few minutes. Use it when you are home, if you can isolate portions so you and pets do not set it off.Good advice all.
NEIGHBORS: Know your neighbors. Exchange cell phone numbers and email addresses. Watch out for each other.
SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY: If it seems suspicious, it probably is. Do not hesitate to call the police. Celentano gave out several useful non-emergency phone numbers (you would use 9-1-1 in the case of an emergency) --
- 753-3131 -- Duty Desk
- 753-3361 -- Watch Commander
- 753-3043 -- Capt. Celentano's desk
- 753-3017 -- Capt. Selzam's desk
- 753-3047 -- Secretary in case Captains are out
At this point, having allotted an hour for the meeting, I took my leave.
I did trundle by City Hall on the way home from the supermarket to check on the Mayor's 'important meeting' -- there was a gold Cadillac parked in the handicapped space near the steps but no sign of the Mayor's SUV. Must have been a small meeting.
- Courier: "Plainfield welcomes six new officers"
Friday, January 15, 2010
UPDATE: Changes to 'break-ins' forum tonight
Plainfield Today has been advised that Mayor Robinson-Briggs' appearance at this evening's forum on Sleepy Hollow 'break-ins' has been downgraded to a 'wave-by'.
Originally listed on the promotional flyer (see here) as speaking about 'what the City knows about the Sleepy Hollow break-ins', a reader was advised by the mayor's confidential assistant yesterday that the Mayor 'is planning a wave-by and will have nothing substantive to say'.
The event is scheduled for 6:30 PM sharp this evening at the Cook School Cafeteria, Leland Avenue at Berkeley Avenue.
- Plainfield Today: "Sleepy Hollow break-ins meeting set for Friday"
Previously unreported stabbing
A Plainfield Today reader advises a previously unreported stabbing occurred earlier this week at about 3:30 PM near East 7th Street and Franklin Place.
A Hispanic male was stabbed in the chest. The victim was transported to RWJ and was in critical condition and expected to survive.
-- Dan Damon [follow]
Hetfield Memorial Service
A memorial service for Plainfield community activist and preservation enthusiast Bill Hetfield will be held Sunday afternoon.
Friends may pay their respects to the family beginning at 1:00 PM at the Higgins Home For Funerals, West 8th Street at Arlington Avenue. A memorial service will be conducted at 2:30 PM, under the leadership of Rev. Robert Martin, pastor of Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church.
A full obituary appears in Friday's Courier (see online version here).
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Bill's memory to The Pingry School, Financial Aid Fund, Office of Alumni & Development, P.O. Box 366, Martinsville, NJ 08836.
Condolences and expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at --
The Hetfield Family
1434 Evergreen Avenue
Plainfield, NJ 07060
Memorial Service for Bill Hetfield
Higgins Home For Funerals
West 8th Street at Arlington Avenue
Visitation: 1:00 PM
Memorial Service: 2:30 PM
-- Dan Damon [follow]
Thursday, January 14, 2010
BREAKING: Shooting Wednesday evening
Just got word there was a shooting about 7:45 PM Wednesday evening at West 3rd Street and Rushmore Avenue.
Told that a male was struck several times and taken by friends to the Muhlenberg SED.
Will post more is avaible.
-- Dan Damon [follow]
Ways to help in Haitian relief efforts
Plainfielders wishing to help in the Haitian relief effort may do so by making cash donations in several ways.
(Because of the widespread disruption of Haiti's infrastructure, collecting of clothing, food and medical supplies ARE NOT A GOOD IDEA AT THIS TIME. Resources will be better mobilized by non-governmental organizations that are well-prepared to target needs quickly and effectively. Also, donors are advised to be aware of the inevitable scamsters who attempt to use such disasters to rip off the unsuspecting. Give only to recognized charities and NGOs.)
If you are trying to locate relatives in Haiti, call the US State Department at (888) 407-4747.
Here are some ways to donate --
- American Red Cross: see the Tri-County Red Cross support page here.
- Interaction.org has a complete alphabetical list of member organizations (including many religious denominations) and contact info here.
- Catholic Relief Services: CRS website is here; where you can also make donations via cellphone.
- Doctors Without Borders (Medicins sans frontières): Website is here, with donation info.
- The Haitian League: Website is here, with opportunity for online donations.
- Haitian Solidarity Network: Website is here; a networking organization for the Northeast.
Donations may also be sent via text message, and will appear as charges on your monthly phone bill.
- Wyclif Jean's 'Yele' Fund: Text 'Yele' to 501501 and $5 will be donated to Haitian relief through Jean's charitable organization. Their website is here.
- State Department's Haitian Relief Fund: Text 'Haiti' to 90999 and $10 will go to the relief funds.
-- Dan Damon [follow]
MLK Week: New Dems Potluck and Food Drive set for Saturday
Plainfield's New Democrats will hold a Potluck Dinner and Party Saturday at the home of Councilor Adrian and Mrs. Amelia Mapp.
Originally scheduled for December, the date was changed as the result of last month's snow storm.
The party is open to all in the community, and attendees are asked to bring nonperishable food items such as canned goods or dry food and pasta products, which will be donated to the city's feeding programs.
"All of Plainfield's food pantries and feeding programs have reported experiencing an extraordinary demand for services," says New Dem chairperson Adrian Mapp, "and it seems particularly fitting that we have an opportunity to help during the week of celebrations commemorating the life and service of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."
While we justly honor Dr. King as a civil rights leader and martyr of enormous stature, we would do his memory a disservice if we failed to recall that he was also keenly aware of the need to overcome poverty and hunger. As King said in his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize (see here) --
Today, therefore, the question on the agenda must read: Why should there be hunger and privation in any land, in any city, at any table when man has the resources and the scientific know-how to provide all mankind with the basic necessities of life?Hope to see you all at Adrian and Amelia's!
New Dems Potluck and Food Drive
7:00 PM
At the home of Adrian and Amelia Mapp
535 West 8th Street
Mix and mingle with new friends and old! Bring a dish to share and one or two nonperishable food items for donation to Plainfield's local feeding programs. Food, fun, music.
-- Dan Damon [follow]
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Paparazzi on trail of Jane Does 1 & 2
 | + |  | = | ? |
Got a tip that Ch 5 (see here; and maybe Ch 7 also, see here) were at Plainfield school district administration building (formerly known as Jefferson School) this morning, trying to chase down Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 for on-camera remarks on the certifications mess, which has now turned into a state investigation of the possibility of fraud.
Question: Is it a slow-news day for New York television, or is this investigation a serious matter?
-- Dan Damon [follow]
Tri-County Red Cross mobilizing Haitian relief effort
Bill Hetfield, community activist, preservation enthusiast
Plainfield will miss Bill Hetfield, longtime community activist and preservation enthusiast, who passed away suddenly Monday evening.
I first met Bill shortly after moving to Plainfield in 1983, when preserving historic Plainfield properties and neighborhoods was a hot topic.
There was quite a debate in the community over whether developing historic districts was a real benefit, and Bill was not shy about expressing his opinion -- and support for -- the movement.
To say that Bill Hetfield was ready to offer advice would be an understatement.
Like many people who have a clear goal in mind, he could be enthusiastic to the point of sometimes rubbing the wrong way, but there was never any doubt that what Bill envisioned was a Plainfield that preserved the best of what it had and prepared itself for a place of honor among New Jersey communities, never settling for second best.
He was more than willing to put his time where his interest was, and the list of his involvements is a long one indeed, including the North Avenue Historic District (Plainfield's only commercial HD), the Crescent Avenue Historic District, and support for historic designations for Plainfield's municipal complex, as well as the creation of the Historic Preservation Commission.
When Plainfield's first gay organization, Residents Supporting Victorian Plainfield (RSVP), organized a brunch at the Seventh-Day Baptist Church in conjunction with one of the Van Wyck Brooks Historic District's house tours, he eagerly spread the word when he learned to goal was to raise funds for the small congregation to use toward preserving the unique terra cotta roof on the church. Bill was a dismayed as the rest of us when the congregation later replaced the irreplaceable roof with one of composition shingles. But Bill never let a single setback slow him down.
He eagerly engaged in the development of larger visions for Plainfield -- both supporting Al McWilliams strategic planning initiative, which engaged nearly five hundred residents in a year-long planning effort that prioritized goals for city government, as well as another planning overview spearheaded by Bill, Murray and Helga Roberts, Tom Kaercher and Susan Olszewski.
He was eager to have Rose Walker's nephew's concept models for Park-Madison, which featured a hotel/convention center be exhibited. Though admittedly they were a fantasy, and he and I disagreed over whether the scheme had a 'snowball's chance in Hell', the exhibit went on and drew press interest and developer inquiries. Nothing wrong with that!
At the time of his passing, he was working with Nancy Piwowar, members of First-Park Baptist Church and others on a project to preserve the Evergreen Cemetery on Plainfield Avenue, which is composed of two parcels labeled on the tax maps as the 'Methodist' and 'Baptist' cemeteries.
Bill, we shall miss your enthusiasm, your dedication, and yes -- your advice.
My condolences go out to Lisa and the family.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
BREAKING: Bill Hetfield passes away
BREAKING NEWS at 10:40 AM: Per an email from Council President Annie McWilliams, Plainfield community activist and historic preservationist Bill Hetfield has passed away. Will post more as details become available.
-- Dan Damon [follow]
Sleepy Hollow Break-ins Meeting Friday
Who is Princetta Edwards and why should Plainfield residents care?
Ms. Edwards is sponsoring a meeting on 'Sleepy Hollow Break-Ins' Friday evening at Cook School, per blue flyers (see below) that have been dropped at (some) homes ranging from Leland Avenue to Woodland Avenue and in between.
Several readers have emailed about the meeting, which raises some pertinent questions (thanks to JR for a hand-delivered hard copy, and to JJ for a PDF scan).
WHAT BREAK-INS?If you do go, you can at least be assured that if you are freaked out by anything you learn about 'break-ins', you have options: therapy to relieve your stress, or a real estate listing if you want to live elsewhere.Even though Mayor Robinson-Briggs has made it a policy to low-profile crime, I usually hear about burglaries and car break-ins by way of Plainfield's very active grapevine. What was unusual was that I hadn't heard anything RECENT since before the holidays. So, to what was Ms. Edwards referring? Piv raised the same issue in his post on the subject today (see here). Councilor Cory Storch said he also had not heard of anything except for before the holidays.HOW ORGANIZED?Secondly, it was surprising to find out that Ms. Edwards had NOT reached out to the very neighborhood organizations that are concerned about such issues, and could network to have folks attend. This includes FOSH, Netherwood Neighbors and the Hillside Avenue Neighborhood Watch. This is really odd. Does Ms.Edwards mean to skirt these organizations, or is she unaware of them?THE 'SPEAKERS'?Mayor Robinson-Briggs is tagged as speaking about 'what the city knows' about break-ins. What the Mayor knows is basically everything you DON'T KNOW, because of her policy of keeping crime info on the down-low. So maybe you will want to her to enlighten you.WHO BENEFITS?
Capt. Ruth Selzam very capably discharges her duties, and is sure to offer good information about what residents can do -- which, no doubt, she has already offered before to many of these same folks.
Ms. Edwards, herself a clinical social worker with a counseling practice in Plainfield (see here) and a licensed real estate professional associated with ERA Queen City in Scotch Plains (see here), will speak about 'the cost of being robbed'. She is well-positioned to talk both about the psychological 'cost' and the real-estate 'cost'.
Larry Ringler, president of his own insurance brokerage, who will discuss homeowner insurance policies.This flyer has all the earmarks of a marketing event designed to prospect for clients who would pay for further services.
It is the kind of setup I used as a Realtor® working for Burgdorff (before its ERA days) when prospecting among apartment dwellers for first-time homebuyers. Except that it never occurred to me to include an elected official in my marketing scheme.
Will attendees be teased with a 'dance of the seven veils', where they get more if they pay for it?
-- Dan Damon [follow]
The Joy of Council
Laughter was heard at Plainfield's City Council meeting Monday evening.
Even a couple of guffaws.
It was as if a huge weight that had been pressing down on the Council meetings over the past months and years had been lifted away.
The reason? The performance of acting city administrator (and director of finance and administration) Bibi Taylor.
She was smooth, poised, informed, confident, plain-spoken and charming.
Council President Annie McWilliams handled opening the meeting deftly, and Adrian Mapp, as chair of the committee of the whole moved the discussion of each agenda item along at a steady pace.
But Bibi was the star, in my mind.
Not only for her presentation, but for having on hand the relevant division heads to answer questions as items in their purview came up for discussion.
How different from Marc Dashield, who by and large kept staff from the Council table as a matter of course.
Each came to the Council table informed and prepared to answer Councilors' questions -- Fire Chief Cecil Allen, Tax Assessor Tracy Bennett, Personnel Director Karen Dabney, Health Officer Mark Colicchio, Superintendent of Public Works John Louise.
It was enough to make one ask why Dashield had hidden all these lights under a bushel.
Answers.
The Councilors actually got answers to their questions.
Not once were the words 'I'll have to get back to you on that' uttered.
Notes were made for follow-up.
The lack of tension in the room led to a respectful but easy back-and-forth between staff and Council.
The only wrinkle I could see was that when the Council wanted follow-up on a point, Ms. Taylor quickly agreed to providing the desired further information.
Unspoken behind it all was the (sad) realization that she would only be before the Council once more as acting city administrator, since her agreement to stay on is over at the end of the month.
Too bad for Plainfield.
Good news for East Orange.
Mayor Robinson-Briggs will, I am afraid, never know what an opportunity to establish a competent administration in her second term she has lost here.
Good luck to Bibi!
Pray for Plainfield.
NOTE: Have corrected Bibi's last name to 'Taylor' from 'Stewart' -- the 'old' last name under which I first became aware of this talented rising star.Thanks to sharp-eyed 'Anonynmous'!
-- Dan Damon [follow]
MISSING DAUGHTER
A'sierra (Cee Cee) has been missing since Sunday.
Several Plainfield Today readers have forwarded a flyer concerning the young woman pictured above, who is missing. Readers are asked to keep an eye open for her. Her parents have posted the following information --
Dear Friends,If you believe you have seen this young woman, please call the Plainfield police at 911 and advise of the location, day and time and any other information that may help locate her.
I am asking for your help. My oldest daughter A'sierra has run away from her Treatment Home, she was last seen on Park ave and East 9th Street in Plainfield, NJ at 1:30 pm Sunday January 10, 2009. We are greif stricken because A'sierra has a severe medical condition for which she takes medication, she has not been medicated for more that 24 hours. A'sierra is unable to make self preservation decisions, and can become hostile when confronted. Even with this, she can be the sweetest child and we want no harm to come to her.
Asierra is 17 years old, 5' 9", very skinny 120 lbs, she has dyed dark red hair with blond streaks in it, green eyes and is very fair complected with minor acne. Please help us by reposting this, we only want her returned to us safely and unharmed. Thank you, Jennifer Medford
If you have any information about where A'sierra is Please contact Plainfield Police Department in Plainfield NJ or Bridgewater Police Department in Bridgewater. As always you can contact your local police department @ 911 to report a sighting. Thank you in advance attached is a Picture of A'sierra AKA Cee Cee.
-- Dan Damon [follow]
Monday, January 11, 2010
YWCA embarks on search for new director
The YWCA's historic building in a 1920's photo.
(Image courtesy of Nellie Dixon)
The YWCA of Central New Jersey, operating out of its historic Plainfield YWCA building on East Front Street, is embarking on a search for a new Executive Director who will lead it into its second century, according to acting interim executive director Diane Du Brule.
Its Board of Directors has accepted the resignation of the current executive director, Cathleen Ludlow, effective this Friday, January 15.
According to Du Brule, the first order of business will be to recruit an Interim Executive Director, for which the Board has already appointed a search committee.
Typically, nonprofits use an interim period between executive directors as an opportunity for the Board of Directors to reassess the organization's mission, programs and goals, inviting stakeholders to reaffirm the importance of the organization and recommit to its progress.
An elaborate 'YWCA' crest under the oriel window of the building's theater.
With more than a century of service to women and families in the greater Plainfield area, the YWCA has shown itself to be an integral part of the community's service organizations.
Adaptation to changing conditions has been a hallmark of the YWCA's resilience. It moved from the classic model of a residence for 'single working women' and health, fitness and character-building activities for women and youngsters, to one of support for women as they more and more entered the workforce.
One of the YWCA's most successful programs has been its TWIN program, which helped women network in corporate and professional settings, chipping away at the 'glass ceiling' which women face in careers.
Under the leadership of its previous executive director, Jackie Glock, the YWCA of Central New Jersey was able to complete an ambitious capital improvements program which added a new wing for early childhood care that is state-of-the-art and one of the best such physical facilities in the city.
Du Brule also noted the YWCA is thrilled that it will be replacing two of the complex's boilers this month under an energy efficiency program offered by PSE&G. The expected cost of replacement is nearly $250,000.
The aging boilers have been an issue during recent months. While the facility was able to keep the newer early childhood care wing nice and toasty, as was noted by a Health Division inspection, the older portions of the complex experienced intermittent heat problems.
The telephone system, which had been affected by the temperature fluctuations from the boiler issues, has been up and running for about a week, says Du Brule.
Plainfield is an exception in this day and age for a community of its size to have both a YWCA and a YMCA. In many other communities, one or the other has gone by the boards, or consolidated into mammoth facilities.
Both Plainfield organizations, while experiencing challenges, have reinvented themselves under changing conditions to continue to serve Plainfield and the surrounding communities in addressing new and ever-changing opportunities and circumstances of their core constituencies.
Long life and much success to both the YWCA and the YMCA!
-- Dan Damon [follow]
Sunday, January 10, 2010
One for Assemblyman Green to vote AGAINST
I normally don't comment on Plainfield Assemblyman Jerry Green's votes in the Legislature, but there is a bill to be taken up tomorrow on which I believe the Assemblyman should vote a resounding 'NO'.
For those who followed the epic grassroots struggle in New Brunswick last year to change its form of Council elections from entirely at-large to one where there was Ward representation in addition to at-large seats, the bill now being considered in the Assembly looks like a mean-spirited attempt by those in power to shut down the democratic process.
Grassroots activists were able to get a question on the ballot only after months of maneuvering and court challenges. Then, at the last minute, the powers-that-be mounted a phony 'grassroots' counter-campaign designed to confuse the public.
The net result was the proposal to go to Ward representation went down to a narrow defeat.
The activists have been planning to bring the question up again in two years, but the bill before the Assembly tomorrow would make it impossible to bring another public question on the matter before a decade has lapsed.
Plainfielders who think this is someone else's problem should reflect for a moment.
Given the much higher voter turnout numbers in Plainfield in Ward 2 and Ward 3, a totally at-large Council such as New Brunswick has would stand a good chance of leaving Ward 4 and Ward 1 with little or no voice in city government.
All they want in New Brunswick is a chance to have what Plainfield already has: some representation by Wards to guarantee no one gets left out.
This alone should suggest that Assemblyman Green would stand on the side of disenfranchised voters.
But will he?
I certainly hope so.
- PolitickerNJ: "Bill would block new referendum votes for a decade"
- Courier: "Bill would lengthen time between votes on changes in government"
Saturday, January 9, 2010
'Bad' bread drives out 'good': A new Gresham's Law?
Shelves with several varieties of Arnold's breads.
Along with many other Plainfielders, I shop at Twin City for many items, especially bread and milk, which need regular replenishing.
Favoring Arnold's several multi-grain bread varieties, I was stymied recently to come upon a totally empty rack where normally there would be a superabundance of 5 Grain, 7 Grain, 12 Grain, Multi-Grain and Oatnut selections, among others.
My regular bread rack was empty!
Then I spotted a small sign that had never been there before.
Arnold's Whole Wheat (orange bag only) now WIC-approved.
The next time I came in, the rack was replenished -- but now contained ONLY Whole Wheat bread.
Arnold's Whole Wheat took over the whole rack space.
Had some sort of loony Freakonomics version of Gresham's Law taken over Twin City's bread aisle?
There were other brands, also 'WIC approved', where Whole Wheat had displaced even plain white (except for the Wonder® product, which I am not sure actually qualifies as 'bread').
Not that I have anything against Whole Wheat in particular, but this is America, the land of CHOICE, and it seemed that CHOICE had utterly DISAPPEARED. Ohmygod!
Thomas Gresham, Royal Factor to Queen Elizabeth. Is he to blame?
Gresham's Law, if you recall Econ 101, is a formulation that demonstrates that debased currency (i.e., 'bad' money, containing less or none of the precious metal on which it is based) drives out 'good' currency (containing more of the precious metal) -- which people tend to take out of circulation by hoarding against a future increase in value.
(Like all metaphors, this is a three-legged dog, as I don't think anyone is ACTUALLY HOARDING Whole Wheat bread. I may however, as always, be mistaken.)
Is Gresham to blame for my bread predicament?
Not really. Firstly, he never formulated Gresham's Law -- which was actually remarked upon by Aristophanes about 2,500 years ago; and secondly, it probably has to do more with Arnold's being the cheapest bread on the shelf, since it is a smaller loaf, thereby making it practically mandatorily the 'bread of necessity' for WIC recipients.
How so?
The WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program provides vouchers for supplemental food assistance to 45% of all infants born in the United States. That is an amazing fact! And WIC recipients are required to buy the cheapest version of the product on the voucher that is on the store's shelves. Voilá! Mystery solved.
If you want to read up on WIC, check out the Federal website (here), New Jersey's website (here) and a useful overview on Wikipedia (here).
So, since it is snapped up almost the moment the driver stacks it on the shelves and solves Arnold's 'out of date' bread problem, the little orange Whole Wheat packages have literally driven all other Arnold's varieties off Twin City's shelves.
And it's not the fault of Arnold's or Twin City or even Gresham.
It's all Hubert Humphrey's fault (see here).
Humphrey can consider himself fortunate we don't have him to kick around any more.
Hubert Humphrey and another famous former Vice Presdient.
-- Dan Damon [follow]
Posts
