H.I.T.S.: Candidate fundraiser: no permit.. Council pokes public in eye.. Chamber eyes biz growth.. PCTV-74...where are you?

*
H.I.T.S.: HEARD IN THE STREET. . .

School board candidates fundraiser update: As of 2:15 p.m. Thursday, no application had been made for a permit for the fundraiser by candidates Claudette Lovely-Brown, Lisa Logan-Leach and Reno Wilkins scheduled for this evening at the Washington Community School. The rules are very clear: this is an advertised public event with an admission fee, using a public facility. A permit is required, to be signed off on by the police and fire chiefs as well as the public safety director. I remember being at a school election fundraiser that WAS shut down. It was at Questover, a private residence next door to former Coucilor Malcolm Dunn's home. It was an invitation-only reception which had not been advertised to the general public. In other words, it should have been exempt from the permit requirement. Nevertheless, it was peremptorily shut down in full swing. Now I for one am not going to snitch on this evening's fundraiser, and if it goes forward without a hitch, we can just line this experience up with that of Flor Gonzalez' attempt to have a rally recently in support of police chief Ed Santiago -- a clear exercise of First Amendment rights -- only to be refused by Public Safety Director Hellwig. He apologized to her later and publicly, but you might be forgiven if you wondered whether two sets of books are being kept here... [original post is here]

Council meetings: Now that the Council sees fit to stick its thumb in the eye of the church-going public, its meetings are expected to shift to the new schedule in April. I will post the revised meeting schedule to PLAINFIELD EVENTS once the list of dates is available. Meanwhile, one wag has suggested that the day which falls between Tuesday and Thursday be renamed Wensonsday, which in the English-language style of contracting words could become Wensday -- has a certain ring to it, doesn't it?...

...speaking of the Council, there was some rustling in the underbrush when Council president Ray Blanco got ink in the January 25 Courier as "the first member of the governing body to earn a certificate of completion from a Rutgers University program for elected officials." It's a TKO: Councilors Cory Storch and Linda Carter also took the courses, Storch having completed the series. When contacted as to whether she had also taken the courses, Donna Vose, former 2nd Ward GOP councilor, said "Well, of course I took the courses that were offered, but in those days [the early 90s] there was no such thing as a 'certificate' for completing the courses." In the press release which apprised the media of his accomplishment, Blanco also said, "I believe it is my duty and responsibility to the citizens of Plainfield to learn how to govern efficiently and ethically..."

...Governing efficiently, like making the trains run on time, has always been a challenge for government leaders, but under its leader, our Council has risen to the challenge with the adoption of new and comprehensive rules of conduct for Council meetings. The 28 pages of rules of conduct have been met, as you would expect in Plainfield, with heated comment. Bernice reported on the concerns of residents Joe and Dottie Gutenkauf and Sandy Gurshman. If this tickles your funny bone, you can check out Councilor Burney's website to see if he posts the new rules. Meanwhile, I am offering the Gutenkaufs and Sandy Gurshman the opportunity to forward their comments to me for posting on PLAINFIELD TODAY. It's about openness in government...

and last week was Sunshine Week, wherein media across the nation campaign for openness and transparency in government -- you know, sunshine laws covering meetings and freedom-of-information laws covering access to government records. Not with a bang, but a whimper is basically how you could characterize the Courier's participation, "quiet and meaningless as wind in dry grass, or rats' feet over broken glass in our dry cellar" as Eliot said. The Ledger seemed to be MIA altogether.

...while we're on openness, the city's public access channel PCTV-74 appears still inaccessible. The phone rings without end and without answer...and several visits have yet to turn up the physical presence of 'Tony.' Meanwhile, I was corrected by several who watch the channel -- the cable guy I am not -- that in fact the programming from the day of Rebecca Williams' summary firing is still running, unchanged except for a cursor appearing on the screen -- which, I am told, is a tell-tale mark of human intervention by someone not sure of what they were doing...

...and speaking of MIA [missing in action], the invitation I received on March 14th for yesterday's Chamber of Commerce meeting on 'Business Growth and Redevelopment' listed the city's new director of Public Works and Urban Development, Jennifer Wenson-Maier, as a headlined guest, along with representatives of the Union County Economic Development Corp. (UCEDC) and the Economic Growth & Tourism Commission, in the state's Commerce Department. Without explanation, Wenson-Maier was replaced by city administrator Carlton McGee. Longtime Plainfield resident Fleeta Barnes, representing the state, gave a detailed overview of programs available. The meeting was well-attended -- 50 plus participants -- and attendees enjoyed a light breakfast and plenty of networking at Jeff Dunn's Incubator building on Park Avenue. Challenge to all by president Donna Albanese: summarize your business proposition in seven words when introducing yourself. It was a valuable exercise and almost everyone tried to meet the goal -- some bringing belly laughs and applause from the crowd...

'Now it's do-si-do your partner...and swing the corner gal...' Have you noticed the construction work at one of Plainfield's 'corner gals' -- the YWCA? Well, it's worth a special trip up Church Street to get a peek. The YW's long-awaited Early Childhood Center is rapidly moving along. The new addition is at the rear of the landmarked 1926 YWCA building at East Front and Church Streets, and is part of a multi-year capital improvements campaign which also included the renovation of the theater space on the building's second floor... When I first came to town, the YWCA was going through a crisis of sorts, having a greatly diminished membership and out of touch with its base. It was often compared unfavorably to the YMCA, with its thriving health club and reputation for stability. Under the leadership of a renewed and strengthened Board, and its executive director Jackie Glock and her excellent team, the YW has turned the corner: its co-ed health club is booming, membership has grown and the capital projects are adding much-needed program space for the community. Ironically, it is now the YM which some say is in crisis...'Now it's do-si-do your partner...and swing the corner gal...'