H.I.T.S.: Council confusion?... Is the county spying on you?... More cops on the street?...

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

A meeting may hear but is not a hearing? Bernice reports a semantic tangle that has developed over the new 'Conference Meetings' the Council has planned. Eyebrows were raised at City Hall when city administrator Carlton McGee characterized the meeting as a 'hearing' at which 'testimony' would be taken...since that's a horse of a totally different color. Meanwhile, others are chattering about the notion that the Council is 'formulating policy' with these meetings...seems some people think that's the Administration's job. Stay tuned for more news from the other side of the looking glass...

Is the County spying on you? Several people have gotten letters asking them to verify their birth dates for updating the County's voting records, and wondered aloud what it was all about and whether they were being paranoid...According to a nice lady at the UC Board of Elections (908-527-4121), all they are truly doing is updating their records, as they are required to do by the new Help America Vote Act (HAVA). The Board is responsible for keeping up those huge ledgers that the poll workers have on election day, which you must sign before you vote. In theory, better records will make for less confusion at the polls. Having worked the polls for years as a challenger, my humble opinion about confusion at the polls is that it has less to do with the ledgers and more to do with the workers at the tables...but then, your mileage may vary...










Remember the old Doublemint jingle...'double the pleasure, double the fun, it's Doublemint, Doublemint, Doublemint gum!...word has it that 'the twins' you may have seen around City Hall in recent days are to be responsible for the cable channel, PCTV-74. Can't confirm that, since there's been no press release on the new staff or their backgrounds or resumés, but I CAN confirm that if you call the station's number -- 753-3301 -- it will still ring forever without getting a voicemail. Ah, communication...ain't it wonderful!...

...One-step-forward-two-steps-back Dept.: Remember that Courier editorial a couple weeks ago about the expansion of the police force?..."A police division reorganization taking effect Monday [March 27] will result in another 18 patrol officers, according to new public safety director Martin Hellwig. That includes five new officers..." Well, word has it that among those five new officers, one is not going on patrol. She is, as we country bumpkins used to say, 'in a family way' and doing inside work. When she goes on leave -- in June? -- we will be down one, again. Congratulations to the mother-to-be. Now, where were we...?

MUA - It's a wrap: The 'hugger' sent me a note -- and wishes to remain anonymous -- explaining that they are friends with a MUA worker and only wanted to let me know they HAD received the notice. And I got yet another comment from a new reader, thanking me for the post, and saying they hadn't gotten it. All I ever said was I didn't remember getting it...hopefully, everyone is now on track...and the haters and huggers can go back to waiting for their next episode...

When I first came on as the city's public info officer, my email handle was 'details@...' on my dialup provider. I was expected to have the details and get them out correctly. In the CN story about Plainfield honoring its empowered women, Dr. Shirley Cathie's late husband, the Rev. Burton Cathie, is said by the event's organizer to have passed away 'about a year ago.' My old boss would have reamed me out for such a cazzual relation to the facts...

...and you noticed, of course, that another honoree was that famous PISCATAWAY activist Carmen Salavarrieta...in a group of Plainfield women?...funny how she is never connected with issues in her own hometown...or honored by them either...How cool is that?...

...Residency required? The whispering classes have suggested that at least one recent appointment to a board is a person who is using a Plainfield address but doesn't actually live in the city. Now, before you go getting your bloomers in a twist, it's possible it may be OK not to live in town. PMUA commissioner Phil Bartlett served out the final months of his term while living in another town, after having sold his home in Plainfield. He checked it out with the agency's attorney and was given the green light. So, if it's OK, why cover it up? Maybe no one bothered to check with the Corporation Counsel?

...does that include aspirin for the morning after?...seems a proposal is being floated to use over $100K in Urban Enterprise Zone money to enhance Plainfield's Fourth of July celebration. By my recollection, that would be a 300% increase over what the City has been used to spending...as one person remarked to me, 'Why, you could buy a couple of cops for that money!'...but then Trenton hasn't weighed in yet (there must be state-level approval for UEZ projects)...

More raised eyebrows, Real Estate Division: Several readers of the Friday Real Estate section have wondered about some of the prices noted recently...957 West 4th Street - $402,000...and then 708-10 West 4th Street - $180,000. Drive by and you tell me what YOU think...

...and remember, you can use the COMMENTS link on any post page to send me an anonymous email with any feedback (that's NOT a guarantee your comment will be posted! ...and if you DON'T want it posted, be sure to say so)...

DISCLAIMER: In the interest of fairness, any person identified in a H.I.T.S. post who believes he/she has been portrayed unfairly or that the information about him/her is untrue will have the opportunity to respond in this space.

-- Dan Damon

Keywords: H.I.T.S.