Mondays, PLAINFIELD TODAY is a digest of Plainfield-only news from the past week: That Was The Week That Was -- or TW3 -- with links to the online stories.
GOVERNMENT / POLITICS
(Photo, Courier News)
RESPONSE TO CRIME. Oddly enough, the administration missed two opportunities to speak to the issue of crime in the community this past week. Wednesday's daylight shooting on the steps of the Public Library sent shock waves throughout the community. I received several emails over the past few days from parents who take their small children to use the library and park on College Place and are justly worried about what the city is doing to prevent this kind of incident from happening. Residents are puzzled that Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs remained utterly silent on the incident, especially since crime was such a major part of her election platform.
The other missed opportunity came with the sentencing of O'Shea Clarke in the June 2004 beating of Oscar Romero-Figueroa of North Plainfield, covered by both the Ledger and the Courier. The incident, which spawned a rush of high-profile media coverage of the wave of assaults on Hispanics in both Plainfield and North Plainfield and which also brought the launch of a local Guardian Angels group (where are they now?), may now fade from the public's mind as the perpetrator goes to prison. For Mr. Romero and his family there will be no forgetting. And do we know that the same sort of spree is not going to happen again? Why miss such a good opportunity to reaffirm a get-tough-on-crime stance?
COUNCIL. Bernice reported on the Council's election hiatus, but aficianados will get their fill when the Council returns with its June 19 agenda session, a conference meeting scheduled for June 20, and a regular business meeting on June 21.
URBAN ENTERPRISE ZONE. What should we make of the talk of taking the state's Urban Enterprise Zone pot o' gold to use in plugging various budget and mandated funding gaps? It may not come to anything in the current budget situation -- especially since Corzine's team seems cool to the idea. However, there is an undercurrent of suspicion at the way the program has been run and talk of 'reforming' it. Do we have an SCC-type scandal brewing here? I hope not, but the program has been treated more like a sugarbowl than a way to invest in and grow a local community's economic potential. Watch for more sparks on this front.
HOPE FOR THE WEST END? Both the Courier and the Ledger reported on the awarding of a $100,000 planning grant from the Wachovia Regional Foundation to POWER (Plainfield Organization for West End Revitalization). Working with Rutgers' National Brownfields and Neighborhoods Center and Homefirst (formerly Interfaith Council on the Homeless), the neighborhood-based organization is to develop plans for a wide-ranging series of improvements to the 44-block area. The open question is whether the efforts will truly be guided by a neighborhood-driven agenda or whether the effort will provide a smokescreen for politically-allied developers to make a killing at the expense of Plainfielders in general and West End residents in particular. Keep your eyes on this one.
SCHOOLS. Abbott School funding is much on people's minds these days. The ruling by the NJ Supreme Court freezing funding at current levels leaves local districts to ponder how they will handle the expected 4%-5% annual increase in costs without extra funding from the state. Neither trimming programs nor increasing the tax levy is a palatable option. However, the state is signaling that tax increases must be considered. By insisting that some districts increase their levies now, a clear message is being sent to all districts -- some of which, like Plainfield, have not had a school tax increase in over a decade -- that levies will be on the table as a discussion item going forward. Though the Supremes left an opening for more funding if new schools were impacted by the freeze, this does not seem to apply to Plainfield at the moment. (Our proposed new schools are caught up in the SCC funding mess, which is currently being sorted out.) Dan went to a conference on school funding last week, mostly learning about the history of funding and funding issues at the state level--interesting, but not directly helpful to our current problems. Bernice reported on a citywide gathering sponsored by the Nubian Cultural Center to discuss school issues. Sparsely attended, the meeting probably suffered somewhat from 'dive bombing' -- participants who stay briefly, launch their sound bites, and depart without having to answer the full range of questions that might be on an audience's mind.
Last Friday's H.I.T.S.: "HITS: A daytime shooting... Employee treatment mean-spirited?..."
Court reinstates Chief Santiago.. Seniors on fire over perceived slights.. Charlotte's story on Web thanks to Dan
Last Monday's TW3: "TW3: May 15 - May 21, 2006"
Mondays, PLAINFIELD TODAY is a digest of Plainfield-only news from the past week: That Was The Week That Was -- or TW3 -- with links to the online stories.
COMMUNITY
Bernice reported on changes for the July 4th Parade promised by Recreation Director Dave Wynn -- a more patriotic emphasis, and correcting poor pacing, inappropriate displays by dancers and general disarray evidenced in the past -- that will be much welcomed by those who feel this longstanding Plainfield tradition ought to be a better draw for a Central Jersey audience.
Homestead Rebate: "Seniors gain extension on deadline for rebate"
Housing Authority - SL: "Plainfield housing panel taps executive director"
McGreevey - AP: "McGreevey, partner may nest in NYC" -- but Plainfield may still be in running?
... - If you've been folllowing the ex-Gov's meanderings, you may now have some insight into
... - why one of the (politically incorrect) Spanish slang words for a gay male is mariposa (butterfly).
Memorial Day - A Plainfield Today Series
... - "Memorial Day I - Early History"
... - "Memorial Day II - A Remembrance of all who have fallen"
... - "Memorial Day III - Plainfield's War Memorial Flagpole"
Toni Morrison: "Honoring 'Beloved' author Toni Morrison"
Newark Airport Flight Paths: "Port Authority pans plan to shift flights"
Obituary: "Elizabeth Coates Morse, Plainfield Public Schools librarian"
Plainfield Pride Picnic: "Pride picnic planned in city"
PSE&G Rates: "PSEG keeps rates steady -- for now"
CONNECTIONS? FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Add-on Fees for Commercial Development: "Affordable housing fees rankle builders"
... - If towns assess a locally-determined affordable housing fee on commercial
... - development, would Plainfield make itself more desirable by touting it doesn't?
Abbott Schools - Editorial, SL: "Get back to building schools"
Abbott School Irregularities - JJ: "Jersey City's Super's British junket detailed"
ABC Issues: "ABC board focuses on bar license in Hillside"
Booker and Newark: "Can Cory Booker transcend the politics of race?"
Budget 'Games': "Perth Amboy revenues still don't add up"
Campaign Funds: "Ex-Kearny mayor gets probation, fine for diverting funds"
Community TV: "Hour After Hour, One Station Is Devoted to Pulse of New York"
Conflict of Interest - APP: "Court reverses townhouse OK in Red Bank"
Conflict of Interest: "Court bars Red Bank housing development plan"
Corruption: Al Faiella: Joan Whitlow: "His own economic development came first"
Crime Fighting: Cellphone Photo: "Witness uses phone to get photo of attack"
Drug: "Reputed Essex, Union narcotics king goes on trial"
Drugs: "Trial gives insider's look at infamous drug ring"
Dumping: "Inquiry unearths laxity by County employees on dumping"
Eminent Domain: "New Brunswick goes after part of senior parking lot for condos"
Eminent Domain - NYT: "Eminent Domain's Pre-Eminence"
Eminent Domain: "His property, his business: His campaign"*
Gangs: "Attorney general aims federal funds at gangs in Pa."
Gang Legislation - Record: "Package of bills targets gangs"
Gang Legislation: "Anti-gang package passes Assembly"
Guns: "3 ordinances would help Jersey City curb gun violence"
Flood Insurance: "Flood insurance bill could boost premiums for 40,000 in Jersey"
Immigrants: "Teens fleeing the gangs of Central America"
Land Use: "Montclair planners seek new limits on lot coverage to curb 'McMansions'"
McGreevey Book Sneak Peek: "'I knew I would have to lie for the rest of my life'"
McGreevey? - NYT: "McGreevey Says Political Career Was Pursued as Painful Lie"
Parking Meters - High-tech: "Big changes for Newark's parking meters"
Pay-to-Play: "Architect is generous with Dems"
Pedestrian Safety: Paul Mulshine: "State to pedestrians: Take a hike"
Politicians & Web: "Politicians flocking onto Web more than ever"
Property Tax Revaluation: "Meeting on Montclair's first property revaluation since 1989"
SCC: "School agency admits past, looks to future"
... - Suspended projects to stay on shelf if it can't spend more than $8.6B
School Fights: "Orange HS fight spills outside; Neighboring cops called in, 16 arrested"
School Fights: "After-school brawl triggers call for civility in Orange"
Surveillance Cams: "Rutgers trains camera's eye on student safety"
Tourism: "Camden conjures poet Whitman to boost tourism"
Verizon Cable?: "Assembly likely to allow phone company to offer new service"
... - Does this mean Plainfielders will be getting a choice?
Verizon vs.Cable Companies: "Assembly OKs Verizon's bid to offer cable"
... - The municipalities' franchise rights have been deftly swept away. Will cable sue?
Veterans: "Personal data for 26.5 million vets stolen"
CRIME
Bank Robber lost nerve: Both the Courier and Ledger covered the arrest of a Plainfield man who attempted to rob the Unity Bank branch on Somerset Street in North Plainfield, but fled after losing his nerve. The Ledger reported Thursday on the arraignment of Kevin Baxter, 40 in the robbery attempt.
Drug Arrests - CN: "Plainfield area drug raid nets four arrests, 5 ounces"
January Mugging, East Front Street: "Suspects arrested in January mugging"
Pipe Stolen from East 3rd Street House: "Pipe thieves cause gas leak, police say"
Plainfield Red Cross: "Ex-Red Cross staffer charged in service theft"
-- Dan Damon
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