HITS: HEARD IN THE STREET...
HISPANIC HERITAGE OPENER -- If you missed it, you missed it. About 70 people came out for a program of reminiscences about Plainfield's Latino settlement and history and a talk by Dr. Jose Adames, provost of UCC's Plainfield campus. The BIG HIT of the evening was undoubtedly the food -- we were hungry by then! -- a delicious sampling of specialties from North Avenue restaurants and bakeries. Many thanks to Mike Ramos, North Avenue merchant, for organizing the food!
PT felt ESPECIALLY SAFE for the first half hour or so of the program -- while Mayor Robinson-Briggs, her confidential assistant Barbara James and the mayor's police escort were in attendance. Assemblyman Jerry Green graciously stayed for the entire program and seemed to enjoy himself schmoozing the crowd over food after the event. PT and the Assemblyman even exchanged pleasantries. Other elected officials in attendance were Councilors Rayland Van Blake, Cory Storch, Rashid Burney, Harold Gibson, and Don Davis.
BIG QUESTION: WHAT IS THE $900K FOR? -- Reaction to yesterday's post about the online auction by the City of $12.6M in Anticipatory Notes ("$12M notes sale today is a puzzle") centered mainly on two questions: 1) What accounts for the $900K difference between last year's and this year's auctions? What is the excess for? Is somebody trying to pull a fast one?... and 2) Why does the Council appear to be OUT OF THE LOOP? One person said they could envision Ray Blanco giving the Administration a severe tongue-lashing this coming Monday evening in the manner of the one he gave in July. We REALLY DO miss him, don't we?
JOHN LYNCH'S PLAINFIELD CONNECTION? -- Now that former Sen. John Lynch, the New Brunswick powerhouse, is 'fessing up to corruption and tax evasion (see stories in today's CLIPS), PT can unburden himself of a kvetch. Way back in 1998, when Plainfield was a contendah for designation as the site of the state's RAIL & TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM, the enthusiasm with which the touring state team reacted to Plainfield's proposed site VANISHED OVERNIGHT. PT always suspected Alex DeCroce, Morris County GOP powerhouse, who openly favored a Morris County location. But PT later heard gossip that the REAL OPPOSITION came from then-Sen. Lynch, who was said not to have wanted the museum located in a majority minority community. Were we stabbed in the back -- by a DEM who was at that time representing the community?
BOOKER SHOWS THE WAY -- In a scene reminiscent of The Godfather's Don Corleone, Cory Booker yesterday launched what is planned as a regular series of face-to-face one-on-one sitdowns with constituents to discuss their issues. It all sounds very well planned out. Anyone may come to the City Hall rotunda. They fill out a contact form with their information and the substance of the matter they want to discuss with the Mayor, and wait their turn. They are assured of 3 minutes of face time -- it seems often to have gone to more -- with Booker referring the visitor immediately to one of several staff persons sitting at tables outside the conference area to take follow-up steps. It all sounds well organized and like a very workable scheme for improving the sense of trust between mayor and constituents. Would an idea like that work in Plainfield? Why not, if improving constituent relations was an object of desire?
TIME TO BE OUT & ABOUT --
TONIGHT:
TOMORROW:
- EXHIBIT: Local Latino artists, Union County College, East 2nd & Church Sts. Reception, 6:30 PM. Free.
- TALK: "After cheap oil" by Councilor Burney, Unitarian Society, 724 Park Avenue. 6 PM potluck, 7 PM program. Free.
SUNDAY:
- ENVIRONMENTAL FAIR: Sponsored by the PMUA. Library Park, 11 AM - 3 PM. Bungee, rock climb, Moonbounce, entertainment, more.
- FILM: "A day without a Mexican" part of Hispanic Heritage Month. Public Library, 2 PM. Free.
- WINE DISCOVERY: Join the Friends of the Library for a sampling of red, white and sparkling wines. Food & music. Benefits Library programming. $45 per person, checks to 'FOPPL' to Library TODAY or bring to door on Sunday. At Belle Lawn, 1050 Rahway Road. 3 - 6 PM.
DISCLAIMER: In the interest of fairness, any person identified in a HITS 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
1 comment:
Your blog should cause outrage and investigations from the people of Plainfield. Why doesn't it? We are the employers of the administration. Why are we not getting any accountability - and more importantly - why are we not demanding it? Plainfield taxpayers pay taxes in line with Westfield and Cranford. We get far less for our money than those towns. Where are the good schools and where is the safe and quaint town to walk through? Yet, there is no outrage. Would any of our Plainfield taxpayers collect thousands of dollars and then burn it? It appears that is what they are willing to do. WAKE UP PEOPLE and stop being lazy!
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