Norman E. Ortega, Edgar Freire, Doris Cera, Silvana Mullen and Darwin Rosario are the first members of the commission, which was created by legislation in 2005.
The governing body also named Councilwoman Linda Carter as council liaison to the commission, leaving only one more seat, that of a mayoral designee, to be filled.
Click here to read Plaintalker's previous post on duties of the commission.
Of the five members, two were listed as living at an East Front Street address and two more at a West Eighth Street address. Freire said Monday he lives on Grant Avenue, not at the East Front Street address. Cera and Mullen are mother and daughter, both living at the West Eighth address.
The launch of the commission was not without controversy, as Ortega in a comment to Plaintalker's earlier post claimed that its formation was opposed by community activists Maria Pellum and Christian Estevez. Both objected to the characterization. In addition, Ortega's comment that the commission was opposed by "old and new Democrats" drew a rebuttal from Rebecca Williams, campaign manager for numerous New Democrats and winner of the June primary for the Second and Third Ward at-large Democratic line. See all comments at the link above.
--Bernice Paglia
The Ortega controversy begins. He has a history in North Plainfield.
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