Friday, October 15, 2010

LWV Forum Coming Up

Rupert Crawford, president of the League of Women Voters of Plainfield, invites all voters and the general public to attend a City Council Candidates' Forum on Oct. 27.

The event is 7 p.m. at Emerson Community School, 305 Emerson Ave. The forum will be conducted according to LWV guidelines and will be moderated by Louise Ballard of Hillside.

Candidates are Democratic incumbent William Reid and Republican Sean Alfred, vying for the First Ward council seat; and Democratic primary winner Rebecca Williams and Republican former mayoral candidate James Pivnichy in a contest for the Second and Third Ward at-large council seat. Winners of the Nov. 2 general election will go on to serve four-year terms beginning Jan, 1, 2011.

Crawford, a retired stockbroker and semi-retired educator, was named president of the Plainfield league at its annual meeting in June. He is the League's second male president. The first was Herb Green, who served at the age of 83 in 2008 and had previously served at the age of 53.

Crawford is married and has four daughters who have attained a total of 12 degrees.

"Being a first-generation citizen, I am extremely proud of that," he said.

Crawford is also pleased to be serving in a year that marks both the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in August 1920, and the founding of the Plainfield league in May 1920.

The local league has thus been a service provider in the area of voter education for 90 years, he said.

(Disclaimer: I am a member of the LWV of Plainfield.)

--Bernice Paglia

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