Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Carter Leading National Night Out 2011

Even though she is now a Union County freeholder, Linda Carter's heart is still with Plainfield and she will be coordinating National Night Out here on Tuesday, Aug. 2.

Carter was responsible for reviving the annual event in 2005 after it was dropped for a time. It had been the signature project of longtime Councilwoman Elizabeth Urquhart since 1988 (see Plaintalker's story here).

As reported by Dan, a resolution to close streets by City Hall was a "walk-on" item Monday. Carter expressed hope that there would be publicity on the city web site for the event, which will start at 7 p.m. Watchung Avenue from East Fifth to East Seventh Street will be closed from 6 p.m. for preparations. The event will take place in City Hall Plaza at 515 Watchung Ave.

This year's event will be relatively low-key compared to some past years, when the event included parades or contests among city wards for participation. But it is still a chance to meet fellow residents who want to improve the quality of life in Plainfield and for young people to meet police officers in a social setting.

National Night Out 2011 also includes an invitation to participate in Project 365, a program that encourages attention to a specific problem in a community, with the goal of solving it by National Night Out 2012. Certainly Plainfield has a choice of issues to address, ranging from gun violence to deterring youth from gangs and more.

Participation in these national programs gives the city a sense of joining with many others to fight crime and drugs and also offers a chance to be recognized for an outstanding effort. Freeholder Carter deserves credit for keeping up the tradition.

--Bernice

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