Random Thoughts

Lack of sleep over the past week has made me quite bleary. Two young men from a pest control firm arrived about an hour after the three-hour window promised Thursday. They took a quick look at the building and declared themselves unable to deal with the raccoons that are scrabbling around inside the outer wall of my apartment. So I am still displaced from my normal sleeping quarters due to my fear of them breaking in during the night. Somebody else may take a look next week to assess the situation.

Meanwhile, the mayor's announcement of Flag Day ceremonies on the grounds of City Hall at 2 p.m. on June 14 reminded me of the late Anne Louise Davis. She was one of Plainfield's major activists and benefactors in the late 20th Century and the meeting room and gallery on the lower level of the Plainfield Public Library is named in her honor. As befits a true patriot, her favorite holiday was Flag Day. Her enthusiasm and support for the betterment of life in Plainfield will long be remembered by those who knew her. The library has a portrait of Miss Davis as a young woman - click on the link and scroll down. She retained her air of elegance through the end of her years. I hope she gets at least a mention at the ceremonies as a token to her memory.

Last month I heard about an intriguing scenario that could potentially disrupt primary election results. Now that the primary is over, I hear that steps have been taken to carry out that scenario, but I do not have enough information yet to verify it. Maybe next week. Stay tuned. Or maybe someone else will break the story while I am still rubbing my sleepy eyes and cursing all members of the Procyon lotor  family.

The word is out that Deputy City Clerk India Cole is leaving her job. As noted in this post from May 2011, she was a welcome addition to the clerk's office during its transition from the longtime tenure of former City Clerk Laddie Wyatt. City Clerk Abubakar Jalloh has been sidelined by a foot injury and surgery this year, putting Ms. Cole in the front lines during a hectic time that included many extra meetings for budget deliberations. We are very sorry to see her go and we wish her well.

The search for a new chief finance official has no announced outcome as yet. The somewhat bungled 2012 budget process points to the need for a full-time person in this role. There has not been a full-time, in-house CFO since the end of 2007, a long time to be without the oversight that only  a such a CFO can provide. It is now about four months since the city began relying on a CFO who can serve only five to seven hours a week.

Well anyway, Plaintalker wishes all a nice weekend. Visit the Shakespeare Garden if you get a chance. It should be at peak bloom just about now.

--Bernice