Town Meeting; Worries and Hopes

The prospect of a new mayor and administration enlivened the Fourth Ward Town Meeting Wednesday as a diverse group of residents expressed hopes that their concerns will be heard in 2014.

Drug activity, neighborhood noise and debris pickup were among issues that speakers said were not receiving adequate response currently across the wards. Resident Wendell Woods said the schedule for pickup of leaves and brush was not being followed. Kim Jones Mathis said she saw little police presence in the neighborhood near Jefferson School. Nancy Piwowar described loud parties with excessive drinking and said she worried about people driving after partying. She suggested requiring permits for parties.

Council members Rebecca Williams, Cory Storch, Vera Greaves and Council President Bridget Rivers were on hand to hear what residents had to say. Resident Melvin Cody urged residents to bring their concerns also to a community block association meeting at 6:30 p.m. next Tuesday at the Senior Center, 400 East Front Street.

Several speakers brought ideas to improve the city. Author Adrian Collins said he grew up in the streets of Plainfield and at age 21 had the reading level of a third grader, but found inspiration in prison to change his life. Having gone "from a suspect to a prospect," he said, his mission is to improve literacy and fight obesity among young people with his books and programs. Community activist Rasheed Abdul-Haqq promoted his vision of a flea market with solar panels and a hydroponic greenhouse, while Dawud Hicks pledged to help young people enter the trades and earn union wages.

Analis Rivera of the Youth Organization for Unity said she is the group's newly appointed chair of its political action committee, in addition to being an intern at The Alternative Press and PCTV. She told the council members how the Plainfield High School promenade, besides being a fashion event, became a scene for interviews on students' goals.

"You're a great spokesperson for the group," Storch said.

Another YOU member, Rushelle Peterkin, talked up an arts and crafts fair to showcase local talent and produce income, a concept that resident Alan Goldstein endorsed. Goldstein also suggested converting an unused city building into a community center.

Councilman Adrian Mapp, who just won the mayoral primary, was absent, but Hicks talked about his win and said "the spotlight is on him." Storch reminded him that Mapp is still one of four mayoral candidates for the November election.

Although the winner of a Democratic primary in Plainfield usually has a lock on the general election, Storch said, "He's not the mayor yet."

The meeting was adjourned at about 8:30 p.m., but residents lingered on in small groups, still talking about Plainfield and its future.

--Bernice