Monday, January 9, 2017

Job Plea, Clark Apology Emerge at Reorg

The ceremonial nature of the City Council's annual reorganization gained drama Monday with an apology from Clark's mayor for a possible bias incident, and a plea from friends and relatives of a former public defender to restore her job.

The agenda included swearing-in of Rebecca Williams as the council's Citywide at-large member and Charles McRae for the Third Ward. Williams also won the council presidency for 2017 and Councilman Barry Goode is the 2017 chairman of the Committee of the Whole. Both votes were 4-2, with Williams, McRae, Goode and Cory Storch saying "yes" and Diane Toliver and Bridget Williams voting "no." Toliver had nominated Rivers for council president and Rivers had nominated Toliver to chair the Committee of the Whole, but the first votes settled the matter.

Joylette Mills-Ransome was chosen to fill the Second & Third Wards vacancy created when Williams, the former representative, won the Citywide at-large seat. Again, Toliver and Rivers voted "no."

It was after those formalities that Mayor Adrian Mapp introduced Clark Mayor Salvatore "Sal" Bonaccorso, who apologized for an incident in which visiting Plainfield High School basketball players found a black figure that appeared to be hanged. Bonaccorso said he did not have details and didn't know whether it was "done with malice," but it will be investigated for bias by the Attorney General's Office and the Union County Prosecutor's Office. The incident has drawn media attention and much comment on Facebook . Most recently, a parent said the figure was part of an art project and was intended to resemble Lebron James.

Friends and relatives of former Public Defender Joy Spriggs implored the council to restore her job, echoing a similar outpouring of emotion that blogger David Rutherford covered in December 2013. In both instances, speakers characterized Mapp as uncaring for Spriggs' situation. The first instance was based on Spriggs' need for insurance because of her husband's serious illness. On Monday, Spriggs, now widowed, alleged Mapp said  now that her "crisis" was over, he needed to place someone else in the position. But friends said she now needs the insurance for her children.

Despite the pleas, the council approved the appointment Monday of Douglas Mitchell as chief public defender.  Toliver and Rivers voted "no," Goode abstained  and Williams, Mills-Ransome, Storch and McRae voted "yes."

The council approved numerous appointments to boards and commissions, in addition to the court appointments.

Mapp said he will deliver his State of the City address at a date and location to be announced. The next council meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan.17 in Municipal Court.

--Bernice

26 comments:

  1. So we terminate our very own residents of the City of Plainfield to hire outsiders, Go Figure

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    1. Ah yes - it all comes down to the simple test of "resident or non-resident" to pick a public employee. Good lord when will people start thinking that maybe things are a little bit more complicated and nuanced? Maybe the candidate chosen is the best candidate?

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    2. Just because you're a resident doesn't necessarily make you a good candidate for employment.

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  2. "Most recently, a parent said the figure was part of an art project and was intended to resemble Lebron James."

    Is the art teacher in Clark in the habit of putting the "art project" on the end of a bat, and hanging it? I don't recall Lebron having bulging eyes. Wonder how he would react to being hanged?

    The entire incident is inappropriate, and it is scary that a parent can excuse such a violent display.

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    1. I am sure there is more to this than we all are aware of at the moment - but I had heard that they were making puppets (i.e. for a puppet show where they are on a pole with strings to control movement). I think it is best to let the parties uncover all the information and not jump to conclusions before that - remember innocent until proven guilty is how we work in this country.

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  3. WE can only hope that our elective officials will remember and heed to the words that were read last night and live by the words for the people of the City of Plainfield.

    "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the State of New Jersey; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and to the Governments established in the United States and in this State, under the Authority of the people; and that I will faithfully, impartially and justly perform all the duties of the office of __ according to the best of my ability, and that I will not use my office to grant preferential treatment, nor to seek personal gain, favor, or advantage not available to the general public, (so help me, God*)."

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    1. Newbie, I think you moved into the wrong town.

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    2. Anonymous, I am a Newbie, but that does not stop me to ask for change, as Our President Obama spoke last night, I am not going to argue with strangers on the internet. We have left our bubble and started a grassroots efforts www.queencitypride.org We want to be a part of We the People, We all need to work together with our elective official, our neighbors and the stranger on the street to improve of Quality of Life. Please join the movement of a civil society. Go to our council meetings, join a community group, help mentor a child or teen, be the fabric of our country, hope to see everyone out and about.

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  4. The entire Re-Org was a joke the best part of meeting was allowing the Clark Mayor speak. I thought that was a great thing to do. You have council member's up there making faces especially the President. You had Councilwomen Toliver sitting up there looking like a bump on a log not opening her mouth. This will be a fun year to watch. Oh yes congratulation Joylette.

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    1. http://plainfieldnewdems.tripod.com/id17.html okay now I really need to understand is the mayor and president still new or since this is from 2009, are they now part of the other old democratic machine?

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    2. No matter what you run as in the Democratic primary, you become a member of the Regular Democratic Organization of Union County if you win, and in November you are on the party line. So they are RDOs now.

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    3. Thank you Bernice, this is all new territory since moving to New Jersey

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  5. I really wish our girls didn’t play that game. Instead they should have did a silent protest right there on the court. Maybe this would have sent a clear message that we will not tolerate nor ignore blatant attempts at intimidation . What I find to be inappropriate is for the Mayor of Clark to stand before the residents of Plainfield at a city council meeting and state several times “IF it was intended in a malicious way”. Really? Is there any other way a black-face puppet dangling on a rope can be interpreted? Most of us are aware that Clark is and always have been a racially segregated town. I hope some counseling was offered to our Plainfield students, we don’t need people inflicting their hatred on them in an effort to destroy their confidence.
    I also hope that everyone noted Clark’s Mayor shared how close he and Assemblymen Green is and how he attends their games. Since Assemblymen Green had his campaign headquarters in Clark recently maybe he can share with us if he thinks this was a “malicious act”?

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    1. Anon 12:23 - you could very well be right in your opinion that this incident was intentional. But at this time none of us, including yourself, know that to be the case. The fact that you say "Really? is there any other way a black-face puppet dangling on a rope can be interpreted?" As a matter of fact yes there is - it was an art room and maybe the kids were making puppets for a project that involved current public figures (i.e. LeBron James) and they were going to act out some sort of play or skit. What I am saying is - yes there are other reasons for that puppet being made and in that room and it is possible that is what perceived incorrectly. It is also possible that it was done on purpose - but we don't know that yet. So I would relax with the immediate verdict of guilt on the part of the kids in Clark. That helps nothing.

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    2. Bring in the puppies!

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    3. Please enlighten me on how your girls feel about the 4 black youths battering a disabled white boy? Where was the outcry there? Would they silently protest that? Unlikely!

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    4. So say you. For me and most black folks, a black puppet with a rope around its neck hanging over a bar with a basketball on the other end in a predominantly white school on the very day an all black team visits seems very clear what the intention was. Please, it's bad enough this happen but as a black female don't insult my intelligence by down-playing this. Why can't we be brave enough to use this as a means for serious discussion and a learning experience.




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    5. For the sake of argument, let's say it was an art project, it's still extremely offensive. And you need to acknowledged that and not try to make excuses for ones racial insensitivity.

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    6. For the sake of argument, let's say it was an art project, it's still extremely offensive. And you need to acknowledged that and not try to make excuses for ones racial insensitivity.

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    7. To 6:34pm - I think the supposition that all blacks care nothing for what happens to whites and all whites care nothing for what happens to blacks is about as insulting as it gets. While I don't speak for 12:23pm, I bet they are just as appalled at the black beating of a white child, and any injustice no matter what color.

      It is depressing to believe that if a heinous act is committed against someone, justice and righteousness doesn't come into play. Only skin color.

      A black puppet was hung by a noose from a baseball bat, while white puppets where placed on a rack with nothing around their necks. That doesn't seem weird to you?

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    8. Anon 7:36 - your statement is interesting. I think you are just trying to find outrage in something that could have been (complete details are still unknown) innocent. Based on your comment we should ban the use of any african-american likeness when any art projects involving puppets/marionettes are being done. Then we can have days of outrage over the exclusion of african-american in art classes.

      It is possible that there was something racist and sinister here - but to state once again - you don't know that to be the case. You have hunches and a mishmash of information and that is all. Not enough to make say a child (or multiple children) are guilty. Wait for the facts, absorb the information and then make your judgement.

      Anon 7:54 - if it was an art project involving puppets and students were asked to make a puppet of their favorite person (sports, political, cultural etc.) then why is it offensive that a child chose LeBron James? The stick is used in puppet control and in order to connect the puppet to the stick you need string. To say that is automatically offensive is a real stretch to say the least.

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  6. You can see a photo of the puppet in the article at http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2017/01/black_mannequin_found_hanging_at_nj_school_prompts.html

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  7. I read both sides of the puppet story: 1) it was a racist act of intimidation to the Plfd ladies basketball team, 2) it was an unfinished tribute to Lebron James. While I want to believe option 2, too many issues are in the way.

    This is a high school art project right: did you see the puppet. It is remedial at best. It looks nothing like Lebron. Lebron is brown skin not midnight black. Lebron’s jersey is “wine and gold” not blue and white. And the eyes are crude. And why is its neck so long, completely disproportional to its body. The puppet is more reminiscent of minstrel puppet than a tribute to LBJ. Unless the student is color blind and/or has some other disability, the art teacher should have never accepted such an art project. It’s either ill-intention (offensive to minorities) or a complete mockery of art (offensive to the art class and teacher).

    Further investigation is warranted. And the investigation should not take long as a serious conversation with the creator and art teacher should uncover the truth.

    Richard Stewart

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    1. Seriously Richard? Now it is offensive because maybe a student isn't a good artist? Good lord that is about the most ridiculous post I have ever read.

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  8. As a former teacher and a former coach (40 years ago), why, in 2017, are classrooms still being used as visiting locker rooms? This offensive incident raises other Title IX questions. Do the male visiting teams have to use a classroom or do the male teams have access to a visiting locker room? Why was an art room chosen as the female visiting team room? Art rooms always have objects, artifacts, supplies, projects, etc. throughout more so than other classrooms. The Plainfield Ladies team showed a lot of dignity and class because even with a "hanging" puppet which was found to be offensive, they did not disrespect or destroy the "hanging" puppet. Lady Cardinals you make me proud of you. Go Lady Cardinals.

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  9. Please Google "black minstrel dolls images"

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