Need Me A Bike!

Coming home from Fanwood in a taxi yesterday, I saw three bicycle riders crossing South Avenue, one driving singlehandedly with a cell phone in her other hand. She got up to the other side, then fell over while trying to talk and turn the bike with one hand.

That was intriguing enough, to see the driving-while-talking problem play out before my eyes, but I really was quite taken by the bicycle's odd appearance. Thanks to Google, I found out it is the Citizen Miami model, a folding bike. Mmmm. Wouldn't I like one of those to get around and take photos of the city's sights. I would have to pledge not to go snapping while driving and I would have to get a bike helmet for my aged cranium, but still ... mobility without buying a new car is tempting.

I often regret that I can't get around to remote parts of the city like I used to before the noble 1990 Ford Escort gave up the ghost. An early-morning ride in search of city images would be such fun.

Some of you already can spot me from a distance on foot by my green Smith & Hawken sun hat. Keep an eye out for that green bike - it might have Plaintalker on board one day!

--Bernice

Heed Heat Warnings Saturday

As a reporter, I was subject to an editor's orders regardless of the weather. Heat, cold, storms of all sorts - sometimes the weather was part of the news. I remember being soaked to the skin during a hurricane where I was sent out to get comments from people affected by flooding. Once a colleague and I had to stay at a motel adjacent (sort of) to the Courier News Building on Route 22 in anticipation of a blizzard. It struck and our pearls of journalism could not even be delivered to households for a couple of days. We could barely even get from the motel to the newsroom ourselves in the high-piled snow.

Now that I have a choice, I stay out of ice and snow as much as possible and I can suspend all activities except reading good books during a heat wave.

We are promised extreme heat tomorrow and my thoughts are with all those who will be out in the sun - reporters, photographers and especially all participating in the twelve hours of planned events in Plainfield Saturday.

Please, please take care for your personal well-being and that of your family, friends and neighbors as you spend time outside. The parade that starts at 10 a.m. can run three hours or so. Be prepared with sunscreen, hats, water and light, loose clothing if you will be a spectator. I hope the city will be very alert for signs that any of the participating veterans may need assistance and a place to cool off. See what the National Weather Service has to say about heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Food safety is another issue. Check these guidelines.

Whether at home, at the city's planned events or at the downtown Independence Day fiesta, outdoor activity can be enjoyed if heat advisories are followed. Even if you just have to do your normal weekend chores and errands tomorrow, watch out for that sun!

--Bernice

Idle Thoughts

Last night's explosions and those in the preceding week made me wonder how ShotSpotter is doing. One of the claims for the system was that it could distinguish between gunshots and fireworks. Now that it is finally up, I'm curious to know how things went. Maybe there will be an update at the July 9 agenda-fixing session.

Whatever else is going on, my neighbor and I are enjoying the garden. She planted "wildflowers" in one patch this year. At first all we saw was Sweet Alyssum. Gradually blue Cornflowers, yellow Calendulas and pink Catchfly have come along. Some have started going to seed and we are harvesting the seeds and marveling at the variety of sizes and shapes they have.

The news about Adrian Mapp's possible violation of the Hatch Act finally hit the print media. I saw it online yesterday afternoon. We shall have to wait on the Office of Special Counsel to sort it out.

The second half of 2012 started with a number of empty chairs in City Hall. The mayor has named an attorney from Dan Williamson's office as purchasing agent. No name has been announced to replace Dan himself, who presumably is settling in as executive director at the PMUA as of July 2. City Solicitor David Minchello has been serving as acting corporation counsel at recent City Council meetings. The city also needs a deputy clerk to replace India Cole, a very regrettable loss.

July in New Jersey! A version of Hell, even for the innocent. I have vowed many times not to go through another July here with oppressive heat and humidity, but so far no luck. Mau is not amused either at this stifling weather. In a downtown store I found 100 percent cotton "house dresses" that pop on over the head and flow comfortably from a yoke neckline to provide an airy alternative to shirts and shorts. Just the thing for staying inside out of the broiling sun. Also a lesson not to look askance at the local stores in favor of the pricey Gap in Westfield. Each dress was only $8.99.

By now all preparations should have been made for Saturday's extravaganza. Twelve hours of events! The Returning Heroes parade steps off at 10 a.m. and later there is a car show, concert and fireworks at Cedar Brook Park. Each city household should have received a postcard detailing the lineup and the information is also on the city web site.

Speaking of which, the city finally has a .gov web site instead of .com. Take a look here.

So ... Should I wish you a safe and sane Seventh instead of a Fourth?

--Bernice

Happy Independence Day

Wishing everyone
a Happy July Fourth!

Don't forget,

Plainfield

is celebrating

on

July 7

Parade 10 a.m.
East Front St.

Concert 5:30 p.m.
Cedar Brook Park

Fireworks 9:30 p.m.

Mau Keeps A Cool Head

While the humans are dickering over how to get rid of the raccoons, Mau is focusing on keeping cool with a freezer pack instead of a pan of ice.

Thanks to those at City Hall who offered advice and tried to help. It is up to the property owner to take action and that's what is in the works, we are told.

--Bernice

Blogging Will Be Delayed

Blogging will be delayed!!  A young raccoon crashed through the porch ceiling at 5:30 a.m. today, scaring the cat and rousting me out of bed.

This situation began with noises in the porch wall as far back as March 31. Later we heard sounds of baby raccoons. Recently I saw a mother and three young raccoons outside at dusk. They are all pretty big. I was last promised help from the landlord on June 8. I don't know how they got in the ceiling but now one is on the porch and must be trapped and removed.

Blogging and a lot of other things will be suspended while I try to figure out what to do.

--Bernice

"Content" As A Commodity

"This American Life" is one of my favorite radio programs, both for entertainment and insights into, well, American life. . This week's show had a segment on Journatic, an outsourced "content" provider. Anyone interested in the current state of newspapers needs to read this Poynter article.

The idea of gathering "hyperlocal" news from distant locations was quite jarring to me, although I once thought it would be interesting to try to keep up the blog from Seattle if I ever get to live there. One of the differences here is that reporters or writers with no knowledge of a city or neighborhood are putting together stories. I would at least have the advantage of possessing institutional history that might lend context.

What a world we live in now. Four-sentence news stories, all the news that's fit to print on your Android screen, journalism by parachute or maybe just free fall ...

--Bernice