Feliz Dia de los Tres Reyes!
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Mapp Gives Second "State of the City" Address
Mayor Adrian O. Mapp
After a greeting in Spanish to the city's 40 percent Latino population, Mayor Adrian O. Mapp described his first year in office as one dedicated to achieving fiscal stability, reducing crime, welcoming new development and pushing for the much-desired one-seat train ride to New York City.
Promises for 2015 include technological advances in Recreation Division registration and other city operations, a new and improved city web site and 30 cameras deployed across the city to further reduce crime.
One thing he won't have to worry about is union negotiations, as all seven bargaining units settled in 2014.
The entire State of the City Address is online already, so rather than report, I suggest you read it in its entirety.
--Bernice
City Council Reorganization 2015
--Bernice
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Councilman Reid to be Honored
The City Council will recognize Councilman William Reid's service at the Annual Reorganization, 8 p.m. Monday in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.
COUNCILMANIC RESOLUTION SALUTING WILLIAM REID IN RECOGNITION OF
HIS DEDICATED SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND HIS CAREER AS A
PUBLIC SERVANT.
WHEREAS, WILLIAM REID, offered his service to our community as
a Commissioner of the Plainfield Redevelopment Agency from 1982 - 1987; and
further served as Commissioner of the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority
from 2000 - 2007; and
WHEREAS, WILLIAM REID, was appointed by the Plainfield
Governing Body as First Ward City Councilman on December 5, 2007 to fill the
unexpired 4-year term due to the resignation of Rayland Vanblake; and
WHEREAS, WILLIAM REID, was elected by his constituency as First
Ward City Councilman on November 4, 2008, and was re-elected on November 2,
2010 for a 4-year term; and
WHEREAS, WILLIAM REID, has now completed over seven
distinguished years as First Ward Councilman for the City of Plainfield
commencing on December 31, 2014; and
WHEREAS, WILLIAM REID, throughout his tenure on the Plainfield
City Council served in various capacities including: City Council Planning Board
Representative; Chairman of the Administration & Finance Committee; Chairmanof the Economic Growth Committee; Liaison to the Muhlenberg Subcommittee
and Liaison to the Plainfield Municipal Authority; and
WHEREAS, WILLIAM REID, in 2012 was elected by his peers as
Chairman, Committee of the whole, a position to which he was re-elected to in
2013 and 2014; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, by the Municipal Council of the City of
Plainfield that WILLIAM REID’s distinguished term on the Plainfield
City Council be commemorated and memorialized via this document;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Governing Body, on
behalf of the entire citizenry of this great City spread upon its
permanent records most sincere admiration for and best wishes for
much happiness for WILLIAM REID and his family in the years
ahead!
COUNCILMANIC RESOLUTION SALUTING WILLIAM REID IN RECOGNITION OF
HIS DEDICATED SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND HIS CAREER AS A
PUBLIC SERVANT.
WHEREAS, WILLIAM REID, offered his service to our community as
a Commissioner of the Plainfield Redevelopment Agency from 1982 - 1987; and
further served as Commissioner of the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority
from 2000 - 2007; and
WHEREAS, WILLIAM REID, was appointed by the Plainfield
Governing Body as First Ward City Councilman on December 5, 2007 to fill the
unexpired 4-year term due to the resignation of Rayland Vanblake; and
WHEREAS, WILLIAM REID, was elected by his constituency as First
Ward City Councilman on November 4, 2008, and was re-elected on November 2,
2010 for a 4-year term; and
WHEREAS, WILLIAM REID, has now completed over seven
distinguished years as First Ward Councilman for the City of Plainfield
commencing on December 31, 2014; and
WHEREAS, WILLIAM REID, throughout his tenure on the Plainfield
City Council served in various capacities including: City Council Planning Board
Representative; Chairman of the Administration & Finance Committee; Chairmanof the Economic Growth Committee; Liaison to the Muhlenberg Subcommittee
and Liaison to the Plainfield Municipal Authority; and
WHEREAS, WILLIAM REID, in 2012 was elected by his peers as
Chairman, Committee of the whole, a position to which he was re-elected to in
2013 and 2014; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, by the Municipal Council of the City of
Plainfield that WILLIAM REID’s distinguished term on the Plainfield
City Council be commemorated and memorialized via this document;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Governing Body, on
behalf of the entire citizenry of this great City spread upon its
permanent records most sincere admiration for and best wishes for
much happiness for WILLIAM REID and his family in the years
ahead!
RIP Rasheed Abdul-Haqq
On Saturday night I received the sad news that Rasheed Abdul-Haqq has passed.
I met Rasheed 30 years ago when we both worked for the weekly newspaper Plainfield Today. He impressed me as someone who was always thinking about Plainfield, whether in support of city youth or dreaming up economic strategies to help the city's bottom line. He was tenacious with his causes, such as wanting the Bierstadt painting removed from the courtroom and preferably sold to finance a youth center.
He served on the school board and ran for the City Council. He never hesitated to comment on education or city government at meetings, usually reading from remarks written in one of his many notebooks. Among his advocacies were community gardens, reforms in the justice system and local entrepreneurship. He believed in mentoring and his words can be seen on the cafeteria wall in Plainfield High School.
Rasheed loved finding interesting ethnic items and bargains at Unique and kept up with issues on WBAI and WYNC. He was engaged with the world, when he could have just spent his time resting as his health problems increased. In recent years I relied on him to get me to the airport for my trips to Seattle and to Overlook Hospital when I developed medical problems. Our rides were sometimes hair-raising for me, as he would read from his notebook to share his current opinions while in highway traffic, but I ultimately felt as confident as he was that we would arrive on time and in one piece, wherever the destination.
We both enjoyed discussing local politics, having the long view of city politicians over three decades. Pope Francis has condemned the "terrorism of gossip," but just between us, in a moving vehicle, it did not seem so nefarious.
Not too long ago, he told me he was learning to crochet. I made him some kufis (skullcaps) to show what could be done just with single crochet. After he saw the infinity scarves I was making in the fall, he picked out some black-and-white yarn and requested one, which I made for him. He wasn't trying to be fashion-forward, he just liked the idea of the infinity scarf. This pursuit of what he liked, regardless of other people's opinions, was and is a lesson to me.
Being around Rasheed for 30 years has reminded me to be less pessimistic and fussy about things. I remember hearing him on the phone to one of his medical practitioners, cracking jokes while I was over-thinking every last detail of my next medical encounter.
Count me among those who will miss him very much.
--Bernice
I met Rasheed 30 years ago when we both worked for the weekly newspaper Plainfield Today. He impressed me as someone who was always thinking about Plainfield, whether in support of city youth or dreaming up economic strategies to help the city's bottom line. He was tenacious with his causes, such as wanting the Bierstadt painting removed from the courtroom and preferably sold to finance a youth center.
He served on the school board and ran for the City Council. He never hesitated to comment on education or city government at meetings, usually reading from remarks written in one of his many notebooks. Among his advocacies were community gardens, reforms in the justice system and local entrepreneurship. He believed in mentoring and his words can be seen on the cafeteria wall in Plainfield High School.
Rasheed loved finding interesting ethnic items and bargains at Unique and kept up with issues on WBAI and WYNC. He was engaged with the world, when he could have just spent his time resting as his health problems increased. In recent years I relied on him to get me to the airport for my trips to Seattle and to Overlook Hospital when I developed medical problems. Our rides were sometimes hair-raising for me, as he would read from his notebook to share his current opinions while in highway traffic, but I ultimately felt as confident as he was that we would arrive on time and in one piece, wherever the destination.
We both enjoyed discussing local politics, having the long view of city politicians over three decades. Pope Francis has condemned the "terrorism of gossip," but just between us, in a moving vehicle, it did not seem so nefarious.
Not too long ago, he told me he was learning to crochet. I made him some kufis (skullcaps) to show what could be done just with single crochet. After he saw the infinity scarves I was making in the fall, he picked out some black-and-white yarn and requested one, which I made for him. He wasn't trying to be fashion-forward, he just liked the idea of the infinity scarf. This pursuit of what he liked, regardless of other people's opinions, was and is a lesson to me.
Being around Rasheed for 30 years has reminded me to be less pessimistic and fussy about things. I remember hearing him on the phone to one of his medical practitioners, cracking jokes while I was over-thinking every last detail of my next medical encounter.
Count me among those who will miss him very much.
--Bernice
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Missing Tom Atkins
As someone who has followed the vagaries of municipal government for 30 years, I felt sad to read that Scotch Plains will have its sixth town manager in five years.
This tribute to Tom Atkins upon his retirement will explain why. Atkins served for 28 years and knew his town inside and out. He undoubtedly also had the skills of dealing with the Local Finance Board and other aspects of state government that affect municipalities..
As noted on nj.com, the town manager post will be held by Freeholder Alexander Mirabella as Democrats take control of the governing body. The outgoing manager cited "political realities" as the reason for his departure.
No matter what party is in charge, the task of managing day-to-day municipal operations should ideally be separate from politics. There is no Republican or Democratic way to shovel snow or manage the taxpayers' money. Oh wait, I forgot this is Union County and we all know who runs this ...
--Bernice
This tribute to Tom Atkins upon his retirement will explain why. Atkins served for 28 years and knew his town inside and out. He undoubtedly also had the skills of dealing with the Local Finance Board and other aspects of state government that affect municipalities..
As noted on nj.com, the town manager post will be held by Freeholder Alexander Mirabella as Democrats take control of the governing body. The outgoing manager cited "political realities" as the reason for his departure.
No matter what party is in charge, the task of managing day-to-day municipal operations should ideally be separate from politics. There is no Republican or Democratic way to shovel snow or manage the taxpayers' money. Oh wait, I forgot this is Union County and we all know who runs this ...
--Bernice
Celebrate Diversity in 2015
A church built to serve the city's Polish Catholic population is now a Krishna temple after a chapter as a Christian "World Outreach" church.
The edifice at 1020 West Seventh Street was completed in 1972 as St. Stanislaus Kostka, as traced in this church history. When the Polish congregation dwindled from over 500 families to 100, the parish merged with St. Bernard of Clairvaux in 2005. Eventually the building became the headquarters for the ministry of Dr. Gary Kirkwood Sr.
The latest transition was mentioned on a new blog, plainfieldlatino.com, where writer Alma Meza described her visit to the Radha Krishna Temple & Cultural Center on New Year's Eve. Meza describes her experience as fitting for Plainfield, where many prize the city's diversity. She explains:
"As I conclude, you may be wondering, Isn't this a Latino blog? Well, yes, but let me explain: Latinos are very open-minded and welcoming. We are a very diverse group, full of many different nationalities, so naturally we enjoy discovering and experiencing other cultures and faiths. We appreciate diversity, and the purpose of our blog is to give you a Latino perspective on other cultures."
The edifice at 1020 West Seventh Street was completed in 1972 as St. Stanislaus Kostka, as traced in this church history. When the Polish congregation dwindled from over 500 families to 100, the parish merged with St. Bernard of Clairvaux in 2005. Eventually the building became the headquarters for the ministry of Dr. Gary Kirkwood Sr.
The latest transition was mentioned on a new blog, plainfieldlatino.com, where writer Alma Meza described her visit to the Radha Krishna Temple & Cultural Center on New Year's Eve. Meza describes her experience as fitting for Plainfield, where many prize the city's diversity. She explains:
"As I conclude, you may be wondering, Isn't this a Latino blog? Well, yes, but let me explain: Latinos are very open-minded and welcoming. We are a very diverse group, full of many different nationalities, so naturally we enjoy discovering and experiencing other cultures and faiths. We appreciate diversity, and the purpose of our blog is to give you a Latino perspective on other cultures."
May we all enter 2015 with respect for all of our diverse backgrounds and beliefs!
--Bernice
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