Where Plainfield turns for news.

Monday, December 31, 2007

Bob Ferraro hospitalized.. More '07 in review.. New tree entry.. Council reorg..

PLAINFIELD

Plainfield Today: Plain Talker: "More 2007 in Review"
Crescent Times: "A New Year's Wish" | "2007 Images You Probably Missed"
Plainfield Trees: "Tulip Trees" -- A new entry the ongoing series on Plainfield's trees.

Councilors are blogging: Check out Cory Storch (here) and Rashid Burney (here).

Council Reorganizations: "New year brings new business for municipalities"


Got a tip? Question? Click here to send PT an email.


WHAT'S HAPPENING

  • Tuesday - January 1. 9 AM. Mayor's New Year's Day Reception. Exchange New Year's greetings with the Mayor and other elected officials. City Hall Library.

  • Tuesday - January 1. 11 AM. City Council Reorganization. Council reorganizes: New elected members sworn in, officers elected, appointments made, calendars set, pro forma business conducted. Council Chambers/Couthouse.
Got an event to publicize? Click here and send me the details.


CENTRAL JERSEY


Newark --
Hannah Montana: "Kids who were there review Pru Center's biggest show yet"


STATE


Year in Review: "The governor survived, and the death penalty died"
Asbury Park: "Guardian Angels aim to aid city" -- Just like they 'helped' Plainfield?
Giants Stadium: "Surprise beer ban a sobering finale for Jets fans"
Neptune: "Neptune expected to name first gay mayor"

Sheneman's Cartoon is here.
Margulies' Cartoon is here
.


NATION / WORLD


2008 Primaries --
Pakistan: "Bhutto's Son, Husband Named To Lead Party"


OF INTEREST


Online Learning: "Colleges expand Web courses"

Miss Manners: Check out the nation's doyenne of conduct here in the Washington Post.

BOOK REVIEW LINKS: NY Times | Wash Post | Ledger | NY Rev Bks | London Rev Bks |

ARCHIVES OF CLIPS FROM 11/26/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
http://plainfieldclippings.blogspot.com/

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Dornoch leads development.. Political 'friendships'.. Kwanzaa.. Massingberd obit..

PLAINFIELD

Plainfield Today:
Plain Talker: "Dornoch Leads 2007 Development"
Crescent Times: "The Problem With Friendships"
Plainfield Trees: "Elm Envy"
Councilors are blogging: Check out Cory Storch (here) and Rashid Burney (here).

Kwanzaa: "Kwanzaa fest centers on heritage"
School Funding: "Why the rush on school aid bill?" -- Paul Tractenberg of ELC weighs in.

Got a tip? Question? Click here to send PT an email.


REAL ESTATE SUNDAY


SMALL PICTURE
Homebuying: "Buying a House 'As Is'"
BIG PICTURE
Sales: "Varied Home Markets Now Share a Slump"
Foreclosures: "The Status of Foreclosure S O S" -- Tri-state regulators left out?
Mortgages: "US Mortgage Payment Index"
TOOLS
Buy or Rent?: "Cost Comparison Tool" -- Enter your own values to calculate which is better, buying or renting. A really neat tool!
Ledger: "Home Finder", "Premier Estates" and "Real Estate" sections online.
Courier: "Real Estate" section online.
NYTimes: "This Week's Residential Sales Around the Region" -- 12/30/07: McCutchen Home included.
Trulia: "Your Personal Real Estate Google"

WHAT'S HAPPENING

  • Tuesday - January 1. 9 AM. Mayor's New Year's Day Reception. Exchange New Year's greetings with the Mayor and other elected officials. City Hall Library.

  • Tuesday - January 1. 11 AM. City Council Reorganization. Council reorganizes: New elected members sworn in, officers elected, appointments made, calendars set, pro forma business conducted. Council Chambers/Couthouse.
Got an event to publicize? Click here and send me the details.


CENTRAL JERSEY


Business: "'Girl on the Go!' wigs help cancer patients lift spirits"


STATE


The Auditor - For political junkies: "Sunday, December 30, 2007"

First Night: "First Night in Flux" -- Montclair, Morris soldier on; Teaneck drops out.
Drug War: "Drug War, Minus Signs, Persists"
DWIs: "More Than a Traffic Stop: Tracing the Last Drink"
Profile: "Princeton's Amaney Jamal: Tapping Muslim opinion"
Witness Intimidation: "So Many Crimes, and Reasons to Not Cooperate"

Sheneman's Cartoon is here.
Margulies' Cartoon is here
.


NATION / WORLD


2008 Primaries: John Farmer: "Closing in on Iowa: The race takes shape"
CIA Tapes: "Tapes by C.I.A. Lived and Died to Save Image"
Pakistan: "Discord and Unrest Grow" -- NY Times | WashPost | LA Times |



OF INTEREST


Car Trade-ins: "New cars fully loaded — with debt" -- Rolling over the balance on your old loan could leave you owing more than the new car's worth.
Cremation: "Warning: Cremation can be hazardous to your health"
Literary Mentors: "Hugh Massingberd, Laureate for the Departed, Dies"

Miss Manners: Check out the nation's doyenne of conduct here in the Washington Post.

BOOK REVIEW LINKS: NY Times | Wash Post | Ledger | NY Rev Bks | London Rev Bks |

ARCHIVES OF CLIPS FROM 11/26/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
http://plainfieldclippings.blogspot.com/

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Council reorg mysteriously reset.. Forum: Hopes, issues.. Westfielder replaces Gibson..

PLAINFIELD



Plainfield Today: (Click HERE to read the posts serially, otherwise take your pick below. There are more stories up than posted below, and more go up during the day. -- Dan) Plain Talker: "Forum Reveals Issues, Hopes" | "Top 2007 Story: School District Woes"
Crescent Times: "Season's neighborhood displays" | "From litter to flowers"
Plainfield Trees: "Elm Envy"
Councilors are blogging: Check out Cory Storch (here) and Rashid Burney (here).

Gibson Replacement: "Westfield man named acting UC public safety chief"
Housing Market: "Sales Of New Houses Plummet" -- NY Times | WashPost |

Got a tip? Question? Click here to send PT an email.


WHAT'S HAPPENING

  • Saturday - December 29. 1 - 6 PM. Kwanzaa Celebration. Program, refreshments, crafts. Sponsor: Recreation Division. At: Washington Community School Cafetorium, 427 Darrow Avenue. (Parking on Spooner Avenue). FREE.

  • Tuesday - January 1. 9 AM. Mayor's New Year's Day Reception. Exchange New Year's greetings with the Mayor and other elected officials. City Hall Library.

  • Tuesday - January 1. 11 AM. City Council Reorganization. Council reorganizes: New elected members sworn in, officers elected, appointments made, calendars set, pro forma business conducted. Council Chambers/Couthouse.
Got an event to publicize? Click here and send me the details.


CENTRAL JERSEY


DWI Judge: "Judge loses seats after admitting DWI, threatening cops"
Newark: "In streets and station houses, Booker is on patrol"
Piscataway: "Accused son and slain dad were pals" -- Ledger | Gannett |
Pru Center: "Pru Center not yet rock solid on sell-out crowds" -- Gimme a break! It takes years to build a venue's crowd.


STATE


Codey: "This Acting Governor Really Acts Like a Governor"

Sheneman's Cartoon is here.
Margulies' Cartoon is here
.


NATION / WORLD


Pakistan: "Masses Mourn Bhutto, Unrest Spreads" -- NY Times | WashPost |


OF INTEREST



Will Vegas be green before Plainfield? Looks likely.
Las Vegas: "City of blinding lights starting to see green" -- LEED in LV.

Cats & Rats: "LAPD enlists feral cats for rat patrol"

Miss Manners: Check out the nation's doyenne of conduct here in the Washington Post.

BOOK REVIEW LINKS: NY Times | Wash Post | Ledger | NY Rev Bks | London Rev Bks |

ARCHIVES OF CLIPS FROM 11/26/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
http://plainfieldclippings.blogspot.com/

Friday, December 28, 2007

Plainfield landlord cited in E. Orange.. Budget & committees.. NJEA backs Corzine plan..

PLAINFIELD


Plainfield Today: (Click HERE to read the posts serially, otherwise take your pick below. There are more stories up than posted below, and more go up during the day. -- Dan) Plain Talker: "Happy Holidays to All!"
Crescent Times: "Budget and Committees" | "What kind of community?"
Plainfield Trees: "Elm Envy"
Councilors are blogging: Check out Cory Storch (here) and Rashid Burney (here).

School Funding: "NJEA backs Corzine's school-funds makeover" -- Ledger | Gannett |


Got a tip? Question? Click here to send PT an email.


WHAT'S HAPPENING

  • Reminders:
    • FREE tickets for tonight's Nets-Wizards game, see contact info here.

  • Saturday - December 29. 1 - 6 PM. Kwanzaa Celebration. Program, refreshments, crafts. Sponsor: Recreation Division. At: Washington Community School Cafetorium, 427 Darrow Avenue. (Parking on Spooner Avenue). FREE.
Got an event to publicize? Click here and send me the details.


CENTRAL JERSEY


Piscataway: "Slaying of officer shocks township" -- Ledger | Gannett | NY Times |
Hillsborough: "Hillsboro OKs windmill plan"
Union Twp.: "Bottlenecked area about to get more crowded" -- The 'Kean corner'.


STATE


Profile: "Jean Burgdorff: Realty royalty" -- The one and only, where I still have my license hanging.
Sex Offenders: "Internet access tightened for sex offenders" -- Ledger | Gannett | NY Times |
Voter Rights: "ACLU asks court to OK voter rights cards at polls"

Sheneman's Cartoon is here.
Margulies' Cartoon is here
.


NATION / WORLD


Pakistan --

OF INTEREST


Essence Magazine: "Essence Editor Is Leaving Magazine"
Fisk University: "Historically Black College Struggles Financially"

Miss Manners: Check out the nation's doyenne of conduct here in the Washington Post.

BOOK REVIEW LINKS: NY Times | Wash Post | Ledger | NY Rev Bks | London Rev Bks |

ARCHIVES OF CLIPS FROM 11/26/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
http://plainfieldclippings.blogspot.com/

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Free Nets tix.. Maria digs into the budget.. Councilors blogging.. Forum tonight..

NOTE TO AOL USERS: Sorry, but several AOL deliveries bombed this AM. For such a big company, why can't they get mail right?

(Breaking)
Pakistan: "Pakistan's Bhutto assassinated"

PLAINFIELD



Plainfield Today: (Click HERE to read the posts serially, otherwise take your pick below. There are more stories up than posted below, and more go up during the day. -- Dan)
Plain Talker: "Happy Holidays to All!"
Crescent Times: "Adding numbers up" | "More numbers added"
Plainfield Trees: "Elm Envy"
Councilors are blogging: Check out Cory Storch (here) and Rashid Burney (here).

School Funding: "Corzine's $7.8B funding plan to be debated today"

Got a tip? Question? Click here to send PT an email.


WHAT'S HAPPENING

  • Today - December 27. 6:30 - 8:30 PM. Community Forum. The flyer is headed as from the 'Office of the Mayor' and lists as discussion items: Budget, Redevelopment, Affordable Housing, Shared Services, Commissions/Boards. Plus 'Plainfield Dialogue'. It concludes 'Speak with your city representatives'. Is that Council people? I do not know. Is it a repeat of the '100 Days' fiasco? I do not know that either. At Washington Community School, 427 Darrow Avenue (parking in Spooner Avenue lot). Public invited.

  • Saturday - December 29. 1 - 6 PM. Kwanzaa Celebration. Program, refreshments, crafts. Sponsor: Recreation Division. At: Washington Community School Cafetorium, 427 Darrow Avenue. (Parking on Spooner Avenue). FREE.
Got an event to publicize? Click here and send me the details.


CENTRAL JERSEY


Elizabeth: "Death of a salesman is suspicious" -- Prime suspect: The headline writer.
Hillside Budget: "Angry residents want more hearings for input, answers"
Gay Newark: "Gay clique of Newark is finding its voice"
Hannah Montana Tix: "Charity's the ticket to Hannah concerts" -- At $1,000 a pop.
Orange: "Elevator outage irks ailing senior citizens" -- New Community Corp. taking it on the chin.


STATE



Poster by Adbusters.
Kelly Heyboer on NJ Blogs: "Is it time for a Buy Nothing Christmas?" -- Adbusters site here.
A.C. - Macau Mystery: "MGM deal prompst 2nd probe"
ATV's: "Jersey looks to curb illegal off-roading"
HIV Testing: "HIV tests mandated for infants and moms" -- Ledger | NY Times |
Immigrants: "ICE: The deportation crackdown"

Sheneman's Cartoon is here.
Margulies' Cartoon is here
.


NATION / WORLD


Housing Market: "Housing Bust Hits Harder" -- NY Times | WashPost |
Iraq, Afghanistan: "Wars Cost $15 Billion a Month, GOP Senator Says"

Mortgage Mess: "In mortgage probes, banks' liability remains unclear"
Retirement Plans: "U.S. Ruling Backs Benefit Cut at 65"


OF INTEREST


Mother Teresa's Order: "B-R alum travels to work with Missionaries of Charity.

Miss Manners: Check out the nation's doyenne of conduct here in the Washington Post.

BOOK REVIEW LINKS: NY Times | Wash Post | Ledger | NY Rev Bks | London Rev Bks |

ARCHIVES OF CLIPS FROM 11/26/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
http://plainfieldclippings.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Holiday greetings from Bernice, Maria & Dan.. Kwanzaa crafts today.. Homefirst's record fundraiser..

PLAINFIELD

Plainfield Today: (Click HERE to read the posts serially, otherwise take your pick below. There are more stories up than posted below, and more go up during the day. -- Dan) Plain Talker: "Happy Holidays to All!"
Crescent Times: "Merry Christmas to All" | "A Thank You to Netherwood Neighbors"
Plainfield Trees: "Elm Envy"


Homefirst: "$350K donated at annual breakfast"


Got a tip? Question? Click here to send PT an email.


WHAT'S HAPPENING

  • Today - December 26. 2 PM. Kwanzaa Craft-time. Kids learn about this important African American celebration with some fun craft projects. In the Young People's Room. Plainfield Public Library, 8th Street at Park Avenue. FREE.

  • Tomorrow - December 27. 7:30 PM. Historic Preservation Commission. City Hall Library. Public invited.

  • Saturday - December 29. 1 - 6 PM. Kwanzaa Celebration. Program, refreshments, crafts. Sponsor: Recreation Division. At: Washington Community School Cafetorium, 427 Darrow Avenue. (Parking on Spooner Avenue). FREE.
Got an event to publicize? Click here and send me the details.


CENTRAL JERSEY


Hillsborough: "Town gets federal $$$ for new senior center"
Orange: "Elevator problems keep seniors home at holiday" -- New Community Corp. problems.
Roselle Park: "Senior housing plan has hurdles to clear"


STATE


Dodge Foundation: "Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation gives $4.1M in green grants"

Housing: "Hovnanian hit hard as housing decline persists"

Sheneman's Cartoon is here.
Margulies' Cartoon is here
.


NATION / WORLD


2008 Primaries --
Exports: "Tide Is Shifting On U.S. Exports"
Iraq: "Shiite Contest Sharpens In Iraq"


OF INTEREST


Chewing Gum: "Gum That Won’t Stick to Shoes? It’s in the Works"
Development: "In Providence, local businesses question mixed-use project"
Literacy: "Superman Finds New Fans Among Reading Instructors"
Panettone: "Panettone -- to give and to keep" -- But does it beat fruitcake?
Taxes & The Bible: "Professor Cites Bible in Faulting Tax Policies"

Obituary: "Oscar Peterson, Jazz’s Piano Virtuoso"

Miss Manners: Check out the nation's doyenne of conduct here in the Washington Post.

BOOK REVIEW LINKS: NY Times | Wash Post | Ledger | NY Rev Bks | London Rev Bks |

ARCHIVES OF CLIPS FROM 11/26/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
http://plainfieldclippings.blogspot.com/

Monday, December 24, 2007

A Christmas riddle.. Budget online.. Fatal traffic accident.. Schools, Kwanzaa, Muhlenberg..

PLAINFIELD

Plainfield Today: (Click HERE to read the posts serially, otherwise take your pick below. There are more stories up than posted below, and more go up during the day. -- Dan) Plain Talker: "Happy Holidays to All!"
Crescent Times: "Councilman Burney posts budget online"
Plainfield Trees: "Elm Envy"

Kwanzaa: "Kwanzaa celebration has African themes"
Muhlenberg: "Solaris to remain in Horizon network"
Newborns In Need: "NIN spreads the holiday spirit"
Plainfield Schools - Editorial, CN: "Schools need some help from state"
Traffic Death: "City woman struck, killed crossing street" -- Ledger |Courier |

School Funding --
Home Sales: "Builders cutting prices to cut deals"

Got a tip? Question? Click here to send PT an email.


WHAT'S HAPPENING

  • Today - December 24. 5 PM. Santa Sighting and Sing-along For Little Ones. Gather for an hour with your little ones at Leland Avenue Park for some hot chocolate, holiday songs and a visit by Santa with candy canes for the little ones before he goes off to deliver all those presents to good girls and boys everywhere! Info (908) 561-8575 or email Jennifer. FREE.

  • Wednesday - December 26. 2 PM. Kwanzaa Craft-time. Kids learn about this important African American celebration with some fun craft projects. In the Young People's Room. Plainfield Public Library, 8th Street at Park Avenue. FREE.

  • Tuesday - December 27. 7:30 PM. Historic Preservation Commission. City Hall Library. Public invited.

  • Saturday - December 29. 1 - 6 PM. Kwanzaa Celebration. Program, refreshments, crafts. Sponsor: Recreation Division. At: Washington Community School Cafetorium, 427 Darrow Avenue. (Parking on Spooner Avenue). FREE.
Got an event to publicize? Click here and send me the details.


CENTRAL JERSEY


Catholic Deacons: "Deacons with difficult jobs find strength in their faith"
Metuchen: "Fire destroys Metuchen family pizzeria"


STATE


Cranberries: "Cranberry shortage pumps up crop price"

Holidays in the Shelters: "Call her Mrs. Christmas"
Human Trafficking: "Colombian immigrant rescues refugees from human trafficking"

Subprime Mortgages: "Rockaway family to lose home at holidays" -- Truly depressing.

Sheneman's Cartoon is here.
Margulies' Cartoon is here
.


NATION / WORLD


2008 Primaries --
Blackwater: "Warnings Unheeded On Guards In Iraq" -- Arming the Rockettes?
The Dollar: "Dollar's Fall Is Felt Around The Globe"


OF INTEREST


Buzzwords 2007: "All We Are Saying" -- And 2006's, if you missed them (here).

Miss Manners: Check out the nation's doyenne of conduct here in the Washington Post.

BOOK REVIEW LINKS: NY Times | Wash Post | Ledger | NY Rev Bks | London Rev Bks |

ARCHIVES OF CLIPS FROM 11/26/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
http://plainfieldclippings.blogspot.com/

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Bernice: 3 on BOE.. Traffic.. Budget.. Plainfield dog lights up Illinois campus..

PLAINFIELD



Plainfield Today:
(Click HERE to read the posts serially, otherwise take your pick below. There are more stories up than posted below, and more go up during the day. -- Dan)

Plain Talker:
Crescent Times:
Plainfield Trees: "Elm Envy"

Budget: "Plainfield seeks ways to trim tax increase"
Cathedral International: "City church helps needy"

Abbott Schools: "Q&A: Lessons from Abbott" -- Deborah Yaffe, author of the newly released 'Other People's Children' (Rutgers U Press).
Special Ed: "School districts working to address disproportions"
St. John's-on-the-Mountain, Bernardsville: "Program nourishes bodies and souls" -- St. John's is one of the partners in Grace's Kitchen, Grace Church's feeding program.

Got a tip? Question? Click here to send PT an email.


REAL ESTATE SUNDAY


SMALL PICTURE
Home Equity: "2 sue to recoup losses of equity in their houses"
Insurance Scores: "For Insurance, Know the Score" -- What?! You didn't know you had an 'insurance score'?
Personal Finance: "A game plan in case of recession"
Power Outlets: "When the Ground Is Up"
Customer Experience: "Borrowers Rate the Mortgage Experience"
Mortgages: "Notes on Paying Off a Mortgage Early"
Tax Benefits: "Tax Benefits for Mortgage Co-Signer"

BIG PICTURE
Housing Outlook - Ledger: "Slump expected to drag on well into '08"
Mortgage Mess:
Mortgages: "US Mortgage Payment Index"
TOOLS
Buy or Rent?: "Cost Comparison Tool" -- Enter your own values to calculate which is better, buying or renting. A really neat tool!
Ledger: "Home Finder", "Premier Estates" and "Real Estate" sections online.
Courier: "Real Estate" section online.
NYTimes: "This Week's Residential Sales Around the Region" -- 12/23/2007
Trulia: "Your Personal Real Estate Google"

WHAT'S HAPPENING

  • Tomorrow - December 24. 5 PM. Santa Sighting and Sing-along For Little Ones. Gather for an hour with your little ones at Leland Avenue Park for some hot chocolate, holiday songs and a visit by Santa with candy canes for the little ones before he goes off to deliver all those presents to good girls and boys everywhere! Info (908) 561-8575 or email Jennifer. FREE.

  • Wednesday - December 26. 2 PM. Kwanzaa Craft-time. Kids learn about this important African American celebration with some fun craft projects. In the Young People's Room. Plainfield Public Library, 8th Street at Park Avenue. FREE.

  • Tuesday - December 27. 7:30 PM. Historic Preservation Commission. City Hall Library. Public invited.

  • Saturday - December 29. 1 - 6 PM. Kwanzaa Celebration. Program, refreshments, crafts. Sponsor: Recreation Division. At: Washington Community School Cafetorium, 427 Darrow Avenue. (Parking on Spooner Avenue). FREE.
Got an event to publicize? Click here and send me the details.


CENTRAL JERSEY

Linden: "Secure Juvenile Centers That Don’t Show It"

Booker: "Respect at core of Booker's ties with Jews" -- Remember Sharpe saying Cory was Jewish?
Franklin: "Franklin hires finance director"
Lawyering: "Firms increasingly dropping mandatory retirement"
New Brunswick: "A Masterful Touch as Rahway Chef Branches Out"
Rahway: "For AP students, school has cash" -- Courtesy of local foundation.
Roselle: "Roselle looks at hiring a public safety director"
Runnells Hospital: "Runnells seeking to change its niche"
Wardlaw-Hartridge: "Spear joins board of trustees"


STATE


The Auditor - For political junkies: "Sunday, December 23, 2007"

2008 Primaries: "Jersey's part of big gamble by Giuliani"
Adoption: "Master Moore's real home for Christmas" -- A 'Heart Project' success story.
Death Penalty: "In Ending Executions, Soul Searching"
Public Defender's Office: "Lawyers recall hectic first days 40 years ago"
Scholastic Athletics: "Public Schools Say They Want Level Playing Field"
Vaccinations: "Some Parents Seek Options to Vaccine Orders"


Sheneman's Cartoon is here.
Margulies' Cartoon is here
.


NATION / WORLD


2008 Primaries --
CIA Tapes: "Report: Tapes Were Kept From 9/11 Panel"
Iraq: "Iran Cited In Iraq's Decline in Violence"

Latin America: "Stakes High For U.S. and Argentina in Cash Scandal" -- Meddle? The U.S.?


OF INTEREST

Green Christmas: "Ode to Joylessness: Hold That Yule Log"

Consulting the Past: "What Would George Do?" -- Thoughts on Iraq and the Presidency.
J. Edgar Hoover: "Hoover Planned Mass Jailing in 1950" | "Hoover Letter" -- News from our dark past.
Police Work: "Detectives’ Interrogation Tricks Under Scrutiny After Court Ruling"

Miss Manners: Check out the nation's doyenne of conduct here in the Washington Post.

BOOK REVIEW LINKS: NY Times | Wash Post | Ledger | NY Rev Bks | London Rev Bks |

ARCHIVES OF CLIPS FROM 11/26/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
http://plainfieldclippings.blogspot.com/