Maria: Original search for Gallon raises troubling questions.. Bloggers on League's candidate forum.. McWilliams' budget process expectations..

---

PLAINFIELD TODAY:

• "Agenda for tonight's Muhlenberg advisory group meeting"
  
  
• "After forum, Board of Ed campaigns move to endgame"
  

Schools --

• Courier: "Firings end tangled dispute" -- Borge and Kelly gone; stonewalling on Kemp continues.
• Ledger: "Plainfield adopts plan to correct flawed hiring practices"

Missing Teen: "Police seek help in search for missing Plainfield teen"
NJTransit: "NJT approves largest fare hikes in agency history"
UEZ: "Urban Enterprise Zone cuts cause budget woes for 37 towns" -- Plainfield included.
Warrant Bust: "Plainfield man busted for outstanding warrant as he tries to bail out roommate"

Budgets --

• Cops: "Atlantic City might layo off 59 cops"
  
• Hillsborough: "More than 100 Hillsborough employees face layoffs, furloughs"
• North Plainfield: "Grant for firefighters helps amid staffing shortfalls"
• Schools: "Residents decry plan to lay off 280 East Orange school workers"

Childrens Museum: "Children's museum-to-be originally planned for Union County" -- And money spent, per CountyWatchers.

Gov. Christie --

• Budget Cuts: "Historical museums, Battleship NJ face cuts in budget"
• Retirements: "Christie supports rush to retirement by workers facing benefit changes"
• Paul Mulshine: "Christie is no Reagan: This boss not born to Ron" -- The pun is a groaner...

Home Construction: "Next generation won't want, can't afford McMansions"
State Budget: "Crowd jams Middlesex Dems hearing on state budget" -- And our District 22 leaders?
Taxes: "Most Jerseyans say property taxes trump income taxes" -- A thought for Tax Day.
Transit-oriented Development: "No. Brunswick council may vote down divisive transit village proposal"

Plainfield observers (click on name to go to post): Bernice notes the candidates met the public at the LWV forum. Olddoc logs his impressions of the League's BOE forum. Maria reports on the forum and troubling questions concerning the search for Gallon in the first place. Jerry still touts his misdated meeting -- now past (post comments on Jerry's blog here). Councilor McWilliams details her expectations concerning the FY2010-11 budget process. PPS News (Schools) posts the OFAC report (PDF).

SCHOOL BOARD CAMPAIGN BLOGS

There are three teams of candidates running for three 3-year seats and 1 one-year seat. Each has a campaign blog, listed below in alphabetical order by team name/designation. Incumbents are designated by an asterisk (*). There are two independent candidates who are not blogging as far as I know.

CHANGE OUR SCHOOLS - CHANGE OUR CITY
3-year term: Jaclynne (Jackie) Callands, Dani Fletcher, Mahogany Hendricks; 1-year term: Clayton Tucker, Sr.
COALITION FOR BETTER SCHOOLS
3-year term: Mary Burgwinkle, Martin Cox*, Christian Estevez*; 1-year term: Carmencita Pile
ELECT A GRAND S.L.A.M. (SCHOOL LEADERSHIP ADVOCACY MOVEMENT)
3-year term: Rasheed Abdul-Haqq, Wilma Campbell*, Renata Hernandez; 1-year term: Keisha Edwards
DENISE RILEY, independent candidate for 1-year term (Courier News item)

Don't miss these personal blogs by Plainfielders, each with a point of view: Rebecca Williams' Confessions of a Bathrobe Blogger; Renata Hernandez' PEPTalk: Revisited, posts candidate Keisha Edwards thoughts on Tuesday's BOE meeting; Jackie Schnoop's The (TV) Show Must Go On; and Dottie Gutenkauf's Dottie G Sez.

| BERNICE'S PLAINTALKER | MARIA'S BLOG | DOC'S POTPOURRI | PIV FOR PLAINFIELD |
| PLAINFIELD SPORTS NEWS| PLAINFIELD TREES | COUNCILOR MAPP | COUNCILOR McWILLIAMS |
| COUNCILOR STORCH | COUNCILOR BURNEY | JERRY GREEN'S PAGE | BO ON THE 22nd |

« Email Dan your tip or question. » | « Follow Dan on Twitter. »

WHAT'S HAPPENING

---

• Today - April 15. 6 PM. Community Forum by Mayor Robinson-Briggs. Mayor Robinson-Briggs will update the community on the new FiOS public access channel and other municipal projects. At Washington Community School, 427 Darrow Avenue. (Parking available in the Spooner Avenue lot.)
  
  
• Today - April 15. 6:30 - 8:30 PM. Cultural & Heritage Commission: Grants Workshop and Open House. All artists, cultural organizations and preservation groups are invited to an open house and grants workshop. Projects looking for funding in 2010 can get application forms and an overview of the support process. There will also be a presentation on activities previously supported by C&H. At the Drake House, 602 West Front Street, at the foot of Plainfield Avenue.
  
  
• Today - April 15. 7:30 PM. Muhlenberg Community Advisory Group. This is the first public meeting of the entity organized in the wake of the closure of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center in August 2008, which is charged with monitoring compliance by Solaris Health System with the terms of the closure. At Washington Community School, 427 Darrow Avenue. (Parking available in the Spooner Avenue lot.)
  
  
• Today - April 15. 8 PM. Planning Board. City Hall Library. 515 Watchung Avenue (parking in lot at rear of building). Public invited.
  
  
• Saturday - April 17. 11 AM. Memorial Service for Bob Franks. Four New Jersey governors will address attendees at a memorial service Saturday for the former Congressman (see news story here). Owing to the huge crowd expected, the service will be held in the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, 89 Ridge Street, Newark. Info (973) 484-4600.
  
  
• Saturday - April 17. Noon - 2 PM. Opening Reception: Photography of Jean Mattson. Join with Plainfielders and photography enthusiasts at an opening reception for an exhibit covering her photographs of Ireland and Plainfield subjects. (Psst! It also happens to be Jean's birthday and there will be a birthday cake. Keep it a secret!) In the Room 2 Gallery at the Plainfield Public Library, Park Avenue and 8th Street. FREE.
  
  
• Saturday - April 17. Noon - 3 PM. Healthy Kids Day at the YMCA. Plainfield's YMCA is joining the national effort to help kids and families foster healthy living by becoming more physically active. Scavenger hunts, family fitness challenges, jump rope contests, nature walk, 'Little Chefs-Healthy Snack' demonstrations, arts and crafts and much more. Info: Elsie Jenkins, (908) 756-6060 x 131 or www.plainfieldy.org/. At the Plainfield Area YMCA, 518 Watchung Avenue (corner of East 6th Street; parking in the rear). FREE.
  
  
• Sunday - April 18. Noon - 5 PM. Wildlife Sunday at Trailside. Presentations on raptors (including a flight demonstration) and other live animals; demonstrations of 'turkey talk' -- the habits of the elusive bird -- and the importance of wolves in a balanced ecosystem (and meet a wolf). Music, bird walk, displays and vendors, facepainting, crafts and refreshments. At Trailside Nature Center, 452 New Providence Road, Mountainside. Info: (908) 789-3670 or www.ucnj.org/trailside. Admission:; $3/person; 6 and under FREE.
  
  
• Monday - April 19. 7:30 PM. [Talk] From Martha to Michelle: America's First Ladies. Dr. Myra Gutin, professor of communication at Rider College will present a survey of America's First Ladies, from Martha Washington to Michelle Obama. Sponsored by the Leagues of Women Voters of Berkeley Heights-New Providence-Summit, Hillside, Plainfield and Union. At the New Providence Memorial Library, 377 Elkwood Avenue, New Providence. FREE.
  
  
• Tuesday - April 20. 2 - 8 PM. School Board Election and Budget Referendum. With fourteen candidates running, there is intense interest in this year's BOE race. Also on the ballot is the approval of the budget for fiscal 2010-11. At your usual polling location.
  
  
• Wednesday - April 21. 6:30 PM. 2010 UCWPC Notable Women Reception. The Union County Women's Political Caucus will hold its annual reception honoring notable women in public life. This year's honorees are Republican State Committeewoman Pat Quattrocchi, Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (D-Union) and the Hon. Jennifer Velez, Commissioner of Human Services under both Governors Corzine and Christie. The Union County group is part of the Women's Political Caucus of NJ, dedicated to increasing the number of progressive women in elected and appointed positions in government. Tickets: $50 members/$55 non-members. At L'Affaire, 1099 Route 22 East, Mountainside. RSVP to info@wpcnj.org.
  
  
• Wednesday - April 21. 7:30 PM. Cultural & Heritage Commission. City Hall Library. 515 Watchung Avenue (parking in lot at rear of building). Public invited.
  
  
• Thursday - April 22. 7 PM. Cable TV Advisory Board. At City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Avenue. Parking and entry in lot behind behind building. Public welcome.
  
  
• Thursday - April 22. 7 PM. City Council Town Hall Meeting (Ward 4). Fourth Ward residents are invited to discuss concerns specific to their Ward and neighborhoods. At Clinton School, West 4th Street and Clinton Avenue.
  
  
• Friday - April 23. 8 PM. (Doors open at 6 PM) NJ Golden Gloves 2010. The Final Night Tournament will be held at PHS. Tickets on sale through the Plainfield Recreation Division. Call (908) 753-3097 or drop by the Rec Division in City Hall Annex. At Plainfield High School, 950 Park Avenue (parking in Stelle and Kenyon Avenue lots).

Got an event to publicize? Click here and send me the details.

Not getting your own CLIPS email daily? Click here to get started.

---