McWilliams: Council expectations of the Administration for next budget.. Olddoc: Council issues.. Renata: BOE will need extra chairs tonight..

BREAKING: Christie vows to crack down on Plainfield schools shenanigans -- Courier | 101.5 FM |

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PLAINFIELD TODAY:

• "Council not happy with Senior Center bait-and-switch"
  
  
  
  
• "Muhlenberg's oldest nursing alum celebrates 97th"

Connolly Properties: "Connolly-managed Plainfield apartments set to change hands" -- Judge rules for mortgage-holder.
Escapee: "Police search for man who escaped from patrol car"
Muhlenberg Closure: "Appeals panel denies suit by Save Muhlenberg, city" -- Courier | Ledger |
Queen City Diner: "Popular South Avenue diner changes hands"
Urban Enterprise Zones: "Cities say Christie's $91M cuts will hurt local economies"
Census2010: "NJ towns aim for at least 50,000 to qualify for more funds" -- Chart here.
NJT Fare Hikes: "Commuters relieved NJT scales increases back to 10%"

Cohen Child-Porn Case: "Ex-Assemblyman pleads guilty in computer porn"
Middlesex Boro: "Budget plan calls for layoffs, up to 5 cops could go"
New Brunswick: "Cahill slate will face challengers in New Brunswick" -- PolNJ | Courier | -- Reform-minded Dems.
Rutgers-Newark: "Prof. Clement Price donates $100K for black history lectures"
Union County College: "Three finalists named in college president search"
Union County Primary: "'Dems for Change' challenge machine pols"

Gov. Christie --

• Budget: "Poll: Christie's fairness questioned over budget" -- Ledger | PolNJ | Gannett |
• Teachers Union: "Christie wants teachers' union head canned" -- Ledger | Courier |
  

Gangs: "Prison guard pleads guilty to smuggling cellphones to gang members"
Pulitzer Prizes: "Gannett's 'Tax Crush' series a finalist in Pulitzers"

Plainfield observers (click on name to go to post): Bernice on the Dem primary filings and the Senior Center flap. Olddoc finds reasons to suggest returning to weekly Council sessions, notes agenda issues (the Senior Center matter, and items appearing on the agenda unbeknownst to the Council). Maria posts a BOE elections history. Jerry town hall tonight is still misdated (post comments on Jerry's blog here). Councilor McWilliams writes concerning Council expectations of the Administration concerning the upcoming budget. Plainfield Sports News posts some catch-up stories, including the Plainfield baseball situation. PPS News (Schools) has a link to the OFAC report.

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, posts on the Holocaust Days of Remembrance; Renata Hernandez' PEPTalk: Revisited, suggests the Board of Ed put out extra chairs for tonight's meeting -- or that you bring your own; 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 |

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WHAT'S HAPPENING

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• Today - April 13. 6:45 PM. PEA Pride Rally. Members of the Plainfield Education Association, the union representing teachers and support staff in the Plainfield Public Schools will rally in support of getting a contract (or perhaps celebrating getting one). In the parking lot of the Board of Ed building (Jefferson School), 1200 Myrtle Avenue.
  
  
• Today - April 13. 7 PM. Board of Ed Business Meeting. The 49-page agenda includes a Corrective Action Plan addressing the findings of the OFAC investigation into hiring practices in the District (see page 15 of the agenda, which is here [PDF]). Note: The meeting begins with a student performance/presentation. At the Board of Ed Administration Building (Jefferson School), 1200 Myrtle Avenue. Public welcome.
  
  
• Today - April 13. 7 PM. Census 2010 Awareness Town Hall. District 22 legislators Sen. Nick Scutari, and Assemblypersons Linda Stender and Jerry Green will host a town hall focusing on the importance of participation in the 2010 Census. At Rahway City Council Chambers, Rahway.
  
  
• Tomorrow - April 14. 6:30 - 9 PM. League of Women Voters: Board of Ed Candidate Forum. All fourteen BOE candidates have been invited to take part in the League's candidate forum. The LWV, an organization open to women and men of all political parties, maintains the 'gold standard' in candidate forums, with a trained volunteer moderator from outside the community and the opportunity for all attendees to submit written questions to one or all of the candidates. More information at the LWV website here. At Emerson Community School, East 3rd Street and Emerson Avenue. FREE.
  
  
• Thursday - 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.)
  
  
• Thursday - 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.
  
  
• Thursday - 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.)
  
  
• Thursday - April 15. 8 PM. Planning Board. City Hall Library. 515 Watchung Avenue (parking in lot at rear of building). Public invited.
  
  
• 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.

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