Teachers at Stillman School were notified by the Plainfield Parking Bureau, and then by the school’s administration, that meters and 2-hour only parking signs would be installed near the school at an unspecified time in the near future. As Stillman has a larger staff than its twenty or so parking spots, this poses a problem…

Until March 15th, the public is invited to admire, and potentially purchase, four floors of African-American art in Morristown. In its 22nd year, Art in the Atrium’s theme this time is “Your Crown Has Been Bought and Paid For,” a nod towards the struggle of those who came before us. The exhibit is located in…

The format makes it easy to miss, but I addressed the meeting as a whole and a couple of items, briefly, in today’s other post. In hindsight, this part of the meeting played like a long, cruel joke. The City Council, especially Councilors Rivers and Reid, rather thoroughly interviewed all of the candidates for PMUA…

Tonight’s meeting was a marathon, and I’m talking about the first meeting – a special session which started at 6:00pm and ended at 10:15pm. With work in the morning, I couldn’t bear to stay for the second one. I will not be able to cover everything that happened tonight, nor can I cover anything with as…

This afternoon between 2pm and 4pm, a crowd gathered at the Drake House for a reception to kick off this year’s Black History Month exhibit, which will feature Plainfield artist Indira Bailey. Bailey works with graphite, charcoal, acrylic, and oil on canvas. The event was hosted by the Historical Society of Plainfield. Believe it or…

As a vegan, finding healthy food options outside of ones own kitchen isn’t always easy in Plainfield. It’s nice to treat oneself occasionally. When I lived in France, the land of pork, beef, and cheese, Middle Eastern food was my saving grace. Before learning about this place, I’d recently wondered why there was no such…

Last week, when I heard Glen Ford of Black Agenda Report reference the tribute and roundtable discussion about Amiri Baraka on Democracy Now as “the best episode of that program ever” and “maybe the most enriching, informative television that I have ever seen,” I knew that I had to catch it. I gained a great deal…

In the last City Council agenda fixing session, a split emerged over the issue of property taxes. Much of the council stressed how hard it would be for seniors and those going through hard times to keep up with the high interest rates – and they make a good a point. However, the purpose of…

Last Thursday, the day after Martin Luther King Jr’s 85th birthday, Plainfield resident Glen Ford of Black Agenda Report gave a speech at the People’s Organization for Progress General Assembly about King and the Civil Rights Movement. From Eisenhower and Little Rock, to the first March on Washington in 1957 and the black church’s relationship…

In this country, with its long standing role as an important part of the American Dream, home ownership is almost fetishized. Consequently, renters in many areas are stigmatized compared to their homeowner counterparts. According to Bill Deegan, CEO of advocacy group Renter Nation, there is an “unfair, negative image of residential renters.” Of course, countless…