CANDIDATE'S FORUMS.

Election day is approaching.  The local Democrat primary contests are the only races of interest. What is at stake is control of the Council. If we are going to stop “bitching” about our local government and politicians this is the time to act.

Wednesday, May 23, from 7 to 9pm , at Emerson Community School, the four Democratic candidates vying for the party line in the June primary will take questions from the public at a forum sponsored by Friends of Sleepy Hollow, a non-profit, all volunteer-organization in the City.

Dawne Clarke, an experienced moderator trained by the League of Women Voters and an out-of-town resident, will conduct the session.

Expected to participate are the Rev. Tracy Brown, who has the party’s backing for the at-large council seat, and challenger Veronica “Roni” Taylor, as well as incumbent Adrian Mapp, running on the Democratic line, and challenger Rashid Abdul-Haaq, seeking the nomination for the council Third Ward post.

Because there is no contest on the Republican side, GOP candidates, Bill Amirault for the council-at-large position, and Randy Bullock in the Third Ward, will be introduced, but not speak.

Questions from the audience will be submitted in writing and posed by the moderator.

The Plainfield chapter of the NAACP will hold its traditional candidates debate on Sunday, May 20, at 5 p.m. in the Community Room of the Whitney Allen Young apartments, corner of Central Avenue and West Fourth Street. That, too, is free and open to the public.

If you have any questions about the candidates who you can vote for, you should attend one of these forums. What is important is not who you vote for but that you vote.

That said; if you are not going to vote for my choices; stay home and later on email me how terrible  the Council is.

I call your attention to the notice from the BOE regarding a public forum  also at the Emerson School on Saturday May 19th from 1pm to 3pm to meeet and question(?) the finalist in the search for a Superintendent of the Schools. Since each Candidate will be allowed 45 minutes with the public which adds up to 1 1/2 hours out of the 2  scheduled it must be assumed that there are only two(2) finalists..

Unfortunately  the candidates have not been  named and no background material  made public so that the public who attend this meeting will be completely unprepared to ask questions based on either one's experience. Once again this BOE is demonstrating its unique concept of transparency.