C L I P P I N G S: 03/12/2006

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Friday, March 17, 2006

17 - Friday: H.I.T.S.: PHC scam?... Council ill-treats Mayor?...

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PLAINFIELD TODAY: My personal take on Plainfield: news, views, gossip and sightings.
PLAINFIELD EVENTS: The online calendar for Plainfield events, performances, and meetings.

PLAINFIELD_________________________________________________________________________________

Plainfield Today: "H.I.T.S.: Health Center scam?... Why Council's shabby treatment of mayor?..."
Plain Talker: "Green Offers Pay-To-Play Forum"

Schools - CN: "Plainfield board, teachers fail to reach agreement at mediation"
..... - OpEd, CN: Tiffany Corbett: "Plainfield teachers deserve new contract"
.......... - Ms. Corbett is a highly-regarded teacher at Plainfield High School

Legal Notices: Go here, and clilck on 'New Search' You can search by County, Newspaper
or keyword [such as 'Plainfield' or 'Sheriff']

Events for this week are here

. x----------------------------------x.|....PLAINFIELD EVENTS CALENDAR....|. |..Click HERE to get listing form..|
. x----------------------------------x

TRI-COUNTY AREA___________________________________________________________________________

Bridgewater: "Officials now have three plans to choose from for new municipal complex"
Cranford: "$45M redevelopment envisioned for scenic site"
Edison: "Toxic debris found at 8th construction site"
Elizabeth: "School district's hiring practices criticized"
Kenilworth: "Little Italy gets more flavor in 'Tosca'"
North Plainfield: "Downsizing housing plan doesn't stop complaints"
South Plainfield: "School tax may increase in South Plainfield"
Westfield, Scotch Plains-Fanwood: "Jersey school districts awarded hurricane funds"

NEW JERSEY________________________________________________________________________________

Corzine - Cabinet, CN: "Homeland security nominee comes out of retirement"
..... - SL: "New official to focus on terrorism, health threats, disasters"

Menendez' vacant House seat: Tom Moran: "GOP feud in Bergen a dilemma for Kean"

Capital Punishment: "AG says executions are not needed to fight crime"
Guns: "Activists: Violent crimes in New Jersey committed with out-of-state guns"
Property Tax Rebates - SL: "Governor may break rebate vow"
..... - CN: "No increase in rebates a budget-balancing possibility"
Rental Assistance: "Coalition asks Corzine for rent aid"
Rutgers: "Rutgers president starts building team to overhaul campus"
Utilities: "State reviews auction of electric power"
Voting Machines: "Court to determine if machine's accuracy can be verified on paper"

Legislature:
..... - Property Taxes: "Lawmaker wants more focus on property taxes"
..... - Transportation Fund - CN: "Assembly approves roads fund debt plan"
.......... - SL: "Assembly puts borrowing plan for road fund into second gear"
..... - UMDNJ: "Assembly OKs measure to revamp UMDNJ board"

Towns:
..... - Newark - SL: "The guy on the bike? Seems to be a candidate" - Pix here
.......... - Council race: "Council contests hold key to Newark's future"
......... - Joan Whitlow: "Sharpe keeps us in suspense and adds some spice"
.......... - CN: "First lady presents $14 million reading grant to Newark schools"
............... - SL: "Paging Mrs. Bush"
..... - East Orange: "Investigation of athletic department's funds expands"
..... - Freehold: "FBI seizes documents of builder and lawyer in Marlboro cases"
..... - Irvington: "Assemblyman challenges Irvington mayor on crime"

Sheneman's Cartoon is here
Margulies' Cartoon is here

NATION / WORLD____________________________________________________________________________

Scandal Central:
..... - Plamegate - SL: "More subpoenas go to media ahead of Libby's perjury trial"

Cabinet - SL: "President picks Idaho governor to lead Interior Department"
Condi Down Under: "Rice taunted by Australian students"
Halliburton: "Pentagon probes reports of Iraq troops' unsafe water"
Immigration - SL: "Immigrant work bill would give millions chance at citizenship"
Iran/Iraq: "Bush welcomes Iran offer to talk to U.S. about Iraq"

OF INTEREST________________________________________________________________________________

SPORTS LINKS: Courier | Ledger | NY Times | NY Post | Daily News | El Diario | Hoy |

Big Bang: "Princeton-led team measures genesis, basks in the oldest of all light"
Forensics: "Students learn there's more to forensic science"
St. Pat's Food & Fare: "Where's the (corned) beef?"
..... Where to get some good corned beef and cabbage on this most Irish of days
And for those worried about permission: "Catholics cleared to eat corned beef today"

ABBREVIATIONS FOR FREQUENTLY CITED NEWS SOURCES

CN - Courier News | SL - Star-Ledger | NYT - New York Times | WP - Washington Post |

AFP - Agence France Presse | AP - Associated Press | APP - Asbury Park Press | BR - Bergen Record |
CSM - Christian Science Monitor | CP - Courier Post [Cherry Hill] | HNT - Home News [New Brunswick] |
JJ - Jersey Journal [Jersey City] | LAT - Los Angeles Times | ND - Newsday | NOLA - Times-Picayune |
NPR - National Public Radio | PNJ - Politics NJ | TT - Trenton Times |
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Thursday, March 16, 2006

16 - Thursday: Murder #2, more on Green's 'police chief' bill

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PLAINFIELD TODAY: My personal take on Plainfield: news, views, gossip and sightings.
PLAINFIELD EVENTS: The online calendar for Plainfield events, performances, and meetings.

PLAINFIELD_________________________________________________________________________________

Plainfield Today: "Green's 'police chief' bill: The Courier says 'too much.' I say 'not enough.'"

2nd Murder - CN: "City teen shot dead; No suspects or motive yet"
..... - "Shooting victim called 'neutral' and 'quiet'"
.......... - With 2nd killing in a month, murder rate is now double that of last year at this time
Assemblyman Green's Bill - Editorial, CN: "Bill misses mark on tenures of police chiefs"
Dem City Committee: "Democrats will announce candidates, discuss pay-to-play"
..... - 7:00 p.m. Friday (tomorrow), YWCA, East Front & Church Streets
Driver's License Scheme - CN: "Husband and wife charged with selling driver's licenses"
..... - SL: "Motor vehicle clerk and husband are arrested in license scheme"
.......... -The couple live in Plainfield; the scheme was run out of the S. Plfd DMV office
Health Center/Schools Collaboration: "School program gets $75,000 grant"
Letter to Editor, CN: Rasheed Abdul-Haqq: "Education needs big steps forward"
..... - Abdul-Haqq is a candidate for the Board of Education
U Akron student, Plainfielder: "Family questions school's handling of son acquitted in court"
..... - The lead for this story was on CN website last night, but is not online or in print today

Connections?
Other stories pertinent to Plainfield
..... - Population Counts: "Demographers Beg to Differ with way Census counts are reached"
..... - Newark Revival: "Arts Center Has a Plan to Help Newark Revive"
.......... - SL: "Newark arts center shows off its plans for a grand high-rise"
.......... - "No city can be great without downtown housing." --Lawrence Goldman, CEO, NJPAC
..... - Commerce Bank: "Commerce Bank seeks Warren OK for branch"
..... - Rent-to-own fees - CN: "Rent-to-own stores must cap interest rates at 30 percent"
.......... - SL: "Rent-to-own stores get 'capped'"
..... - Regionalization: "Corzine prods towns to regionalize"

Legal Notices: Go here, and clilck on 'New Search' You can search by County, Newspaper
or keyword [such as 'Plainfield' or 'Sheriff']

New event listed for yyy is here
Events for this week are here

. x----------------------------------x.|....PLAINFIELD EVENTS CALENDAR....|. |..Click HERE to get listing form..|
. x----------------------------------x

TRI-COUNTY AREA___________________________________________________________________________

Corzine's Bail Pal: "Lobbyist Corzine bailed out seeks to avoid trial in stalking"
..... - Question: If the incident occurred at the Statehouse, why is the case in Union County?
Central Jersey: "15 local companies among Best Places to Work in N.J."
North Plainfield: "Council reduces size of Villa Maria project"
Piscataway: "39 homeless after wind-whipped Piscataway fire"
Sewer Rates: "Sewer rates will more than double in 11 towns" - but NOT Plainfield
Westfield: "School board budget has 4% tax hike"

NEW JERSEY________________________________________________________________________________

Corzine: "The $3 cigarette tax, a first in U.S., is on Corzine's mind"

Census: "In Jersey, the growing is slowing"
Drivers Licenses: "6-year card to cut spike in Jersey renewals"
Hockey Betting Ring: "AG to call Mrs. Gretzky in betting probe"
Ports - NYT: "Bush Official Calls Reviews for Deals Adequate"
.......... - "Dubai Firm Verifies Plan on turning over control of U.S. Ports"
..... - SL: "Senate clears $978 million to upgrade port security"
..... - CN: "GOP-sponsored amendment on security passed, instead of Menendez's"
Schools Construction Corp. - SL: "Report urges dismantling of school agency"
..... - CN: "Corzine committee: replace schools firm"
State's Info Tech: "Embattled tech chief quits his state post"
Supreme Court: "Court calls a halt to expanding new alcohol test"
Transportation Fund: "Taxpayers to repay roads fund debt for decades"

Towns - Newark: "Will Newark's mayor run again? 4:30 today is deadline"

Sheneman's Cartoon is here
Margulies' Cartoon is here

NATION / WORLD____________________________________________________________________________

Bush - Rolling Stone: "Bush's fake poverty aid"
..... - Comment, Chicago Trib: Garrison Keillor: "Day of Reckoning for the Current Occupant"

Scandal Central:
..... - Domestic spying: "FBI documents raise new questions about extent of surveillance"
..... - Plamegate - NYT: "Ex-U.S. Official Richard Armitage Called Likely Leak Source"

Iraq - Analysis, SF Chron: Robert Scheer: "Bush's fantasy of progress in Iraq"
Ports: [See New Jersey section]
Supreme Court: "Justice Ginsburg attributes death threats to politically inflamed rhetoric"
Trade Deficit - BBC News: "US trade deficit soars to record"
..... - Financial Times: "US deficit data fuel anxieties on dollar"

OF INTEREST________________________________________________________________________________

SPORTS LINKS: Courier | Ledger | NY Times | NY Post | Daily News | El Diario | Hoy |

DISASTERS AND AID OPPORTUNITIES_________________________________________________________

Disaster Loans - Newsday: "Democrats: Bush Rejects Needed Storm Loans"
Katrina - Relief: "Trailers, vital after hurricane, now pose risks as new season approaches"
..... - Volunteers: "Vacationing Jersey collegians volunteer on Gulf Coast"

ABBREVIATIONS FOR FREQUENTLY CITED NEWS SOURCES

CN - Courier News | SL - Star-Ledger | NYT - New York Times | WP - Washington Post |

AFP - Agence France Presse | AP - Associated Press | APP - Asbury Park Press | BR - Bergen Record |
CSM - Christian Science Monitor | CP - Courier Post [Cherry Hill] | HNT - Home News [New Brunswick] |
JJ - Jersey Journal [Jersey City] | LAT - Los Angeles Times | ND - Newsday | NOLA - Times-Picayune |
NPR - National Public Radio | PNJ - Politics NJ | TT - Trenton Times |
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Wednesday, March 15, 2006

15 - Wednesday | Assemblyman Green's proposed bill makes the news

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PLAINFIELD TODAY: My personal take on Plainfield: news, views, gossip and sightings.
PLAINFIELD EVENTS: The online calendar for Plainfield events, performances, and meetings.

GAFFE OF THE WEEK?
I know, I know -- It was JEAN Stapleton in Archie Bunker, not Maureen. Sorry.

PLAINFIELD_________________________________________________________________________________

Plainfield Today: "Green introduces bill to make Chiefs of Police contractual employees"

Crime [3rd to last]: "Police arrest two on weapons charges"
..... - Could these two have anything to do with gunshots heard in various neighborhoods?
Legislature - CN: "Bill would monitor Jersey's top cops"
............... The Courier puts story on Assemblyman Green's legislation on front page
..... - SL: "Lawmaker wants way to remove top cops; Santiago appears to be target"
Letter to Editor, CN: Nan Anderson: "Divided Plainfield fails the children"
..... - Anderson, daughter of the late Helen Miller, is a School Board candidate
'No Child Left Behind' Act: "Under-performing schools scramble to make the grade"
..... - 67 -- one in Plainfield -- must raise their test scores or undergo major changes

Connections?
Other stories pertinent to Plainfield
..... - Gentrification: "Montclair trend is trouble for an 'oasis'"
..... - Grant misapplied: "S. Orange trustees admit grant cannot be applied to project"
..... - Redevelopment: "Warehouse tenant battles on fate of building"
..... - Open Government - Editorial, CN: "Sunshine Week about the fight to know"

Legal Notices: Go here, and clilck on 'New Search' You can search by County, Newspaper
or keyword [such as 'Plainfield' or 'Sheriff']

Events for this week are here

. x----------------------------------x.|....PLAINFIELD EVENTS CALENDAR....|. |..Click HERE to get listing form..|
. x----------------------------------x

TRI-COUNTY AREA___________________________________________________________________________

Edison: "Edison, tipped off, was first to know of tainted debris"
Elizabeth: "Elizabeth principal on leave for safety"
Hillside: "Hillside ABC session raises questions on open meeting law"
North Plainfield: "AG sides with North Plainfield man fighting to have a dog at his condo"
Union Twp.: "Town OKs job rules for off-duty cops; lets them make up to $45/hour"
Wal-Mart: "Study: Wal-Mart abuses N.J. health care"

NEW JERSEY________________________________________________________________________________

Corzine: "Corzine budget plan includes higher taxes"
Menendez: "Menendez offers amendment to increase funds for port security"

Internet Business: "Searching the World, From Jersey City"
..... - You can give the Accoona search engine a whirl here
The Mob and Unions: Bob Braun: "Imagine labor with its past mob-free"
Ports:
..... - South Florida Sun: "Dubai firm accused of breaking pledge to divest itself"
..... - Washington Biz Journal: "Carlyle Group explores acquisition of port operations"
............... Now you have to know this is W's daddy and his friends...
Schools Construction Corp.: "Crisis at School Agency Reflects Missteps, Trenton Says"
Schools Investigation:
..... - SL: "Report energizes critics of superintendents' perks"
.......... - Editorial, SL: "End hidden school perks"
..... - Home News: "Hub City (New Brunswick) school deals assailed in state report"
..... - Bergen Record: "Report faults Teaneck moves that inflated pensions"
..... - Daily Record: "Hopatcong superintendent named in investigators' report"
Legislature:
..... - Infighting: "Weinberg left off Senate health panel; stand on needle exchange seen as basis"
..... - Medicaid: "Legislators demand new agency to probe Medicaid fraud and waste"
..... - Police Chiefs: "Bill introduced to make Chiefs of Police contractual employees"
..... - Crime Victims: "Reform of crime victim board gets renewed push in Trenton"
..... - Charity Clothing Bins: "Bill to require disclosure of those run by for-profit middlemen"
State Pensions: Tom Moran: "Learning the painful lessons on pensions"
Supreme Court: "Court lowers standard to prove insurance fraud in New Jersey"
Treasury Probe: "Ethics probe targets more Treasury staff; Revenue chief ousted"
Towns - Irvington: "Irvington's East Ward is on its way"
Utilities Billing Shell Game?: "Many Utilities Collect for Taxes They Never Pay"

Sheneman's Cartoon is here
Margulies' Cartoon is here

NATION / WORLD____________________________________________________________________________

Scandal Central:
..... - Domestic spying - WP: "FBI Took Photos of Antiwar Activists in 2002"

Big Oil - WP: "Big Oil Defends Industry Mergers in Hearing"
Dems - AP: "Feingold Assails Dems on Bush Censure"
Iran - TomPaine: "Deja Vu All Over Again With Iran"
..... - WP: "Top U.S. Military Official: No Evidence of Iran Involvement in Iraq"
..... - Jerusalem Post: "US monitoring Israel's Iran options"
Iraq - WP: "Bush Sets Target for Transition In Iraq"
..... - Common Dreams: Howard Zinn: "Lessons of Iraq War Start With US History"
..... - InterPress: "Bush Push: Forum Over Substance"
..... - Guardian/UK: "US postwar Iraq strategy a mess, Blair was told in secret memos"
National Debt - CSM: "Is rising US public debt sustainable?"
Ports: [See New Jersey section]
Privatization - OpEd, LAT: Moshe Adler: "Sometimes, government is the answer"

OF INTEREST________________________________________________________________________________

SPORTS LINKS: Courier | Ledger | NY Times | NY Post | Daily News | El Diario | Hoy |

Ambien, again: "Study Links Ambien Use to Unconscious Food Forays"
Book Review: "When Cancer Strikes, a High Achiever Plans"
Book Review: "Fukuyama: Supporter's Voice Now Turns on Bush"
Burlesque: "Burlesque 101 at the Red Hots Burlesque School of Shimmy"
College Aid: "Colleges Open Minority Aid to All Comers"
Event Planning: Steve Adubato: "Techniques to make the conference a hit"
Microbrews: "U.S. pale ale microbrew is a coarse course"
Military Wives: "The Home Fires Are Burning Out"
National Anthem: "Music Teachers Project Reteaches National Anthem"
Pregnancy: "Silent Struggle Between Mother and Fetus: A New Theory of Pregnancy"
'St. Domino's, FL': Fran Wood: "Hoping for utopia, they may get something better"
..... America has a long history of utopian communities -- religious and secular. But
..... is it possible to "create a socially controlled community in today's world?"

DISASTERS AND AID OPPORTUNITIES_________________________________________________________

Katrina - Mississippi: "Road to Rebirth Diverges on a Mississippi Bridge"

ABBREVIATIONS FOR FREQUENTLY CITED NEWS SOURCES

CN - Courier News | SL - Star-Ledger | NYT - New York Times | WP - Washington Post |

AFP - Agence France Presse | AP - Associated Press | APP - Asbury Park Press | BR - Bergen Record |
CSM - Christian Science Monitor | CP - Courier Post [Cherry Hill] | HNT - Home News [New Brunswick] |
JJ - Jersey Journal [Jersey City] | LAT - Los Angeles Times | ND - Newsday | NOLA - Times-Picayune |
NPR - National Public Radio | PNJ - Politics NJ | TT - Trenton Times |
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Tuesday, March 14, 2006

14 - Tuesday

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03/14/2006 - Tuesday

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PLAINFIELD TODAY: My personal take on Plainfield: news, views, gossip and sightings.
PLAINFIELD EVENTS: The online calendar for Plainfield events, performances, and meetings.

PLAINFIELD_________________________________________________________________________________

Plainfield Today: "Senior Center: What the Seniors taught Al McWilliams"
Plain Talker: "Council Favors Partnership Benefits"
..... - "Cabinet Appointments Will Be Offered For Confirmation"

Domestic Partners: "City to vote on benefits for same-sex partners of public employees"
Teachers Union Contract: "No pact since June in Plainfield"
Union County College: "High-school enrichment program gets $100K in federal funds"
Medicare: "Bills by Rep. Pallone and Sen. Lautenberg offer relief to druggists"
..... - Congressman Pallone visits Plainfield to push two programs

Connections?
Other stories pertinent to Plainfield

..... - Crime Fighting: "E. Orange seeks volunteers to tell of crime via Web"
..... - Eminent Domain - CN: "Eminent-domain opponents appeal to Assembly"
.......... - SL: "Angry citizens get their say on eminent domain"
..... - Public Meetings: "Group uses video to help put town leaders under spotlight"
..... - Public Records: "N.J. public records law praised"
..... - Illegal Apartments: "Clifton targets illegal dwellings"
.......... - "Panel created to revisit tabled rental ordinance in Kenilworth"
..... - ABC Complaints: "Hillside ABC board targets bar license"

Legal Notices: Go here, and clilck on 'New Search' You can search by County, Newspaper
or keyword [such as 'Plainfield' or 'Sheriff']

New event listed for yyy is here
Events for this week are here

. x----------------------------------x.|....PLAINFIELD EVENTS CALENDAR....|. |..Click HERE to get listing form..|
. x----------------------------------x

TRI-COUNTY AREA___________________________________________________________________________

Elizabeth: "Rahway football player is stabbed to death"
Kenilworth: "Panel created to revisit tabled rental ordinance in Kenilworth"
Union County: "$100,000 available for tree plantings on tree-for-tree match"

NEW JERSEY________________________________________________________________________________

Corzine - SL: "Banking/Insurance nominee puts emphasis on malpractice"
..... - CN: "Corzine mulls tax increase of $1.5 billion"

Menendez's House Seat: "Bergen GOP chair gives Kean an ultimatum on party line"

BPU Execs Travel - Editorial, CN: "Costly BPU travels not doing public any favors"
Health: "Race, gender gaps in heart treatment"
Legislature:
..... - Stem Cell Research - SL: "Stem cell proposal hinges on $50 million"
..... - Cable TV - CN: "Senate committee approves Verizon cable bill"
.......... -SL: "Verizon gets nod to offer TV service"
..... - Development - CN: "Change in roads plan irks environmentalists"
.......... -SL: "Restriction struck from highway bill"
............... - Roundup: "Action In Trenton"
Schools Investigation - SL: "Hidden pay for school superintendents"
..... - NYT: "Leading New Jersey's Schools Has Its Price: High"
............... - A chart of the reported vs. actual compensation is here
..... - APP: "Report says school administrators making out like bandits"
............... - Lakewood Example: "SCI blasts how school chiefs' pay is inflated"
..... - Bergen Record: "School brass rake in hidden perks"
State Pension: "Adviser calls for an end to pension gimmickry"
Shore Biz - SL: "Wildwood trades the kitsch for the glitz"
..... - Wildwood Crest: The Caribbean: "Die-hards design a doo-wop do over"
Towns:
..... - Union City: "Mayor Blames SCC for Expense of School Site"
..... - Sayreville: "Agency sues to bar official from its board"
..... - Franklin Twp.: "Group uses video to help put town leaders under spotlight"
..... - East Orange: "E. Orange seeks volunteers to tell of crime via Web"
UMDNJ: "Panels OK reforms for UMDNJ"

Sheneman's Cartoon is here
Margulies' Cartoon is here

NATION / WORLD____________________________________________________________________________

2006 Elections - NYT: "Fellow Democrat, Citing Iraq, Starts Race Against Lieberman"

OF INTEREST________________________________________________________________________________

SPORTS LINKS: Courier | Ledger | NY Times | NY Post | Daily News | El Diario | Hoy |

(Click on image to go to Kos Archie Bunker satire)
Obituary: "Maureen Stapleton, Honored for Her Powerful, Fiery Presence"
..... - We may remember her as Edith Bunker, but she had many juicy roles over the years
'Free' checking: "Lenders making a mint off 'free' checking accounts"
Rock 'n Roll: "At a Hall of Fame Induction, Chords, and a Little Discord"

ABBREVIATIONS FOR FREQUENTLY CITED NEWS SOURCES

CN - Courier News | SL - Star-Ledger | NYT - New York Times | WP - Washington Post |

AFP - Agence France Presse | AP - Associated Press | APP - Asbury Park Press | BR - Bergen Record |
CSM - Christian Science Monitor | CP - Courier Post [Cherry Hill] | HNT - Home News [New Brunswick] |
JJ - Jersey Journal [Jersey City] | LAT - Los Angeles Times | ND - Newsday | NOLA - Times-Picayune |
NPR - National Public Radio | PNJ - Politics NJ | TT - Trenton Times |
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C L I P P I N G S