Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Edison Artist Displays Work Reflecting Travels Across U.S., India, and Europe at HP Library
From The Home News Tribune:
HIGHLAND PARK — Indrani Choudhury is not
formally trained in art.
But the Edison resident has spent the last five years
working full time on her water color paintings,
which mostly include landscapes.
Her wide range of subjects reflects a life across
continents and cultures. Her paintings, which span
her whole universe, take us into courtyards and
bustling streets of her childhood in Calcutta, India
and on her travels across Europe and America.
"I take pictures of beautiful landscapes and paint
from that," the 59-year-old self-taught artist said.
Choudhury, who has had a career as a biomedical
research scientist for 25 years in both India and the
United States, worked most recently at the University
of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in
Piscataway.
In mid-2005, she decided to take a break from her
job and focus on her first love: painting.
What was planned as a one or two year break
developed into something more and now she
doesn't plan to go back to work as a scientist.
"I set up an easel in my guest room and returned to
a childhood passion," Choudhury said. "Since then,
my work has been developing in new technical and
imaginative directions."
She has even set up a website and sold couple of
her paintings, she said.
The Highland Park Public Library, 31 N. Fifth Ave.,
will exhibit, "Dreams Deferred, Dreams Fulfilled," a
water color show by Choudhury, through the end of
this month.
"It is a very inspiring exhibit," library spokesperson
Valeri Drach Weidmann said. "It shows that
somebody who has had a long career in a different
area can just pick up from their childhood and
explore their interests."
Additional information is available by calling the
library at 732-572-2750 or visiting www.hpplnj.
org.
HIGHLAND PARK — Indrani Choudhury is not
formally trained in art.
But the Edison resident has spent the last five years
working full time on her water color paintings,
which mostly include landscapes.
Her wide range of subjects reflects a life across
continents and cultures. Her paintings, which span
her whole universe, take us into courtyards and
bustling streets of her childhood in Calcutta, India
and on her travels across Europe and America.
"I take pictures of beautiful landscapes and paint
from that," the 59-year-old self-taught artist said.
Choudhury, who has had a career as a biomedical
research scientist for 25 years in both India and the
United States, worked most recently at the University
of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in
Piscataway.
In mid-2005, she decided to take a break from her
job and focus on her first love: painting.
What was planned as a one or two year break
developed into something more and now she
doesn't plan to go back to work as a scientist.
"I set up an easel in my guest room and returned to
a childhood passion," Choudhury said. "Since then,
my work has been developing in new technical and
imaginative directions."
She has even set up a website and sold couple of
her paintings, she said.
The Highland Park Public Library, 31 N. Fifth Ave.,
will exhibit, "Dreams Deferred, Dreams Fulfilled," a
water color show by Choudhury, through the end of
this month.
"It is a very inspiring exhibit," library spokesperson
Valeri Drach Weidmann said. "It shows that
somebody who has had a long career in a different
area can just pick up from their childhood and
explore their interests."
Additional information is available by calling the
library at 732-572-2750 or visiting www.hpplnj.
org.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Submit Yer Face for NB Free Public Library Exhibit
From the New Brunswick Free Public Library:
The New Brunswick Free Public Library and Alfa Art Gallery are bringing the photographs of local residents to public attention in an exhibition entitled ”Faces of New Brunswick.” Entrants in the New Brunswick Free Public Library’s summer photography contest will be featured in exhibitions in the Alfa Art Gallery and the Library’s Community Room. The reception will be held on Friday, August 27 6:00-8.30pm. at the Alfa Art Gallery. First, second and third place award winners in the photography contest will be announced at the reception. Please note that the photo submission deadline has been extended from Tuesday August 3, 2010 to Tuesday August 10, 2010. Photos will be on display at both locations from. August 27th- September 13, 2010.
This program has been made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Art/ Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; through a grant provided by the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission / Board of Chosen Freeholders.
For more information on the exhibition or reception, contact Kavita Pandey at 732-745-5108, ext. 20 or Kavita@lmxac.org. For information about the Alfa Art Gallery, contact Galina Kourtev at 732-296-6720.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Two more New Brunswick employees charged in theft of parking fees
From Friday's Star-Ledger:
--------
NEW BRUNSWICK — Two more people have been charged in connection with the theft of thousands of dollars from the New Brunswick Parking Authority, bringing to six the number of agency employees now facing charges.
Lawrence Sorbino, 44, of South Brunswick, a security and property manager for the city-run parking agency, was charged with accepting more than $5,000 in bribes to ignore thefts by agency officers, and Anthony Williams, 32, of Woodbridge, was charged with theft, conspiracy and destroying records, Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan said.
Four parking authority security officers were arrested in June, charged with taking money motorists paid at the Ferren and Lower Church Street parking decks, Kaplan said in a joint statement with New Brunswick Police Director Peter Mangarella.
Sorbino, of the Kendall Park section of South Brunswick, is charged with two counts of official misconduct and single counts of bribery, receiving gifts as a public servant, theft by failing to make required disposition of property, and conspiracy to commit theft, the prosecutor said.
Authorities allege Sorbino was paid more than $5,000 between Aug. 15, 2009 and May 15 this year to ignore thefts committed by four parking authority security officers.
Sorbino surrendered to police July 23, and was released on $100,000 bail, Kaplan said. Sorbino’s lawyer, Robert Gluck, did not return calls for comment today.
Williams, who was arrested earlier this month while at work, is accused of telling security officers how and when to disable security equipment before stealing parking payments. Also, he allegedly stole more than $500 in payments that were put in a drop safe on May 16, the prosecutor said.
Williams is being held today in the Middlesex County jail on $100,000 bail.
In June, Kaplan announced the arrests of four parking authority security officers accused of swiping nearly $3,000 from automated payment machines and customers during their 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. shifts at the Ferren and Lower Church street parking decks. The alleged thefts occurred between May 13 and May 15.James O’Neill, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office, said the investigation is continuing and he could not give details. He declined to comment when asked if any thefts occurred before May 13.
The parking authority came under investigation after information developed by the State Commission of Investigation was handed over to local authorities by the commission’s executive director, Alan Rockoff.
--------
NEW BRUNSWICK — Two more people have been charged in connection with the theft of thousands of dollars from the New Brunswick Parking Authority, bringing to six the number of agency employees now facing charges.
Lawrence Sorbino, 44, of South Brunswick, a security and property manager for the city-run parking agency, was charged with accepting more than $5,000 in bribes to ignore thefts by agency officers, and Anthony Williams, 32, of Woodbridge, was charged with theft, conspiracy and destroying records, Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan said.
Four parking authority security officers were arrested in June, charged with taking money motorists paid at the Ferren and Lower Church Street parking decks, Kaplan said in a joint statement with New Brunswick Police Director Peter Mangarella.
Sorbino, of the Kendall Park section of South Brunswick, is charged with two counts of official misconduct and single counts of bribery, receiving gifts as a public servant, theft by failing to make required disposition of property, and conspiracy to commit theft, the prosecutor said.
Authorities allege Sorbino was paid more than $5,000 between Aug. 15, 2009 and May 15 this year to ignore thefts committed by four parking authority security officers.
Sorbino surrendered to police July 23, and was released on $100,000 bail, Kaplan said. Sorbino’s lawyer, Robert Gluck, did not return calls for comment today.
Williams, who was arrested earlier this month while at work, is accused of telling security officers how and when to disable security equipment before stealing parking payments. Also, he allegedly stole more than $500 in payments that were put in a drop safe on May 16, the prosecutor said.
Williams is being held today in the Middlesex County jail on $100,000 bail.
In June, Kaplan announced the arrests of four parking authority security officers accused of swiping nearly $3,000 from automated payment machines and customers during their 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. shifts at the Ferren and Lower Church street parking decks. The alleged thefts occurred between May 13 and May 15.James O’Neill, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office, said the investigation is continuing and he could not give details. He declined to comment when asked if any thefts occurred before May 13.
The parking authority came under investigation after information developed by the State Commission of Investigation was handed over to local authorities by the commission’s executive director, Alan Rockoff.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Weiner Rails Against Republicans for Blocking Treatment for Ground Zero Workers and Residents
This is really no surprise if you think about it, but House Republicans on Thursday blocked plan, sponsored by a New York Democrat, that would have provided billions of dollars for medical treatment to rescue workers and residents of New York City who suffered illnesses from the toxic dust and debris at ground zero.
According to The New York Times:
Rep. Anthony Weiner was not happy about it, and for good reason. The right is wrong:
According to The New York Times:
Until now, the federal government has been appropriating money on an annual basis to monitor the health of people injured at ground zero and to provide them with medical treatment. But the bill’s supporters said there were problems with the year-to-year approach, including that money for the program was subject to the political whims of Congress and the White House.
The bill would have provided $3.2 billion over the next eight years to monitor and treat injuries stemming from exposure to toxic dust and debris at ground zero. New York City would have paid 10 percent of those health costs.
Rep. Anthony Weiner was not happy about it, and for good reason. The right is wrong:
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Subbing For the President
With news that President Obama is coming to our very own Middlesex County here in New Jersey today, to promote a bill expanding loan programs and tax breaks for small businesses, it's not really shocking that people aren't focusing on the meat, but rather on the fixin's.
The president will make a stop at Tastee Sub Shop, an Edison mainstay in a heavily Democratic district (though more of the Hillary persuasion, probably—not that their policies differ, but due to a considerable dose of ingrained racism) populated by white working-class residents, and the largest population of South Asian immigrants in the United States. In fact, Mr. Obama's visit here is certainly an acknowledgement that, while Tastee is not Indian-owned, Indian businesses, families, and entrepreneurs have long contributed to economic revitalization as it has changed the cultural fabric in New Jersey.
And, of course, it's always a circus when the president—any president—comes to town. I've been near a handful of presidential visits in the past, and even covered one as a reporter, and, outside of the few minutes when the president is speaking, it's the residual stuff that gets people talking, that is, traffic (Tastee is near one of the worst four-way intersections on the planet), and if there's food, what's he eating?
Obama's a healthy guy, save a cigarette here and there, and if he orders tuna on wheat, he'll get criticized, but if he orders taylor ham, he'll be insincere. So what's he to do? We all know turkey is embedded in American symbolism -- hell, even Ben Franklin wanted it to be the national bird (it should have been just like Ray Charles's version of America the Beautiful should be the national anthem), so maybe the president gets a whole #7 with oven roasted turkey, with mustard, mayo, HOT peppers (regular peppers will be characterized as weenie), lettuce, but definitely no tomato, S&P, and vinegar. That's AMERICAN.
But it sounds pretty frackin' nasty.
How about a whole #2? Boiled Ham, Cappacola, and Cheese on italian bread? We like to boil things. It's the second oldest way to cook things (I'm just guessing) and it pleases a wide swath of cultures. But wait? Is it too exotic? Does the president say "Cappacola" as I, a Jersey Jew, would say "Coca Cola" or does he feign Jersey-style Italian lexicon and say "gabba-ghoul?" Nah, WAY too dicey.
OK -- I got it -- a standard: the #8: bologna and cheese. Classic, processed, and AMERICAN. That said, bologna and cheese is really only suitable on Wonder Bread, and while I don't think the president would ever get any flack for eating such a delectable lunch, he's at a sub shop, and you gotta order on sub bread. It's the rule, and bologna and cheese does not work on a submarine. It's the second rule.
Ham and cheese? Offensive. Sausage and meatball? Pandering. Pepperoni and cheese? Not a sandwich. Proccuttini, Cappacola, and Cheese? See reasons for not eating a #2. Roast Beef? It's good, but you can get it anywhere. All cheese sub? Do you want to lose in 2012? #5 -- a Super Sub, which is a 1, 2, 3 combo? Excessive. Might get messy.
While he's eating, I'll be listening for how New Jersey hopes to get out of its economic doldrums, with the state, one of the first to enter the Great Recession, is forecast to be among the last to get out of it. I'll also be listening for the administration's small business jobs proposals, including providing small banks with the capital and incentives to lend to small businesses for new equipment and expansion, loan guarantee programs and other initiatives that facilitate a small businesses' capacity to borrow from private lenders, creating tax incentives for small business looking to purchase new equipment or looking to expand, eliminating capital gains taxes for small business investors, and building on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the federal stimulus) that made available money for small business loans as well as reducing the fees those businesses pay for those loans.
UPDATE: Video from the president's appearance:
| Excerpt of President Barack Obamas speech in Edison |
As for what the president eats, I hope he was true to himself and ordered tuna on wheat. I like my leaders to be healthy, drive fuel-efficient vehicles, and to emphasize the "opportunity" in "photo-op."
Photo: this pool hall is right around the corner from where the president will visit today in Edison. Maybe he'll pick up a game or two.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Holocaust Exhibit at NB Free Public Library Closing With Reception
This just in from the NB Free Public Library -- BΩS
The New Brunswick Free Public Library’s current exhibition from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, “Fighting the Fires of Hate: America and the Nazi Book Burnings,” will close on August 10 after a closing reception on August 5.
The exhibition’s closing reception will be held on Thursday, August 5 at 7 PM in the library’s Carl T. Valenti Community Room. The reception will feature a lecture on the organized resistance in New Jersey to the Nazi regime, presented by Ron Becker, Head of Special Collections and University Archives at Rutgers University Libraries.
Since its opening on June 14, the exhibition has attracted more than 200 visitors from the United States and Canada, in addition to the well-attended opening reception with special guests Dr. Steven Luckert, Director of the Permanent Exhibition at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Dr. Douglas Greenberg, Executive Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University.
For more information about the exhibition or accompanying programs, please contact librarian Laura Szalaj at 732-745-5108, ext. 20 or via email to lszalaj@lmxac.org. The New Brunswick Free Public Library is located at 60 Livingston Avenue.
About the “Fighting the Fires of Hate” Exhibition
On May 10, 1933, upwards of 25,000 volumes of “un-German” books were burned in consciously staged book burnings across Germany, presaging an era of state censorship and control of culture. This exhibition examines the American reaction to the Nazi book burnings as well as the events’ evolution in film, literature and political discourse.
The exhibition is open to visitors on weekdays from 10 AM to 3 PM and Saturdays from 10 AM to 5 PM, or by appointment. The library is hosting this exhibition with generous support from New Brunswick’s Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, Magyar Bank and the Kiwanis Club of New Brunswick.
About the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The Holocaust was the state-sponsored, systematic persecution and annihilation of European Jewry by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945. Jews were the primary victims — six million were murdered; Gypsies, the mentally and physically handicapped and Poles were also targeted for destruction or decimation for racial, ethnic, or national reasons. Millions more, including homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Soviet prisoners of war and political dissidents, also suffered grievous oppression and death under Nazi tyranny.
A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to promote human dignity, confront hatred and prevent genocide. Federal support guarantees the Museum’s permanent place on the National Mall, and its far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by the generosity of donors nationwide.
For more information about the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, please call 202-488-0400 or visit the museum’s website at www.ushmm.org.
The New Brunswick Free Public Library’s current exhibition from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, “Fighting the Fires of Hate: America and the Nazi Book Burnings,” will close on August 10 after a closing reception on August 5.
The exhibition’s closing reception will be held on Thursday, August 5 at 7 PM in the library’s Carl T. Valenti Community Room. The reception will feature a lecture on the organized resistance in New Jersey to the Nazi regime, presented by Ron Becker, Head of Special Collections and University Archives at Rutgers University Libraries.
Since its opening on June 14, the exhibition has attracted more than 200 visitors from the United States and Canada, in addition to the well-attended opening reception with special guests Dr. Steven Luckert, Director of the Permanent Exhibition at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Dr. Douglas Greenberg, Executive Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University.
For more information about the exhibition or accompanying programs, please contact librarian Laura Szalaj at 732-745-5108, ext. 20 or via email to lszalaj@lmxac.org. The New Brunswick Free Public Library is located at 60 Livingston Avenue.
About the “Fighting the Fires of Hate” Exhibition
On May 10, 1933, upwards of 25,000 volumes of “un-German” books were burned in consciously staged book burnings across Germany, presaging an era of state censorship and control of culture. This exhibition examines the American reaction to the Nazi book burnings as well as the events’ evolution in film, literature and political discourse.
The exhibition is open to visitors on weekdays from 10 AM to 3 PM and Saturdays from 10 AM to 5 PM, or by appointment. The library is hosting this exhibition with generous support from New Brunswick’s Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, Magyar Bank and the Kiwanis Club of New Brunswick.
About the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The Holocaust was the state-sponsored, systematic persecution and annihilation of European Jewry by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945. Jews were the primary victims — six million were murdered; Gypsies, the mentally and physically handicapped and Poles were also targeted for destruction or decimation for racial, ethnic, or national reasons. Millions more, including homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Soviet prisoners of war and political dissidents, also suffered grievous oppression and death under Nazi tyranny.
A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to promote human dignity, confront hatred and prevent genocide. Federal support guarantees the Museum’s permanent place on the National Mall, and its far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by the generosity of donors nationwide.
For more information about the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, please call 202-488-0400 or visit the museum’s website at www.ushmm.org.
Monday, July 26, 2010
NB Library Receives 2010 Book Award Collection
Great news from the New Brunswick Free Public Library and the New Jersey Council for the Humanities:
The New Jersey Council for the Humanities has selected the New
Brunswick Free Public Library as one of five institutions to receive the
2010 Book Award Collection. The collection includes 33 titles nominated
by 22 publishing houses from across the county, demonstrating the
extraordinary breadth of the humanities and the insights of many gifted
authors. The collection includes this year’s Book Award Winner, The
Anti-Communist Manifesto: Four Books That Shaped the Cold War by John V. Fleming.
The books which will be presented in November cover a wide range of the
humanities including biographies of Yogi Berra, Governor Richard Hughes,
and Clark Clifford as well as histories of New Jersey during the
American Revolution. Other books range from a collection of Steinmetz
photos to Jewish architecture to New Jersey via its maps to Marc
Mappen's There's More to New Jersey than the Sopranos.
For more information, please contact E. Kim Adams, Archival Librarian,
at 732-745-5108, x20 or ekad1947@lmxac.org.
About the New Jersey Council for the Humanities
The New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a nonprofit organization, was
established in 1972 as the state partner of the National Endowment for
the Humanities. Its mission is to develop, support and promote projects
that explore and interpret the human experience, foster cross-cultural
understanding and engage people in dialogue about matters of individual
choice and public responsibility. It is funded primarily by the National
Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support from private
funders and, in some years, the State of New Jersey.
The New Jersey Council for the Humanities has selected the New
Brunswick Free Public Library as one of five institutions to receive the
2010 Book Award Collection. The collection includes 33 titles nominated
by 22 publishing houses from across the county, demonstrating the
extraordinary breadth of the humanities and the insights of many gifted
authors. The collection includes this year’s Book Award Winner, The
Anti-Communist Manifesto: Four Books That Shaped the Cold War by John V. Fleming.
The books which will be presented in November cover a wide range of the
humanities including biographies of Yogi Berra, Governor Richard Hughes,
and Clark Clifford as well as histories of New Jersey during the
American Revolution. Other books range from a collection of Steinmetz
photos to Jewish architecture to New Jersey via its maps to Marc
Mappen's There's More to New Jersey than the Sopranos.
For more information, please contact E. Kim Adams, Archival Librarian,
at 732-745-5108, x20 or ekad1947@lmxac.org.
About the New Jersey Council for the Humanities
The New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a nonprofit organization, was
established in 1972 as the state partner of the National Endowment for
the Humanities. Its mission is to develop, support and promote projects
that explore and interpret the human experience, foster cross-cultural
understanding and engage people in dialogue about matters of individual
choice and public responsibility. It is funded primarily by the National
Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support from private
funders and, in some years, the State of New Jersey.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The City Formerly Known As New Brunswick
In my previous post, A Crucial Vote for the Hub City, about the death of Richard B. Sellars, the one-time head of the New Brunswick, NJ-based Johnson & Johnson and a pivotal voice in keeping the corporation's world headquarters in the Hub City at a time of serious urban and economic decay, I looked (albeit superficially) at the effects of J&J's presence there.
I hinted that now, at a time when builders, retailers, and institutions are once again trending toward urban environs, and transit oriented development becoming a mainstream phrase, that it might be feasible to think that New Brunswick would have been just fine -- eventually -- without the unbelievable physical and cultural sacrifices the city made to accommodate these economic drivers like J&J, Robert Wood Johnson hospital, and Rutgers University. Acres upon acres of historic commercial districts were destroyed for suburban-style "campuses," a hotel, high-end residences, etc. In the picture above, is the foundation of the so-called "Gateway," a tower that will house very high end residences that will connect with the New Brunswick train station, as well as a Barnes & Noble. The Gateway comes at the expense of one of the last 19th-century-era commercial stretches in New Brunswick.
I get it. I get ratables and attracting business and deveopment to improve the economy. On the one hand, these days it's hard to argue with developing dense mixed-use, transit-oriented development. But it all comes at the cost of city history -- one that is now barely evident.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
A Crucial Vote for the Hub City
Richard B. Sellars, the former head of Johnson & Johnson died this week at 94. His was a crucial voice in keeping the health care conglomerate in the Hub City, and arguably the reason New Brunswick, NJ is, in fact, known as the "Hub City." Just the second person outside the Johnson family to head J&J, Sellars recognized the company's commitment to its original host city, particularly when company's board of trustees was leaning toward moving the company out of New Brunswick during the city's economic nadir in the 80s; and at a time when businesses and housing were trending toward the suburbs.The New York Times, in its obituary, referenced a 1984 interview with Sellars where he recognized the importance of J&J investing in New Brunswick:
“It was apparent even then that we had a commitment to New Brunswick that we couldn’t run away from,” Mr. Sellars said in a 1984 interview. “The survival of our country depends on the survival of its cities, so we’d all better get involved in cleaning them up.”
Of course, anyone familiar with New Brunswick knows the value of Johnson & Johnson's presence, but also the significant sacrifices the city made at a time when there was little political pressure to preserve the city's historical layout and buildings, as indicated in the picture above. There, the signature IM Pei building in the background and the fallowed land in the foreground that is now home to the Hyatt New Brunswick, were once major commercial districts. The sprawl development that resulted was heralded as urban reinvestment, but it would have looked the same in suburbia. The J&J campus and the Hyatt are colossal wastes of urban land.
These days, there are several major economic drivers in New Brunswick that remain committed to the city, but there continues to be little regard to the city's historic character -- character that was, in part, established by the institutions that remain.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Cap 2.5 Is Propaganda, But It Should Get Towns Thinking About Consolidation -- For the Right Reasons
People who live in towns that they absolutely love are lucky. They are lucky for a number of reasons, but from a policy standpoint, they are lucky that they get to be completely sentimental, often to the point of being irrational, when it comes influencing policy. They are lucky because they have a voice and get to drive the town council nuts and have it actually produce results (unlike places like, say, New Brunswick, where driving City Hall nuts more often than not results in being stifled, harassed, shut out, etc.).
This could be wrong, but I would say that most residents of New Jersey's 566 municipalities would agree that there are several instances where it would make cultural, financial, and geographical sense for two adjacent towns to consolidate governments, police departments, fire departments, public works, and so on. I would also say that just slightly more than half of those residents would say that their town should NOT consolidate with the adjacent town. This is just my sense -- also, it's a sense based more on a pre-Great Recession and BC (Before Christie) mindset and less on new economic realities.
As governor, Jon Corzine recognized that certain towns needed to consolidate, but he never really made an aggressive case. He formed the Local Unit Alignment, Reorganization, and Consolidation Commission (yawn) that was charged to:
This Byzantine mission statement is more that most of us can swallow, and resulted in kind of pushing for consolidating "the two Berlins" (not sure if that was more for symbolic purposes) and encouraged shared services between municipalities. LUARCC still exists, but while the state's Department of Community Affairs (the department that oversees LUARCC) remains in transition under the new Christie administration, it's unclear how the consolidation commission will proceed.
In the meantime, Governor Christie's tax caps, budget slashing, and overall disregard for tactful legislating will more likely than not result in towns making those tough decisions, including consolidation, that were once considered a luxury; pragmatic, but luxurious nonetheless. A quick aside: the governor's braggadocio and blind ideals do him no favors and will likely keep him from being at the helm of any real progress.
Brian Donohue from The Star-Ledger validates many of the pro-consolidation ideas documented in the late, great Alan Karcher's Multiple Municipal Madness in this NJ.com video clip. In it, you'll see some clips of Gov. Christie making some pretty good arguments in favor of municipal consolidation, using his native Mendham Township and Borough as an example of two municipalities that suffer from duplication of services, including two libraries and two school boards, not to mention two separate governments, police departments, etc.
When I covered the Princetons as a reporter for the local paper there, I came to understand several important things about consolidation. First, the idea that so-called doughnut towns -- both the hole and doughnut as is the case with Princeton Township (doughnut) and Princeton Borough (hole) -- share a community is kind of bogus. I mean, the Princetons share far more than other doughnut towns like Metuchen Borough and Edison Township, and Highland Park and Edison Township, and any other town swallowed by the mammoth, sprawling, Edison Township (once part of the even mammoth-er Raritan Township). But for the most part, the people living in Princeton Township and Princeton Borough are different. They do, however, share schools and a library, which, culturally speaking, is very important.
Second, as Donohue points out in his video, most arguments against consolidation are sentimental. Some very vocal groups would create specious arguments against consolidation, but those were fundamentally based on a desire to remain as two towns, just because. There are no good arguments against consolidating smaller towns like the Princetons.
Third, I will always remember something the current mayor of Princeton Borough, Mayor Mildred Trotman, said when she came into office: that consolidation would probably not be explicit, but that the towns would eventually "backdoor into consolidation." While the state does need to be more aggressive in getting towns to merge, especially towns that don't have as much in common as the Princetons do, her approach makes sense here.
Sadly, it appears that Gov. Christie's setting a 2.5 percent tax cap, while resonating well with make-believe penny-pinchers, exploits the genuine beliefs of mayors like Trotman. The tax cap is mostly propaganda, because towns have mandated expenses and contractural pay increases that exceed 2.5 percent are not addressed by the 2.5 percent cap and that those increases continue to mount, regardless who crafts the municipal budget.
Anyway, Governor Christie is speaking out against a "top-down" mandate to consolidation, but it's exactly what he's doing. That's not to say consolidation is not a fantastic, cost-cutting idea that increases efficiency and potentially improves public safety and schools, but starving towns of funds to force them to make potentially unsustainable, and life-changing decisions, is beyond reckless.
This could be wrong, but I would say that most residents of New Jersey's 566 municipalities would agree that there are several instances where it would make cultural, financial, and geographical sense for two adjacent towns to consolidate governments, police departments, fire departments, public works, and so on. I would also say that just slightly more than half of those residents would say that their town should NOT consolidate with the adjacent town. This is just my sense -- also, it's a sense based more on a pre-Great Recession and BC (Before Christie) mindset and less on new economic realities.
As governor, Jon Corzine recognized that certain towns needed to consolidate, but he never really made an aggressive case. He formed the Local Unit Alignment, Reorganization, and Consolidation Commission (yawn) that was charged to:
"Study and report on the structure and functions of county and municipal government. This effort includes the study of local taxing districts and their statutory basis. It also includes the fiscal relationship between local governments, and the appropriate allocation of service delivery responsibilities from the standpoint of efficiency"
This Byzantine mission statement is more that most of us can swallow, and resulted in kind of pushing for consolidating "the two Berlins" (not sure if that was more for symbolic purposes) and encouraged shared services between municipalities. LUARCC still exists, but while the state's Department of Community Affairs (the department that oversees LUARCC) remains in transition under the new Christie administration, it's unclear how the consolidation commission will proceed.
In the meantime, Governor Christie's tax caps, budget slashing, and overall disregard for tactful legislating will more likely than not result in towns making those tough decisions, including consolidation, that were once considered a luxury; pragmatic, but luxurious nonetheless. A quick aside: the governor's braggadocio and blind ideals do him no favors and will likely keep him from being at the helm of any real progress.
Brian Donohue from The Star-Ledger validates many of the pro-consolidation ideas documented in the late, great Alan Karcher's Multiple Municipal Madness in this NJ.com video clip. In it, you'll see some clips of Gov. Christie making some pretty good arguments in favor of municipal consolidation, using his native Mendham Township and Borough as an example of two municipalities that suffer from duplication of services, including two libraries and two school boards, not to mention two separate governments, police departments, etc.
| Gov. Christie hopes Cap 2.5 will force town consolidation |
When I covered the Princetons as a reporter for the local paper there, I came to understand several important things about consolidation. First, the idea that so-called doughnut towns -- both the hole and doughnut as is the case with Princeton Township (doughnut) and Princeton Borough (hole) -- share a community is kind of bogus. I mean, the Princetons share far more than other doughnut towns like Metuchen Borough and Edison Township, and Highland Park and Edison Township, and any other town swallowed by the mammoth, sprawling, Edison Township (once part of the even mammoth-er Raritan Township). But for the most part, the people living in Princeton Township and Princeton Borough are different. They do, however, share schools and a library, which, culturally speaking, is very important.
Second, as Donohue points out in his video, most arguments against consolidation are sentimental. Some very vocal groups would create specious arguments against consolidation, but those were fundamentally based on a desire to remain as two towns, just because. There are no good arguments against consolidating smaller towns like the Princetons.
Third, I will always remember something the current mayor of Princeton Borough, Mayor Mildred Trotman, said when she came into office: that consolidation would probably not be explicit, but that the towns would eventually "backdoor into consolidation." While the state does need to be more aggressive in getting towns to merge, especially towns that don't have as much in common as the Princetons do, her approach makes sense here.
Sadly, it appears that Gov. Christie's setting a 2.5 percent tax cap, while resonating well with make-believe penny-pinchers, exploits the genuine beliefs of mayors like Trotman. The tax cap is mostly propaganda, because towns have mandated expenses and contractural pay increases that exceed 2.5 percent are not addressed by the 2.5 percent cap and that those increases continue to mount, regardless who crafts the municipal budget.
Anyway, Governor Christie is speaking out against a "top-down" mandate to consolidation, but it's exactly what he's doing. That's not to say consolidation is not a fantastic, cost-cutting idea that increases efficiency and potentially improves public safety and schools, but starving towns of funds to force them to make potentially unsustainable, and life-changing decisions, is beyond reckless.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Rewarded for Mediocrity?
Never really gave it much thought, but just found out that you can't create a save situation yourself, that is, if you come in to close out a game with your team up by three runs or fewer, if you give up a few runs to fall within that margin, it doesn't turn into a save if your team still wins. Basically, even if your team wins, you don't necessarily get rewarded for mediocrity. I like this.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Mets Classics
With tonight's rainout, SNY showed a "Mets Classic" from 6/11/05, the Mets' first over-.500 season since 2001. In this game, in the top of the 10th, after Carlos Beltran, two months in to a dismal season to kick off his seven-year contract with the team, and Mike PIazza struck out, Cliff Floyd came to bat. Floyd, a fan favorite who was always either a little or a lot injured, came to bat, got to two strikes and crushed a foul ball. He then fouled off two more pitches before sending one over the right-center fence, just to the base of the scoreboard, to the right of the homerun Apple.
Those were the days when hopes were brightening anew, the Piazza era was coming to a close, and no one knew the anguish and high-end futility that would define the ensuing seasons. Nonetheless, I was a little emotional seeing Cliffy win it in the 10th.
Every damn Yankees Classic is a World Series game. The Mets' classic games are usually insignificant, but scrappy blue collar wins, usually staring forgotten heroes (or Mike Piazza). I prefer the Mets when they're scrappy and bad, and not expected to win. I never went to more games than I did between 2002 and 2005. Empty Shea, so many great seats for cheap. Good times.
Those were the days when hopes were brightening anew, the Piazza era was coming to a close, and no one knew the anguish and high-end futility that would define the ensuing seasons. Nonetheless, I was a little emotional seeing Cliffy win it in the 10th.
Every damn Yankees Classic is a World Series game. The Mets' classic games are usually insignificant, but scrappy blue collar wins, usually staring forgotten heroes (or Mike Piazza). I prefer the Mets when they're scrappy and bad, and not expected to win. I never went to more games than I did between 2002 and 2005. Empty Shea, so many great seats for cheap. Good times.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Did He Hear a Goodbye?
Some music is so good that sometimes, fairly often (because I listen to the best music. Just sayin'), I listen and lose breath for one of two reasons: 1) sometimes stuff is just beautiful, or 2) I desperately wish I were writing, performing, or singing that song.
There are some artists that do both: the Beatles is an obvious one, particularly when it comes to poppier fare like "And Your Bird Can Sing" (though that's no easy pop song) or Mean Mr. Mustard (though Lennon considered that one a toss-away. We should all be so lucky to sit under the table as John Lennon tosses us musical scraps). David Bowie is another one with Mick Ronson, doing his best VU, strumming Queen Bitch or, even better, Carlos Alomar laying down a funky, proggy riff on TVC15. These types of songs are the class of their genre, but like any great pop song, don't feel particularly complicated, though they might be and often are.
I don't play any instruments. I stopped playing piano when I was 15 and I bought a guitar when I was 31. Much to my son's delight, I figured out how to one-note (with zero technique) the chorus to the Moody Blues' "Driftwood" (don't ask me why I chose that one. It was in my head at the time). I even did my best Justin Hayward over my labored performance, but the guitar mostly collects dust. It's actually near me right now.
But then there is that singing. I can hold a note well, and have no real range to speak of (10 note? Low to middle C when it's humid?), but I have a great ear I'm tellin' ya'. I have relative pitch, and I can nail a harmony without hesitation, so naturally I'm drawn to harmonies. Crosby, Stills & Nash's harmonies have been described as a "miracle," and while I can't say that with any certainty, their vocal arrangements, largely assembled by Stephen Stills, fulfill my two emotional criteria.
Helplessly Hoping.
Two minutes and 37 seconds of subtle brilliance. The whole thing starts off perfectly like any Stephen Stills acoustic workout: four measures of A minor, C, G, & D, and then the vocals:
"Helplessly hoping her harlequin hovers nearby, awaiting a word." People might roll their eyes that the alliteration, which is punctuated by a muscular delivery of "hovers nearby." I love it.
Stephen Stills and Graham Nash are couched nicely in the right channel while David Crosby -- a singer whose phenomenal quality of voice is usually beyond (at least my) description -- is perched on display in the left. Stills is singing melody (the low part) in the middle until the word "nearby," when he and Crosby, who up to this point was singing the middle part, blend for an instant and Crosby continues to ascend, taking over the melody, finishing "awaiting a word" in the lead.
What I'm pointing out is no revelation, of course. What made CSN legendary were their miracle vocals, and the way those vocals are woven and arranged, and how Stills and Crosby constantly interchange, swap, and invert their parts to point where you often can't tell who is singing what anymore. Nash, with his falsetto, is usually identifiable, but he and Crosby often cross lanes here and there.
We're only at 25 seconds now.
"Gasping at glimpses of gentle true spirit, he runs, wishing he could fly." Basically the same as before with Crosby taking over the melody at "wishing he could fly," but this time with an added "only to trip at the sound of goodbye," where Stills slides back into the melody and the "bye" elongated .
"Wordlessly watching he waits by the window and wonders, at the empty place inside." Same as the first verse, but the second half of "window" is punctuated by Crosby, making it very clear where he once again takes over the melody.
"Heartlessly helping himself to her bad dreams he worries: Did he hear a goodbye or even hello?" The "hello" is sustained by Nash and Crosby while Stills takes it into the song's break, first singing solo on "They are one person," and then joined by Nash on "They are two, alone," and finally Crosby fills it out for "they are three together. They are four (for) each other."
Man I do wish I were singing this song.
There are some artists that do both: the Beatles is an obvious one, particularly when it comes to poppier fare like "And Your Bird Can Sing" (though that's no easy pop song) or Mean Mr. Mustard (though Lennon considered that one a toss-away. We should all be so lucky to sit under the table as John Lennon tosses us musical scraps). David Bowie is another one with Mick Ronson, doing his best VU, strumming Queen Bitch or, even better, Carlos Alomar laying down a funky, proggy riff on TVC15. These types of songs are the class of their genre, but like any great pop song, don't feel particularly complicated, though they might be and often are.
I don't play any instruments. I stopped playing piano when I was 15 and I bought a guitar when I was 31. Much to my son's delight, I figured out how to one-note (with zero technique) the chorus to the Moody Blues' "Driftwood" (don't ask me why I chose that one. It was in my head at the time). I even did my best Justin Hayward over my labored performance, but the guitar mostly collects dust. It's actually near me right now.
But then there is that singing. I can hold a note well, and have no real range to speak of (10 note? Low to middle C when it's humid?), but I have a great ear I'm tellin' ya'. I have relative pitch, and I can nail a harmony without hesitation, so naturally I'm drawn to harmonies. Crosby, Stills & Nash's harmonies have been described as a "miracle," and while I can't say that with any certainty, their vocal arrangements, largely assembled by Stephen Stills, fulfill my two emotional criteria.
Helplessly Hoping.
Two minutes and 37 seconds of subtle brilliance. The whole thing starts off perfectly like any Stephen Stills acoustic workout: four measures of A minor, C, G, & D, and then the vocals:
"Helplessly hoping her harlequin hovers nearby, awaiting a word." People might roll their eyes that the alliteration, which is punctuated by a muscular delivery of "hovers nearby." I love it.
Stephen Stills and Graham Nash are couched nicely in the right channel while David Crosby -- a singer whose phenomenal quality of voice is usually beyond (at least my) description -- is perched on display in the left. Stills is singing melody (the low part) in the middle until the word "nearby," when he and Crosby, who up to this point was singing the middle part, blend for an instant and Crosby continues to ascend, taking over the melody, finishing "awaiting a word" in the lead.
What I'm pointing out is no revelation, of course. What made CSN legendary were their miracle vocals, and the way those vocals are woven and arranged, and how Stills and Crosby constantly interchange, swap, and invert their parts to point where you often can't tell who is singing what anymore. Nash, with his falsetto, is usually identifiable, but he and Crosby often cross lanes here and there.
We're only at 25 seconds now.
"Gasping at glimpses of gentle true spirit, he runs, wishing he could fly." Basically the same as before with Crosby taking over the melody at "wishing he could fly," but this time with an added "only to trip at the sound of goodbye," where Stills slides back into the melody and the "bye" elongated .
"Wordlessly watching he waits by the window and wonders, at the empty place inside." Same as the first verse, but the second half of "window" is punctuated by Crosby, making it very clear where he once again takes over the melody.
"Heartlessly helping himself to her bad dreams he worries: Did he hear a goodbye or even hello?" The "hello" is sustained by Nash and Crosby while Stills takes it into the song's break, first singing solo on "They are one person," and then joined by Nash on "They are two, alone," and finally Crosby fills it out for "they are three together. They are four (for) each other."
Man I do wish I were singing this song.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Yes at the Wellmont
A clip of Yes playing Yours is No Disgrace at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ, February 16, 2010. Steve Howe's amazing.
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