On Tuesday, June 2, 2015, I attended the Rainbow PUSH Wall Street Project & City of Newark Economic Summit held at Rutgers University's Paul Robeson Campus Center in Newark.  The event, hosted by Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. and Mayor Ras J. Baraka, brought together corporate executives, small business owners, entrepreneurs, academics, and community and faith leaders. "PUSHing Technology to Achieve Economic Success" was the theme of this one-day statewide summit.  I was honored to participate in a mayoral panel discussion on economic issues alongside Hillside Mayor Angela R. Garretson, Clinton Mayor Janice Kovach, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, and Logan Township Mayor Frank Minor.

In New Jersey, nine municipalities have adopted the Earned Sick Day ordinances.  I believe in protecting workers and ensuring public health through this ordinance.  The ordinance would allow for the right of workers to earn sick days to care for themselves and their families.  To learn more about this ordinance,      I urge you to attend a meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 9th, at the First Unitarian Society of Plainfield on Park Ave.

Click Here for More Information on Earned Sick Days

Plainfield Senior Center Upcoming Activities:

 

U. C. SENIOR ART SHOW & RECEPTION
The Union County Senior Art Show invites all senior artists to a reception at the NUI/Elizabethtown Gas Company in Union, NJ on Wednesday, June 10th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The art show is open to Union County residents ages 60 and over. To obtain an application, see Colin Baptiste. The exhibit lasts from Monday, June 1st to Monday, July 13th.

JUNETEENTH & FATHERS' DAY CELEBRATION
June 19, 1865, Juneteenth, is a celebration commemorating the arrival of Union soldiers at  Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were free. The center will commemorate this event on Friday, June 19th at 11:00 a.m. Please see Sharron Brown if you would like to join the Juneteenth committee to help make the event a success. We will also honor our fathers and grandfathers with a special BBQ as part of the Juneteenth celebration.

MONMOUTH PARK RACETRACK
The center is traveling to Monmouth Park Racetrack on Saturday, June 20th at 11:00 a.m. to enjoy an afternoon of horse racing. You must leave a $2 deposit to reserve your seat. Come and enjoy the thrill of the track!

92ND ANNUAL FOURTH OF JULY PARADE
Come enjoy the 92nd Annual Fourth of July parade on Saturday, July 4th at 10:00 a.m. Later, enjoy a free concert in Cedar Brook Park at 5:30 p.m., followed by a fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend. Please bring your own lawn chair to relax.

UNION COUNTY VEGETABLE VOUCHER
The Union County Aging and Disability Resource Connection will be at the center on Wednesday, July 29th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon to distribute food vouchers to Union County residents ages 60 and over. Please bring proof of residency and current income with you. You will receive four vouchers totaling $20.00.

Please Note: Social Security no longer provides a representative at the center. Your membership must be current in order to receive a voucher. 

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Award 

Your safety is a main priority of my administration, and providing our firefighters with the resources and proper equipment is paramount. I am pleased to announce that the Plainfield Fire Division has been awarded a $250,000 Hazard Mitigation Grant from the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM). The NJOEM controls the disbursement of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds from FEMA. The funds will be used to purchase and install one (1) permanent diesel-powered generator system at the Plainfield Fire Headquarters, located at 315 Central Avenue.  This will provide backup power in times of outages to ensure continuity of services for the Office of Emergency Management, Fire Station, First Responders and Emergency Medical Technicians.

Free Job Training - Project Ready

Project Ready will be accepting applications for its free six-week job preparedness program on July 7 at 9:30.  Students receive training in basic business and computer skills as well as resume writing, interviewing & job searching techniques. Project Ready is located within St. Joseph Social Service Center at 118 Division St. in Elizabeth. For more information please call (908) 353-1045 x 213 or visit www.stjosephelizabeth.org

Job Seekers - Click on Link Below for a Listing of Local Job Fairs

Click Here for Listing of Local Job Fairs

Planning Board Update

North Ave. Progress

On May 21 the Planning Board granted preliminary site plan approval to allow for the conversion of the existing structure at 122-128 East Second Street / 127-135 North Avenue from vacant retail and office use to 4,000 square feet of commercial space on the first floor, and 5 residential apartments on the second floor. 

Zoning Board of Adjustment Update

 The Zoning Board of Adjustment had a busy agenda on June 3, 2015, with ten cases - ranging from relief to permit signage, residential pool and additions, to auto repair and auto towing operations, and the creation of a six unit apartment building on West Front Street.

 

Plainfield Graduating Class of 2015

Plainfield Public Schools, Superintendent of Schools, Anna Belin-Pyles, and the Plainfield Board of Education will honor the graduating Class of 2015, at the Annual Clearinghouse Scholarship Awards & Senior Recognition Program, on Monday, June 8, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. at Plainfield High School. The students will receive over $100,000 in scholarships offered by organizations and community businesses who donate every year. These Awards/Scholarships allow our students to supplement their higher education costs. We thank all the sponsors and the organizers for a Great Job Done!

Athletic Awards

Plainfield High School will celebrate the 2014-2015 Spring Sports Athletic Awards Ceremony and Reception on Tuesday, June 9, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. Yvonne Sheard, District Supervisor of Athletics will preside at the event with the assistance of Superintendent of Schools, Anna Belin-Pyles and members of the Board of Education.

Events

Our Schools will be celebrating end of the year events that include the following:

? June 5 thru 6  - The Play, "Annie Jr." by student actors and crew at Cook School, 739 Leland Avenue. VIP Tickets $10. Saturday, June 6 Matinee at 2:00 p.m.

? June 6 - Jefferson School will inaugurate their "School Garden" with volunteers from Goldman Sachs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

? June 6 - Maxson School PTO Fundraiser, "Deposit your Closet", donate your  clothes and shoes to raise funds for the students. The event will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

? June 7  - Evergreen students will be participating in "Devil's Day" at Prudential Center in the City of Newark to celebrate "Achievement in Academics." Mrs. Knight's Class was invited.

? June 11 - Cedarbrook School will be paying tribute to the music of the 60s with a student production, "The Sensational 60s Rhythm and Blues Tribute" at 6:00 p.m.

? June 11 - Woodland School will sponsor PTO Dance at 6:00 p.m.

? June 11 - Early Childhood Program & Services sponsors - P.I.E.C.E.S. Parent Recognition Event -at 5:30 p.m. at BUF

? June 15 thru June 17 - our schools will celebrate promotional events and school awards and graduation ceremonies.

? June 19 - Plainfield Public School Commencement Exercises for the Class of 2015, at Hub Stine Sports Complex, 1410 Randolph Rd., at 6:00 p.m. (rain location PHS Gymnasium).

Last Day of School

Last day of school for Plainfield Public School will be June 19, 2015. Last day for Teachers is June 23, 2015.

Frontiers International Westry Horne Cultural and Heritage Series:

The purpose of the Frontiers International Westry Horne Cultural and Heritage Series is to educate and provide space for intergenerational  

dialogues on topics of African American history and culture.

  

Click Here for Complete Schedule

Resources to Help You Expand Your New Jersey Business

Sprint and Verizon Agree to Illegal Billing Pay-Backs
Mobile Carriers Will Refund Current and Former Customers

Sprint and Verizon Wireless customers: You may be entitled to refunds for illegal charges "crammed" onto your bills over the past five years.
Both companies have agreed to pay back customers for letting third-party vendors charge them for unauthorized services like premium SMS or text messaging.

If you don't know whether you were billed for these services or not, you can view summaries of your charges on the claim submissions websites starting in July. Former customers may apply. See this Consumer Financial Protection Bureau blog post for the details.