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Mayor's Message:
Make the Holiday's Happy
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Greetings,
The holiday season is officially in full swing. From tamales to fruitcakes, to latkes, to plantains and rice – carefully prepared food has already or will soon be piling up on many of our plates. Dreidels have spun across tables; colorful presents sit under brightly decorated trees.; families have come together to discuss the principles of Kwanzaa, and countless other traditions are occurring in each home of our beautifully diverse city. But whether we are lighting a menorah or turning on a Christmas tree, we are doing it with the ones we love. The laughter that fills our home, the surprise of unwrapping an unexpected present, the nostalgic smell of dishes from our childhood – none of that is possible without love. None of that is possible without our family and friends.
Unfortunately, even amid plenty, some in our community still won't have presents to unwrap, a home-cooked meal, or even heat to keep them warm. During this happy time of the year, I ask once again that you remember those who are struggling. We should endeavor to extend the spirit of this season to every member of our community. Our concern for others shouldn't be limited to those living within our homes or close to our hearts.
Kindness does not have to come at a cost. It can look like donating the cans of food that have been taking up space in your pantry, but you know you’ll never use them. It can look like cleaning out your closet and giving long unused or never used articles of clothing to someone you know that needs it. It can look like donating your time to one of the many soup kitchens that we have here in Plainfield. Friends, it can even look like giving a smile to the stranger on the street and wishing them a “good day.” Let’s continue to practice kindness and concern during this season of brother and sisterhood. Let’s continue to love each other and #LovePlainfield.
#LovePlainfield #AmoPlainfield.
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Creating One Plainfield. One Future | | |
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Mayor Adrian O. Mapp
City of Plainfield
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Mensaje Del Alcalde:
Haz feliz la Temporada Navideña
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Saludos,
La temporada navideña está oficialmente aquí. Todo tipo de comida - desde tamales hasta pasteles de frutas, latkes, y tostones y arroz - ya se ha acumulado o pronto se acumulará en muchos de nuestros platos. Los Dreidels han girado sobre las mesas, los regalos se sientan bajo árboles brillantemente decorados, las familias se han reunido para discutir los principios de Kwanza, y muchas más tradiciones están ocurriendo en cada hogar de nuestra ciudad bellamente diversa. Pero ya sea que estemos encendiendo una menorá o encendiendo un árbol de Navidad, lo estamos haciendo con las personas en nuestras vidas que amamos. La risa que llena nuestro hogar, la sorpresa de desenvolver un regalo inesperado, el olor nostálgico de los platos de nuestra infancia - nada de esto es posible sin amor, nada de eso es posible sin nuestras familias y amigos.
Desafortunadamente, en medio de la abundancia, hay vecinos en nuestra comunidad que no tendrán regalos, una comida casera o calor para mantenerlos calientes. Durante este tiempo de inmensa alegría, les pido una vez más que piensen en aquellos que están con menos. El espíritu de la temporada de dar debe extenderse a todos los miembros de nuestra comunidad. Nuestra preocupación por los demás no debe limitarse a aquellos que viven dentro de las paredes de nuestros hogares.
La amabilidad no tiene que tener un costo. Podría donar esas latas de comida que han estado ocupando espacio en su despensa por demasiado tiempo y sabe que nunca las usara. Podría limpiar su armario y donar la ropa que no ha usado en mucho tiempo a alguien que lo necesita. Podría donar su tiempo a los muchos comedores de beneficencia que tenemos aquí en Plainfield. Amigos, incluso podría darle una sonrisa al extraño en la calle y desearle unos "buenos días". Sigamos practicando la amistad y camaradería durante esta temporada de fraternidad. Juntos, sigamos amando a Plainfield. #AmoPlainfield
#LovePlainfield #AmoPlainfield.
Creando Un Plainfield. Un Futuro.
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Alcalde Adrian O. Mapp
Ciudad de Plainfield
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A Holiday Message From
Mayor Adrian O. Mapp
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Mayor's Roundtable on COVID-19 | |
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On Friday, December 16, 2022, Plainfield Mayor Adrian O. Mapp participated in the Mayors' Roundtable on the COVID-19 Pandemic: Policies and Practices for the Future hosted by Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh at Passaic County Community College.
The roundtable featured Mayors, city officials, and healthcare providers from some of the state's most diverse municipalities. It was an opportunity for participants to share their experiences with COVID-19 while in their positions of leadership. During this discussion, Mayor Mapp discussed the challenges that Plainfield faced during the pandemic and the difficulties encountered by Black and Brown communities specifically.
Participants offered recommendations to address health concerns in the future and the insight of the panel will be submitted with the New Jersey COVID-19 Pandemic Task Force on Racial and Health Disparities for their submission to the NJ State Legislature.
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On December 21, 2022, Plainfield continued its mission to support its residents during the season of giving as Mayor Mapp and the City Council joined together to hold the Annual Ham drive at the Senior Center. Thank you to all the volunteers who braved the cold to ensure our seniors got a little something extra to make their holiday special. | |
RECAP | Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for
Mamajuana Cafe
December 19, 2022
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On Monday, December 19, 2022, Plainfield hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to welcome its newest restaurant, Mamajuana Café. Local representatives, family, and friends gathered to celebrate the newest addition to Plainfield’s extensive list of dining establishments. Featured speakers included Mayor Adrian O. Mapp, Director of Economic Development Zenobia Fields, Council President Barry N. Goode, and Owner Erick Garcia and his family.
At the grand opening, Mayor Mapp said, “Plainfield has long waited to see a restaurant like this re-open its doors here. An open, inviting restaurant with the capacity to serve large groups without feeling crowded and with the classic ambiance we see here. This is a giant step toward what we envision in terms of entertainment, dining, and the overall transformation of our city while changing the social experiences of those who live here and those who want to come here.”
Serving as a testament to the American Dream and the hard-working immigrant presence in Plainfield, Mamajuana Cafe’s newest location is a heartwarming tribute to the owner’s father. Edison Garcia immigrated from Ecuador to the United States at 18 in the late 1980s. He became inspired by the dream of becoming a local business owner and felt passionate about opening one here in the Queen City. Edison successfully opened up multiple local businesses in Plainfield, including Faraones Night Club.
Known to all as a hard-working family man, he was also a proud Plainfield man. His daughter Daisy said, “Plainfield is my dad’s city. He loved Plainfield and loved attending city events. He always wanted to give back, and we wanted to be the same way. That's why we chose Plainfield. This is our home.” Sadly, Edison passed away last year. But his commitment to his city and his entrepreneurial spirit lives on in his children and Mamajuana Café.
Mamajuana Café is located at 44 Watchung Avenue in Plainfield. It is open Monday – Thursday, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Friday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 2 a.m.
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RECAP | Plainfield High School and Santa Visit the Senior Center
December 16, 2022
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On Friday, December 16th, the Plainfield High School choir and the band visited the Senior Center to spread some Holiday Cheer and perform some songs of the season. Making a special appearance was Council President Barry Goode as Santa Claus. Thankfully, everyone was on Santa's nice list, and every senior and performer left with a gift to add to the collection under their tree! | |
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Check out our City's Commercial:
"Welcome to Plainfield"
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¿ How Do You Show Love for Plainfield? | |
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Watch our 2022 Love PlainfieldCommercial!
" The Queen City is Love"
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2022 Fall Newsletter
"Where We Were. Where We Are. Where We're Going."
Click the image to read it virtually!
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A MESSAGE FROM UNION COUNTY:
New COVID-19 Bivalent Booster Shots Now Available for Infants and Young Children in Union County
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The Union County Board of County Commissioners advises Union County parents and caregivers that new bivalent COVID-19 booster shots are now available at County-run clinics for infants and young children, beginning at 6 months of age.
Parents and caregivers are strongly advised to ensure that infants and young children are vaccinated and boosted as soon as they are age-eligible.
“The bivalent booster formula protects against the both the original and the Omicron strains of the COVID-19 virus, helping to save lives and prevent severe health outcomes. By offering the new formula at our clinics, we continue to build on our efforts to provide the Union County community with the latest resources for protecting themselves and their families during the pandemic,” said Union County Commissioner Chair Rebecca L. Williams.
Union County’s free COVID-19 clinics began dispensing the bivalent booster formula for adults and older children earlier this year.
Union County also continues to provide free COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots for all eligible age groups at two clinics in Plainfield and Roselle.
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A MESSAGE FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY:
Murphy Administration Highlights Public Health Preparedness for Winter Months
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TRENTON – With multiple respiratory viruses currently circulating throughout the state, the Murphy Administration continues to monitor the situation and support New Jersey’s public health system as the winter months approach. Residents are encouraged to take the necessary precautions to keep themselves and their loved ones healthy in advance of many upcoming holiday gatherings.
"My Administration remains vigilant in monitoring the viruses currently circulating here in New Jersey and will continue to offer support to our hospitals and health care providers as necessary,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “The data and tools now available to us and the ongoing investments we are making in our public health infrastructure have better prepared us to address the public health needs of our state. Particularly as we enter the winter months and holiday gatherings take place over the next few weeks, I encourage residents to help keep themselves and their communities safe by taking simple precautions of their own, from getting vaccinated to staying home if they are sick.”
“The lessons we learned and the tools we developed during the past two-plus years of the COVID-19 pandemic, including improved surveillance mechanisms, have prepared us operationally in responding to this season’s uptick in respiratory viruses sending many of our residents to emergency departments across the state,” said New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. “Being proactive in staying healthy is a collective effort and we all need to play our part to avoid a surge that could strain our health care system early in the new year.”
The New Jersey Department of Health continues to use data reported by health care settings and local health departments to monitor hospital capacity and disease progression, including daily cases of COVID-19 and influenza throughout the state. The Department is also maintaining regular contact with hospital leaders to understand their capacity to treat patients – particularly in pediatric units, which are seeing greater numbers of children with Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV) this year.
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A MESSAGE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE:
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness
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On Monday, December 19th, 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration released All In: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, which sets a bold but achievable goal to reduce homelessness 25 percent by 2025. The plan is the most ambitious effort by any administration to prevent people from becoming homeless, address inequities that disproportionately impact underserved communities, including people of color and other marginalized groups, and help cities and states reduce unsheltered homelessness. To reach that goal, All In outlines new strategies to prevent homelessness and increase the supply of housing with supportive services. These strategies build on the proven “Housing First” model— an approach where housing is the first step to a better, safer, and healthier life and serves as a platform for providing services so that people can stay housed. All In also sets the foundation for new initiatives, including one to reduce unsheltered homelessness in a cohort of geographically diverse communities that is being announced today.
In the plan, President Biden calls on state and local governments to set their own goals for 2025 and to use All In as a blueprint for addressing homelessness in their communities. “My plan offers a roadmap for not only getting people into housing but also ensuring that they have access to the support, services, and income that allow them to thrive,” said President Biden. “It is a plan that is grounded in the best evidence and aims to improve equity and strengthen collaboration at all levels.”
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HELP US TAKE CARE OF OUR CITY!
DOWNLOAD THE REPORT- IT APP
Available in IOS and Android Mobile Phones
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Exercise your civic duty-- be the eyes and ears of our City! Your reports can greatly increase the quality of life in our Plainfield community. Let's work together to keep our city safe- If you see it, say it with ReportIt. | |
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Use the app, or text
reportit to 63975
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Mayor Adrian O. Mapp and the City of Plainfield are committed to making it as easy as possible to report concerns in our city. To that end, we've partnered with REPORT IT, which is now live in Plainfield and ready to be used as an important supplemental reporting tool.
Report it makes community reporting easier than ever! Residents and visitors can download the app by scanning the barcode above or by going to your phone's app store. Your reports will be submitted to the appropriate City department to be resolved.
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Call us at: 908.753.3015 or
E:communications@plainfieldnj.gov
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|THE CITY OF PLAINFIELD NJ|
515 WATCHUNG AVENUE | 908-753-3310| MONDAY-FRIDAY | 9 A.M.- 5 P.M.|
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Creating One Plainfield. One Future. | | | | |
