What is the Line?

This morning I was asked a very important question about the "line" on election ballots. This was my response. Readers should be aware of the fact that Facebook would not allow me to post the following response on my own profile page. This is the reason that you see it here. The 1st Amendment is still in effect in America.

Reader friendly text of The Bill of Rights

The average person misses the single most important detail in voting. That is the position of the candidate on the ballot. For example, both democratic candidates for 4th Ward council should have been on line 2 clearly showing them as Democrats. The voters should have been instructed to vote for 1. That would have been a true representation of the fair and Democratic process. (taking into consideration that each candidate should have done all that is required to get on the ballot in the first place) Folks who control this know that the average person will complete the process the easy way. As in the general election, they go straight down the line. Most people think that if you are off the line there is something wrong, that you are not a Democrat. People do not understand the significance of what people in the green party are fighting to protect. Even worse, society has taught the aveage person that people off the line might be some type of subversive saboteur of the democratic process. In school board elections, a person with no backing may win if placed on line 1. The further down the line you go the more financial backing you need. 

Now let us get to SEEK. School board elections are supposed to be non partisan. (this means that the candidates do not have to declare party affiliation. A deeper meaning is that no one candidate should be a fanatical follower of any one organization. That is one definition of partisan. SEEK is the very good example of that type of organization. Candidates must deny and detach themselves from all other groups in order to get SEEK's financial backing. (2 of the current board members called me and resigned from a Community Ed. group) At this point, every single person on the board of Education has sworn allegiance to SEEK and not to the taxpaying members of Englewood. Under the covers, we find that SEEK gets much of its funding and support from wards that actually supported Romney for president or just plain old did not vote. Check the election results. The same people just engineered the outsourcing of Paraprofessionals and Secretaries. Is that enough? SEEK actually picks the candidates and funds their campaigns. SEEK does, not the community. The people who now control SEEK have perverted the original mission and made the organization a tool for segregation and union busting. Need I say more here in this open forum? 

Oh and these same people support the candidate who did not follow the Democratic process and still got on the ballot. They ignored Title 19:13-20 NJ Election Law the same as the current school board and supporters ignored 18A:27-10.1-4. This does not bode well. It becomes even more tragic when we trace the money and support to our elected officials on a local, county, state and federal level. Englewood is a petry dish that mirrors the events in America today.

Word on the street is that people who voted in Hackensack had a different view of the ballot than we did in our polling booth. That is an interesting concept since our City Clerk went on a rant on Tuesday morning that supports this allegation. This rant lead to she and the mayor forcing the removal of candidates for 4th ward city council from the polling place  where they were legally allowed to be since their names appeared on the ballot.

Pride of Place: Good Neighbors

Monique's garden

Today was a very good day. I posted a status update on Facebook asking if anyone knew where to get gas. Loads of people responded giving advice of places to purchase gas. There was a great response. One in particular came from another 4th Ward Family. It touched me like I have not been affected in a lot of years. Responses like this are among the reasons why I do this. Oh, did some of you think it was because of the great paycheck I get for wearing this large bulls eye on my back? News Flash. A friend messaged me inbox and told me that I could have some of  her family's gas. At first, I was reluctant, but then I decided to leave pride alone and accepted the offer. Less than 20 minutes later, she and her husband arrived with the children and put the gas in my car themselves. It was a marvelous gift and I will never forget it. 

Monique's 4-1 Garden

I offered to pay, but they refused. The husband said it was the neighborly thing to do. I hugged them both and got all teary eyed as they drove away. That is the kind of thing we work for years to nurture in neighborhoods like ours. That was the best I have felt in years. They live in 4-3. Before today that seemed like a another part of town. 

Pride of Place.

Stand Together Or Fall Alone

ATTENTION! ATTENTION 4th Ward Residents: We must mobilize and get the word out that people may vote early. We must also inform them that the entire 4th Ward must vote at Liberty School.

EARLY VOTING -
Place: One Bergen County Plaza, Hackensack, NJ
When: Saturday and Sunday
Time: 9 am to 3 pm
Monday from 9 am to 4 pm

ELECTION DAY: Tuesday, November 6
Time: 6 am to 8 pm
Place: Liberty School
          12 Tenafly Rd. (In the old Board of Education building at the monument. 
          Russell C. Major Liberty School

Voting Information From the Governor's Office: http://nj.gov/state/elections/2012-results/signed-directive-hurricane-sandy-110212.pdf

The 4th Ward City Council position is the only Englewood race with two opposing candidates. One of those Candidates clearly does not represent the interests of the 4th ward. Keep in mind that the time goes back tonight. It will be dark at 6 am and it will be dark at 8 pm. People who do not have power, phone, facebook or email do not have this information. The majority of the 4th Ward is still in darkness. 4th Ward Residents are being required to make their way to the THIRD WARD to vote when at least one 4th Ward polling place has power. Contrary to public opinion everyone does not have a cellphone with the internet, Facebook and Twitter. (I do not and am not alone in this.)

We need everyone that has this information to get out and make sure that people in the neighborhood know where to vote. It is more important than ever to get this information out. Everyone is NOT on facebook. My backyard touches people who do not have power. It is that way on both sides of the street. I would not have known anything if I had not gone outside and engaged the people in my neighborhood. Go outside and talk to your neighbors. Make sure they know where to vote.

Make sure they know that people in other wards are making decisions for us at a very crucial time. Events have already been manipulated by others in other wards. Eugene Skurnick, Sue Gamrin, Sondra Greenberg, Kenneth Rosensweig, Earl A. Marsan, Frank Huttle III, Sandra Slipp, William Merritt, Marc Foreman, Lynne Algrant and Valerie Huttle and others do not live in the 4th Ward and should not be allowed to control the outcome of this election. Regardless of the relationship they have with Wayne Hamer, they must not be allowed to decide the outcome of an election in the 4th Ward.

This is about more than one ward in Englewood, New Jersey. This type of craziness is at work all over this country. It is deplorable that a tragedy like this storm may be used as a form of voter suppression. 

Make sure that people also know about the gas restrictions. Today is an odd license plate day, tomorrow even, Monday odd, Tuesday even. Only those with corresponding license plate numbers will be able to purchase gas on these days. Those of you who were around in the mid 70's know the horrors that this type of restriction on gas purchase caused. The odds are against this turning out well. We must all participate in creating a happy end to this situation.

You should all know that I did not pick names above out of thin air. They are the ones who have created this tragic disconnect among 4th Ward voters. See for yourself. They are the ones who are making the decisions. View it in their own hand on this vacancy certification which is not the same thing as a petition of 4th Ward Residents. We have been manipulated. End this now. It is time to be outraged. Click here.  https://acrobat.com/?d=N-YXOqpOAz0-RAOXn5iFGA



 Notice that the other Candidate followed Title 19 Election Law. His petition is signed by 45 4th Ward Residents, not 2. Do we take this on our knees or do we fight it standing on our feet?Click here.
https://workspaces.acrobat.com/?d=0heHGQoFHGdBQbF85AWwaw

Read this article and note that at least one City Council Member acknowledges that the procedure followed is a bit strange. 
Click here.   http://englewood.patch.com/articles/englewood-city-council-appoints-drakeford-s-replacement

 There are approximately 3,500 registered voters in the 4th Ward. We must reach all of them. Our President needs their vote and our Ward needs their voices to drown out those who would presume to give us our facts and our leaders.

Tragic Disconnects

Do we have Disconnects in Communication or just plain old negligence?

Disconnect #1 While listening to one of the presenters on the October 22, 2012 Master Plan Hearing, I was taken aback. One of the concerns of her group was that Palisade Avenue itself was dangerous. I thought, what is she talking about. The truth of the matter is that we must all give a little, including yours truly. Last night, after dark, a group of us decided to walk the avenue. We were quite honestly looking for the Campaign Headquarters of a political candidate that is supposed to be located near Wells Fargo. We did not find it. On the way back, I started counting the street lights that were in need of bulb replacement or repair. I counted 33 lights out on both sides of Palisade Avenue beginning west of the railroad tracks down to the monument.  These lights include the tall traditional street lights and the short quaint and classic accent lamps that are mounted on the green poles. You  know the ones on which they hang the Christmas lights and decorations.  I made a mental note to forgive myself for thinking that the presenter had been too hard on Palisade Avenue and whether or not it is safe. She is absolutely correct. It is too dark on Palisade Avenue. It is not a welcome nighttime walk. There were 4 of us, 2 men and 2 women. I don't think it is a walk that I would have wanted to take without the men. Lighting on both sides of Palisade Avenue west of the tracks need new bulbs or they need repairing. That is neglect. If we want people to come here to live, shop, eat, work, visit or just to walk around, we must do a better job of making it safe and well lit at night. There were also numerous children on the street unaccompanied by adults. Needless to say, they need a place to go that will not cost them any money. I am sure that their presence would probably frighten more than a few people who live on the other side of the railroad tracks.

How did it look before this?
You must be logged in to Facebook to
see this album,

Disconnect #2

Community Baptist Church was the site of Councilman

Hamer's 1st 4th Ward Meeting. The 4-2 Committee person complained about the historic garden located on the corner of Lafayette and Genesee. He said it was an eyesore and that it should be sold and made into something. That garden may date back as long as 70 years ago. We have established that it has definitely been handed down far more than 50 years. When I arrived in Englewood it was being cared for by one of my grandmother's friends and her former landlord. I think his name was Cecil Bacote. There are stories of him plowing and going about the City with a horse and a wagon. Many people remember him taking care of the garden that far back. The care and maintenance of this garden has changed hands many times since then. We have exchanged seeds, plants and stories from early Englewood and the south. Many residents, including myself have contributed to the garden and have eaten food from it. When I replaced my large backyard garden with a swimming pool, I gave my roto tiller to the man who worked the Lafayette garden. He showed up at my house every season since with bags of vegetables from the garden.  He seemed overwhelmed and totally surprised that I gave him a roto tiller that would have cost him over

The small plot behind the Auto Shop that used to be a garbage dump for leaves, wood chips and yard refuse
from other parts of the City. I wanted to photograph them working, but it never happened.
When they saw the camera, they posed.

$300 if he had purchased it. The 4th Ward Committee Person was very adamant that this eye sore of nature must be sold and turned into something. In other words, he wishes to "pave paradise and put in a parking lot" because he doesn't like the garden. It is doubtful that the lot is large enough to build a house, at least, I hope it isn't. Did he consult the residents? Did the person who ordered the garden razed to the ground collard greens and all consult the residents who have been eating from it for years? The proper way to put a garden to sleep for the winter is to turn the dead stuff into the soil after harvesting the cold crop (collard greens and kale). He also mentioned the lot across the street behind the Auto Body Shop where the city used to dump refuse. The man must have personal thing against vegetable gardens or gardeners. I really must say that I prefer the garden to the pile of mulch that used to be dumped behind the Auto Shop by the City of Englewood. The City should forge relationships between these gardeners instead of alienating them based on  the prejudices of one man. Perhaps the gardener would have put his own garden to sleep for the winter in the correct way if he had been part of the decision making. Given proper respect and half a chance people will participate in making their neighborhoods better.

Disconnect #3 At this same meeting a 4th Ward Resident asked that missing and or damaged fence around the brook be replaced in order to insure the safety of the children playing in the area. Think about this now. The safety of neighborhood children and destroying a neighborhood garden dating back farther than any of us can remember. Which thing should take priority and be acted upon with haste? Exactly. Take a look at the fencing or lack thereof. The large photo above shows fence missing on the eastern side of the brook. Keep in mind that the 3rd street bridge has been removed. In the area pictured below is approximately 50 or more feet of missing fence that may never have been installed. Notice the date stamp. It was pointed out on April 19, 2012 during the "photo opportunity" that preceded the June election that the fence should be installed to insure the safety of children living and playing in the neighborhood.

The fence is just as invisible as the 3rd street bridge that has been removed that allowed egress into Mackay Park and access to it for play or just a walk about. April 19, 2012 was a day of much excitement at the end of 3rd Street. The excitement ended  few weeks later when a backhoe was caught on a manhole cover and a sewage line was damaged. This rendered all of that luscious harvest totally suspicious of human consumption. Human fecal matter is potentially harmful to human health and life. So the beautiful picture below was marred and the area was all but abandoned except for the children who find it a fascinating place to play. Note. It is a fascinating, beautiful and potentially dangerous place to play, because of the missing fence.

This garden has the potential to be one of the nicest places in the City in which to chill out. 

Disconnect #4 As you can see from today's photo below, this area may now be referred to as an eyesore. Are we going to send in the bulldozers? Are we going to raze it down to the ground, because it needs some tender loving care? Perhaps we should consider having a conversation with a Landscaper who lives about 4 doors down the street from the garden. I think he even has a couple of children who play in the area. Perhaps a neighborly agreement may be struck to make sure that this area is always a lovely place to sit and read when the weather allows. Perhaps we should take up the practice of building bridges in all neighborhoods instead of tearing them down. It is just a thought. Sometimes a little good will goes a long way.

Making this a beautiful Community Garden and pleasant place to sit and for children to play is a great idea. Perhaps it is time for some follow through. There may be a few more mild days left when the sun is inviting and warm on our faces. When we begin to practice what we preach we may find that we are making a better world. Click here for the photo album that documents the development of the 3rd Street Community Garden. You must be logged in to Facebook in order to view the photos.