Meetings, School Board Election Coming Up

The governing body is "on" this week with an agenda session 7:30 p.m. Monday in City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Ave. and a regular meeting 8 p.m. Wednesday in Municipal Court.

After a seeming impasse on changing its calendar, the council is still operating with the week on, week off plan that members said they don't like. Members of the public can pick up the agenda tomorrow at City Hall or at the meeting itself.

In between those meetings is the annual school board election Tuesday. Voters must choose three people out of a filed of five for three-year terms. Incumbents Wilma Campbell and Martin Cox are seeking re-election. Former appointee David Graves is making his third try for a win at the polls.Newcomers Christian Estevez and Jeanette Criscione are running for the first time.

Campbell and Criscione are running together, as are Cox and Estevez. All candidates came across at the League of Women Voters forum as sincere and qualified. Polls are open from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. and each registered voter should have received a sample ballot that lists the candidates and the proper polling place. Voters are asked to vote "yes" or "no" on the budget question, whether $17,683,906 should be raised in local taxes for the 2007-08 school year. This local school tax levy has remained unchanged for many years, but officials are warning that Plainfield may have to contribute more in future local taxes if other funding stays flat.

On Thursday, the Planning Board meets at 8 p.m. in City Hall Library. There may be some action taken regarding two sites that have been under consideration for addition to the North Avenue redevelopment tract by the main train station. One site is the south half of the block behind Bill's Luncheonette and Suburban Jewelers, which includes Municipal Parking Lot 6. The other includes PNC Bank property across Park Avenue from the North Avenue tract.