Plainfield's "School Report Card" by NJ Spotlight

The following letter from William G. Dressel, Jr., Executive Director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities, was sent to all New Jersey mayors:

“I’d like to bring to your attention a new electronic tool about to be published on the NJ SPOTLIGHT web site called THE NEW JERSEY SCHOOL REPORT CARD http://reportcard.njspotlight.com Users can retrieve data on any K-12 school in New Jersey and compare its performance against others using a variety of criteria—number of students per class room, student test scores, budget dollars allocated per student and so on. On average since 50 per cent of a municipality’s budget goes to education it might be useful to see how your schools compare to others in the State.”

Plainfield taxpayers and stakeholders should spend some time reviewing this School Report Card to see how Plainfield stacks up against other school districts in the county and state.

Regards,

Adrian

Congratulations to PBA Local No. 19 on Its Memorial Dedication

Photo courtesy of Dan Damon

On the anniversary of a day that will go down in infamy, September 11^th, the Plainfield PBA Local No. 19 held a memorial dedication ceremony in honor of four Plainfield Police Officers who made the ultimate sacrifice.

The weather was perfect, and the sun was shining bright for the occasion, yet the mood was melancholic as those who could, recalled the sadness of the life-altering events of many years ago. It was very emotional for some and bittersweet for all in attendance. The unveiling of the memorial was a lasting monument to the fallen officers, and a celebration of four lives gone too soon.

John Vincent Gleason, Jr. Robert Michael Perry. Frank Buczek. Abigail Powlett.

The memorial is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by Plainfield’s finest each and every day. That it occurred on the ninth anniversary of one of America’s darkest days also reminded us of the many innocent lives that were lost on that day. It is a fitting tribute to four of the City’s finest, who took an oath to honor, serve, and protect the citizens of Plainfield. In so doing, they left home one day never to return to their families and loved ones. All died in the line of duty.

Family members of the fallen officers gave touching reminiscences of the lives of the officers they knew, some barely, as parents or sibling, while others in law enforcement recalled the painful days when four innocent voices were silenced and many lives shattered.

The members of PBA Local No. 19 are to be commended for making the memorial possible and for its high quality. It is my hope and prayer that no additional names will ever be added to the memorial. Congratulations to PBA Local No. 19 for a job well done.

Regards,

Adrian