Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Plainfield Summer: Public Safety, Education, Redevelopment, and Quality of Life


Fishing at Cedar Brook Park

Public safety, education and development of our youth, redevelopment of Plainfield, and a decent quality of life for our residents are among the things that are top priorities for me as Mayor.

During the summertime, as we experience extended periods of day light and most people want to enjoy the outdoors, my administration has been working hard to ensure that there are quality activities available for all, especially for our youth.

Young people love having fun in the pool during the hot summer days and we have ensured that all three public pools are opened until 6:00 pm each day. Trained lifeguards are on duty and breakfast and lunch are provided for pool patrons. Our parks are opened for everyone to enjoy, and the popular "Hooked on Fishing, not Drugs" program is once more inviting people to join them on Saturday mornings for fishing lessons. Of course, you may opt to fish on your own and, to that end, we have stocked several of the ponds around town.

Our Parks and Recreation Department continues to be responsive to the recreational needs of our community by providing guided activities such as Lego Robotics, Swim Lessons, Art in the Park, and Double Dutch, just to name a few. 

Plainfield, let me reassure you: we are committed to keeping our young people safely occupied and off the street, and we will continue to provide these programs for them as well as for our older active adults.

Not to be outdone, our Health Department will be offering free Zumba classes in the near future. Part of having a good quality of life means staying healthy, and we are committed to a healthy lifestyle for all in our community.

Our Police Department has been actively involved in engaging the community and particularly the youth with several social initiatives. They have committed to having a picnic in each of our wards throughout the summer. The recent community barbecue at Hannah Atkins Park was fun and well attended--the next barbecue is scheduled for this coming Friday, July 22nd (details of which are included in my weekly newsletter).

The Police Division has several other programs which entail young people working closely with Police Officers and having the opportunity to be mentored by them.  To paraphrase Proverbs 16:27, "idle hands are the devil's workshop," so all these programs are geared toward empowering our young people and providing alternatives to idle activity.

Our Public Library is a great resource when looking for activities, they have several Xbox tournaments which run weekly as well as other interactive and informative programs....

Plainfield is a great place to hang out for summer fun.... We have our annual National Night Out fast approaching on Tuesday, August 2nd, which will feature a car show for the first time, refreshments, and fun. In addition, we plan to provide book bags and school supplies for at least 400 Plainfield children. When we say we are serious about providing tools to educate our youth, it's not a commitment we take lightly, and we are finding creative ways to make it happen.

Take a walk downtown and sample our international fare at our restaurants. Here in Plainfield, you can find a diversity of activity: from Bike races, to parades...from concerts to barbecues...from pool fun to Xbox racing...from Tex-Mex to gourmet eats....

Our little city is chock full of things to do and see this summer and I hope to see you out and about in Plainfield. Have a happy, fun-filled summer!

Creating One Plainfield - One Future,









Mayor Adrian O. Mapp
City of Plainfield


 

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