Forming Group to Oppose "Keepers"

v.deluca@twp.maplewood.nj.us
k.leventhal@twp.maplewood.nj.us
mbrownlee@twp.maplewood.nj.us
ILarrier@twp.maplewood.nj.us
g.ryan@twp.maplewood.nj.us

Dear Maplewood Township Committee:

I am writing to express my support for the process and the urban planning benefits of the current proposal for development of the Post Office site on Maplewood Avenue. I appreciated that the proposed plan includes attention to an improved pedestrian experience and a direct straight-line connection from Maplewood Ave to the train tunnel and the park beyond. I believe the design is acceptable and have appreciated the significant compromises made to the plan in response to public comment. I commend the process and thank you for your thoughtful work on this important project.

Sincerely,

mjh

I would suggest copying any letters by cc: the Planning Board, the MVA and Village Keepers.

Maplewood Township Planning Board (from twp website)
Chair, Tom Carlson
574 Valley St.
Maplewood, NJ 07040
Administrator email: adele@twp.maplewood.nj.us (Adele Lewis)

Village Alliance Manager (from MVA website)
Maplewood Village Alliance
Julie Doran
PO Box 1360
Maplewood, NJ 07040
maplewoodvillagealliance@yahoo.com

Village Keepers, Inc. (from Village Green articles)
Dirk Olin
34 Park Road

Maplewood, NJ 07040
villagekeepers@yahoo.com

I just counted another thread and am now up to 46 people (just on MOL) who could potentially be supportive of this effort to oppose the opposers and "stay the course" (I can't NOT think about Dana Carvey's SNL character every time I hear that phrase).

ice said:
ML1 - why not all of them? Their mail and email addresses are on the Township website.

It wasn't calculated. I ran into one of them in the village a couple of weeks ago and we talked about the PO. I'll send notes to all of them.

ArchBroad said:
I would suggest copying any letters by cc: the Planning Board, the MVA and Village Keepers.

Maplewood Township Planning Board (from twp website)
Chair, Tom Carlson
574 Valley St.
Maplewood, NJ 07040
Administrator email: adele@twp.maplewood.nj.us (Adele Lewis)
Village Alliance Manager (from MVA website)
Maplewood Village Alliance
Julie Doran
PO Box 1360
Maplewood, NJ 07040
maplewoodvillagealliance@yahoo.com
Village Keepers, Inc. (from Village Green articles)
Dirk Olin
34 Park Road

Maplewood, NJ 07040
villagekeepers@yahoo.com

hmm. VK is still using Yahoo for email. Not as bad as an AOL or Prodigy email I guess.

ice said:
Since there is a post office related item on the agenda for next Tuesday, attendees will be allowed to speak on the PO/litigation topic at the beginning of the meeting, according to the agenda.

What time does the meeting start?

Writing letters and speaking at the TC Meeting are fine. But the opponents of the redevelopment are well organized. I do how many of you have ever been involved in organizing a labor union, political group or any type of organization. I have and I assume Paul has organized Peace Groups and Joan organizes the Memorial Day Celebrations.

There is no substitute for group action. It does not have to be extremely formal. From the little I know OhNo60 is very informal.

Anyway since the TC is meeting Tuesday at 7:00 PM, I will take the bull by the horns and say that those of us who are available should meet in the back row - right side as you enter of the TC Meeting Room at around 6:45 PM. Who is in?

I'm in.

ice said:
according to the township website, meeting starts at 7:30, but I certainly don't discourage anyone from getting there early.

I thought it said they meet the first and third Tuesdays at 7:00 PM. Sorry, but early is good.

VERY IMPORTANT!

I learned from a link on the other thread that the TC will not be meeting at Town Hall but rather at Police HQ in the Courtroom. I seem to remember that Town Hall lacks AC.

CONFUSED said:

ice said:
according to the township website, meeting starts at 7:30, but I certainly don't discourage anyone from getting there early.

I thought it said they meet the first and third Tuesdays at 7:00 PM. Sorry, but early is good.

I believe 7 is closed session?

7:00 pm to 7:30 pm is usually closed session. Public comment is usually close to the beginning of the meeting.

So folks should get there around 7:15?

CONFUSED said:
So folks should get there around 7:15?

- appears that informed opinionated MOLers are not in the habit of attending TC meetings

Some are and some are not. What's your point?

Apparently the Village Keepers didn't attend a TC, PB or MVA meeting in about four years.

I am very supportive of this idea and I think MJH's letter is a good starting point.

I'll try to be there on Tuesday.

I also support the idea of a write-in campaign for Jerry, and I'm planning to do that already.

As the public becomes more aware of the myths and scare tactics about the PO project that were used by the Lembrich campaign, I think a substantial write-in vote is possible. I don't think it's necessary to ask Jerry, in fact it might be better if he wasn't involved. Kind of like a draft.

ArchBroad said:
Apparently the Village Keepers didn't attend a TC, PB or MVA meeting in about four years.

You could not be more correct

And do you know why?

They did not exist until a few months ago.

ArchBroad said:
Apparently the Village Keepers didn't attend a TC, PB or MVA meeting in about four years.

Bazinga!

ctrzaska said:

ArchBroad said:
Apparently the Village Keepers didn't attend a TC, PB or MVA meeting in about four years.

Bazinga!

And once again..........yes absolutely true

However since they did not exist until a few months ago

I think you are asking more than a bit much of them.

author said:

ctrzaska said:

ArchBroad said:
Apparently the Village Keepers didn't attend a TC, PB or MVA meeting in about four years.

Bazinga!

And once again..........yes absolutely true
However since they did not exist until a few months ago
I think you are asking more than a bit much of them.

While

author said:

ArchBroad said:
Apparently the Village Keepers didn't attend a TC, PB or MVA meeting in about four years.

You could not be more correct
And do you know why?
They did not exist until a few months ago.

While factual, your retort does not align with the intent of the previous post. I believe you understand this, but choose to not address that fact.

ArchBroad should have said:
Apparently members of the Village Keepers didn't attend a TC, PB or MVA meeting in about four years.

Better now?

ArchBroad and Author: The Village Keepers may not have existed as an organized group until recently; but what about the individual members who likely were in town for long enough to have been able to participate in the meetings and discussions leading up to the present Post House proposal? Do you know for certain that none of them were active in the process leading up to the current Post House proposal?

alias said:

author said:

ctrzaska said:

ArchBroad said:
Apparently the Village Keepers didn't attend a TC, PB or MVA meeting in about four years.

Bazinga!

And once again..........yes absolutely true
However since they did not exist until a few months ago
I think you are asking more than a bit much of them.

While

author said:

ArchBroad said:
Apparently the Village Keepers didn't attend a TC, PB or MVA meeting in about four years.

You could not be more correct
And do you know why?
They did not exist until a few months ago.

While factual, your retort does not align with the intent of the previous post. I believe you understand this, but choose to not address that fact.

You can believe what you want..............again it is devoid of reality.

For a bit of historical clarification

Since I was involved with the Birth of Engage and less so with Oh No......did you ever wonder about the Red Balloons flying from the roof of the Village Coffee building.........sounds like a line from Ghost Busters but "I am the gatekeeper"

Back to the subject at hand.........after some years and many disappointments we were delighted to learn that Mr. Profetta and Mr. Humer were joining the fray............For two such prominent men to admit that yes their were mistakes made but they can always be remedied..........in front of the TC was just really refreshing.

So any way they and a short time later VK joined the fray and brought fresh energy to us all..............

And you can interpret this anyway your little heart desires....................

VK did not exist as a group until just a very few months ago

joan_crystal said:
ArchBroad and Author: The Village Keepers may not have existed as an organized group until recently; but what about the individual members who likely were in town for long enough to have been able to participate in the meetings and discussions leading up to the present Post House proposal? Do you know for certain that none of them were active in the process leading up to the current Post House proposal?

Since nobody seems to be willing to give us the details of VK, specifically who is on the board of directors, how much $ they have raised and from who, and what provision of law did they use to incorporate, there is no way to know. We need to find out these kinds of details before any of us can make a judgement.