Millville First, Get Your Own House In Order
A few years ago I read about a watchdog group that was forming in town. I was intrigued. As I recall, some of the issues that were highlighted were concerns of mine. But like most things, making meetings is tough with young children at home. Meeting after meeting would pass and I never got around to getting there.
That group was Millville First. Since then they have become prominent in town. Many City Commission meetings center around issues they bring up. I think it is fair to say that Millville First and I are on the same side of most issues.
During the past municipal election, however, it was clear that the group while right on the issues, is horrible at public relations. The local online participants have destroyed this group. The blabbers have done a magnificent job of defining Millville First negatively. The response has been only silence.
Some might disregard that since not every group is online yet. Well, all should be, and Millville First cannot make that claim. They have a web site.
As a public school teacher, I have July and August off. It is the time of the year I can dabble in things that the balance of the year does not allow me to. As such, I was interested in going to a Millville First meeting. According to their web site, it meets every second Tuesday of the month at the American Legion at 7:00 p.m.
Today is the 11th of August. According to my calendar, it is the second Tuesday of the month. This is what happened when I arrived at the American Legion.
Millville First is a watchdog group. It has taken on the task of keeping city government in order. Those of us who throw stones, need to make certain our own windows are protected. Millville First would do well to make certain if a meeting is announced, you damn well have the meeting.
The purpose of Millville First is to inform and educate voters and encourage citizen participation in city government.
On the point of informing and educating voters, Millville First failed miserably this evening. As such, this group lost a whole lot of credibility with me.
Also blogged on this date . . .
- Jewel Shines - 2010
- Porreca Drive Homeowners Association - 2010
- Obama Tells It Like It Is - 2009
- "A Living and Breathing Document" - 2009
- CanadaCare - 2009
- A New Addition to Our Family - 2008
- The Wiggles - 2007
- Events, Gambling, and the Paper Trail - 2007
- Four - 2006
- WCG (aka How to Fold a Protein) - 2005
- How long till we get there ? (Milestones) - 2005
- Light Blogging - 2005
- Grilled Lemon-Herb Chicken - 2005
- Can You Canoe? - 2004
- Roger Waters in Camden - 1999
Tags: Cumberland, Millville, Millville First, NJ, Politics, video
By Boner Boy
on 12 August 2009 @ 1:20
It’s hard to fault Millville First for being in a state of disarray and not updating their website like they should.
For one thing, the group’s president, Emil Van Hook, who was also one of their younger members (yes really), died recently.
The website is run, I believe, by Paul Porreca. A man in his 70′s isn’t exactly a prime candidate to be web savvy.
Lastly, the group is very inclusive. It’s not welcoming of new members. It’s comprised of the same group of people from the same families that have known each other for decades. Information is spread between them, not through public forums.
By Bob
on 12 August 2009 @ 7:42
Well, it appears that Millville First only meets September through May. At least that is what Millville First added to its Meet the Candidates announcement about the forum it is hosting for the freeholder and county clerk races this fall.
Perhaps I should have picked that up. Silly me, I looked at the meeting page which states it meets every month.
Clearly, Millville First is . . .unclear.
BTW, when was the last time Paul Porreca was on the radio on Saturday at 8:00 a.m.? Each time I have tuned in, some guy from Cape May County is on.
By Boner Boy
on 12 August 2009 @ 11:46
It’s been a couple of months since I’ve heard him on the radio, though I have trouble rationalizing getting up at 8 a.m. on a Saturday to listen to the radio.
He’s also been relatively absent/silent at recent commission meetings. Maybe Millville First is looking for a new angle, or maybe its leadership is just getting worn down.
They’ve even been less vocal on the cesspool that is the Daily Journal forums as of late.