QUEER
MONTCLAIR / OUT IN ESSEX:
A Gay & Lesbian Virtual
Community in the Montclair/Bloomfield Area
Post Office Box 1974
Bloomfield, New Jersey 07003
Telephone: (973) 776-3901, Ext. 8686
E-Mail: [email protected]
WWW: www.geocities.com/queermontclair
Dear
Friends, Members, and Supporters
I want
to call your attention to an extremely important (for us) series of articles
that appeared
in the February 19th and 20th editions of
USA Today. I trust that many of us have
read it,
but for
those of you who haven’t, I’ve reproduced the first installment of the series
below, and
included a link to the USA
Today website that will take you to the other parts of the series.
Also, as we were told to expect, our new Democratic
administration has appointed an out LGBT
individual to an office of cabinet rank: he is James “Jamie”
Fox, our newly-minted Commissioner of
Transportation, one of the more critical positions in
Governor McGreevey’s Cabinet. More
about
Jamie appears below.
Best wishes for a fabulous end of winter and beginning of Spring,
Bill
Courson
1. USA TODAY: THE FEBRUARY 19th, 20th ARTICLES on MONTCLAIR!2. RELIGIOUS LEADER CALLS FOR RESIGNATION OF ALABAMA SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE WHO SUPPORTS INCARCERATION, EXECUTION OF GAY & LESBIAN PEOPLE3. NBC TO AIR THE MATTHEW SHEPARD STORY – MARCH 16th4. WOMENVISION MONTCLAIR – FEBRUARY 20th
5. GLSEN MEMBERSHIP MEETING – FEBRUARY 28th
7. FEMININE CONNECTION TEA DANCE – MARCH 10th
8. SOUTH MOUNTAIN NEIGHBORS 9th ANNUAL SPRING BALL – MARCH 16th
11. APRIL 10th: DAY OF SILENCE DRAWS CLOSER12. FOREST HILL (NEWARK): ROOM-MATES WANTED
13. PATRONIZE OUR SUPPORTERS!
USA TODAY: THE FEBRUARY 19th, 20th ARTICLES on MONTCLAIR! Most of us have by now seen this seriesof articles appearing in mid-February editionsof USA TODAY, but for those who have not, I’ve reproduced it here. It – and articleson the same theme – can also be viewed on the web at:http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/02/18/divided-nation.htm
Values, points of view separate towns — and nationBy Jill Lawrence, USA TODAY If you voted for President Bush in 2000, you might well live in a place like Franklin, Tenn., a sprawling Sun Belt suburb with a distinct Bible Belt flavor. Its horse and dairy farms are giving way to subdivisions and strip malls, but its values remain rooted in tradition. Donna Reed and Fred MacMurray would have seemed right at home in Montclair, N.J., where street after street is lined with big shade trees, well-tended gardens and perfectly painted Victorian and Tudor homes. But the 1950s look belies an urban sensibility that was the common denominator among people who voted for Al Gore in 2000. Red zone meets blue zone. Post-election analysis revealed an America split by conflicting core beliefs on guns, abortion,the role of religion and the role of government. But it's not only heavy ideology that divides us. How people deal with problems and with each other, what they eat, wear and listen to, how they conduct their public life, even how their towns look — all of it varies according to whether you live amid Republican red or Democratic blue on the political map. Dip into the differences and it's easy to see why in 2000, with no overarching issue like war or recession, two-thirds of Franklin voted for Bush and three-quarters of Montclair voted for Gore. Like the two Americas they mirror, each felt comfortable about one man and uneasy about the other. Bush was a reserved candidate whose watchwords were civility, compassion and honor. He embodied Tradition in family and religion, ran with discipline, kept his private life private and pledged to be a good role model. Those are all paramount values in Franklin. Gore was a talky candidate who believed in hashing things out, and he put his own family traumas on the record. He was brainy and intellectual and had a résumé a mile long. He championed diversity and embodied competence. And those are paramount values in Montclair. Old meets new in Franklin Franklin, south of Nashville, typifies the explosive growth of Republican-leaning suburbs across the Southand West, even as it tries to preserve a 203-year past. Main Street is lined with historic brick buildings and shops with such names as Pigg & Peach and Heart and Hands. A Confederate soldier towers 44 feet over the Public Square, a marble symbol of pride and loss. The 1864 Battle of Franklin devastated the town and sent it into a deep sleep for a century. As recently as 1980, Franklin was "dead on the vine. The monetary powers that be had kept out change," says Hewitt Sawyers, a black pastor who grew up in the area, left for college and a career, then came home. Since then, Franklin has more than made up for lost time. Its population doubled from 1980 to 1990 and again from 1990 to 2000. Latest official estimates: nearly 42,000 people and 32 square miles. Both numbers increase continually as newcomers arrive and the city annexes more land. Along with farms, subdivisions and an upscale mall, Franklin boasts 100 health-care companies and headquarters or divisional operations for 14 major national corporations. The Christian music industry relocated from Nashville. The Gospel Music Associationis looking for land. The association's president, Frank Breeden, says Franklin is popular for good reason: "The lifestyle is at that stage where it's still idyllic. There's a small-town feel. It's almost a return to the social and civic values of life in the '50s." Franklin is a magnet for people with conservative worldviews. It's home to the Middle Tennessee Home Education Association for home-schoolers and Christian World Broadcasting, which produces Christian programming in Russian and Chinese and beams it to those countries from a tower in Alaska. The new Williamson Christian College is based there, as is the Tennessee League of the South. David O. Jones founded and chairs the 400-member league, which demands "an end to federal tyranny" and "a return to Biblical morality." An Illinois native, Jones says a Southerner is "one who holds religion as a significant factor in life; who considers family as the central unit in society, family and property as their personal domain and self-reliance as a basic principle of government." Hecould be describing his neighbors. Franklin's hallmark is a veneer of Southern graciousness. Much is left unsaid, and privacy is prized. Families stick close to home in neighborhoods they compare to movie fantasies, complete with horse fences and soda shops. The line between personal and public life is clearly drawn. It's a town where gays remain in the closet, race relations go largely undiscussed and a PTA president declines to be interviewed about her school. Ginette Gallauresi, a Spanish translator for the school system, calls the town "one lovely place to live." Still, she was surprised at the reserve she encountered when she moved there four years ago. "They have this wonderful Southern hospitality, but they arenot very open to welcome you," she says. "There is a wall there. I think they need a little time to get to know you." James-Ben Stockton, co-owner of the James-Ben Gallery, likes Franklin's mix of small-town neighborly and keep-to-yourself. When he had the flu, he says, nearby merchants offered to bring soup and buy groceries. "There's an awareness of each other without being horribly intrusive, he says. "That's a magiccombination to me." City life in Montclair Just 6 square miles, Montclair fancies itself no ordinary suburb. It bustles with 12 movie theaters, three theater companies, two jazz clubs, an art museum, a state university and a museum honoring longtime resident Yogi Berra. Chain stores are greatly outnumbered by unique shops and restaurants. This town of 39,000 people likes its coffee at the BluestoneCafé, its Asian food at Taro, its Thai at Tuptim, its Italian to a backdrop of opera at Palazzo. Diversity heightens Montclair's urban feel. It's one-third black, welcoming to gay and interracialcouples and home to thousands of artists, writers, actors and musicians. The typical path is: You're a hip sophisticate on Manhattan's Upper West Side, you move to Brooklyn for space, then you have kids and move to Montclair for the schools. And it feels like the city, teeming with energy and interaction. People spill out of their homes forchurch, school, civic and political meetings, Scrabble, writing and book clubs, neighborhood stockinvestment clubs, concerts of mandolin or jazz bassoon. Montclair has its own gun-control, abortion rights and anti-war groups, its own chapters of Amnesty International and the NAACP. The Council for Secular Humanism recently opened a "faith-free" Center for Inquiry downtown, its Fourth in the country. The group holds discussions on subjects you don't hear about much in Franklin, Such as "Bible Relevancy: A Debate." Sharing opinions is a civic duty. That makes for long debates and occasional rancor. "Many people who come to Montclair want to be heard, known, flex a sense of who they are," says the Rev.Robert Schiesler of St. Luke's Episcopal Church. "That invites a clash," he says. Bob Russo says his job as supervisor of the state lemon-law office makes him perfect for his part-time job as mayor. "I'm a professional complaint-handler," he says. "I think this is the town for me." Complaints about curbs, trees and garbage will never stop, he says, but since Sept. 11, larger issues Are foremost: protecting against anthrax and other threats, planning permanent memorials to the seven town residents who died in the attacks and setting up a Hometown Fund for the dozen children who lost their fathers. Race relations Matters of race have preoccupied both Franklin and Montclair throughout their histories. And there is no more clear-cut example of their differences than the way they handle race. Blacks have lived in Montclair since just after the Civil War, when word traveled that rich people There needed household help. Blacks made good livings but encountered prejudice. They were blocked from buying homes in tony "upper Montclair" until Fred Goode and his family crossed the color line in 1964. Black schools were shortchanged until state and local pressure forced integration in 1976. Today, many of Montclair's black residents hold high-paying jobs in finance, law, business or thearts. Interracial marriages and adoptions are common. In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, 42% said theirneighborhoods are half-white, half-black. The town has its own civil rights commission and affirmative action plan. Problems are aired in classic Montclair style. Educators unleashed a raw, even racist dialogue nine years ago when they proposed a single ninth-gradeEnglish curriculum, rather than classes tracked according to ability. Some white parents suggested less prepared black students would hold back their kids. "Every public meeting was an attack," Montclair High School principal Elaine Davis recalls. "There was no trust. It was accusations. They would call each other names. It was difficult to see." More often Montclair's openness is constructive. For instance, the town runs an innovative "conversationson race" program that convenes small interracial groups to talk about racial issues. More than 500people have argued, learned and made new friends since the sessions began in 1998. Parents of both races say they like the values their kids learn in Montclair. Alison Barnett, a former Town council member, recalls her daughter's seventh-grade crush on a boy named Jason: "We picked him up to go to a dance, and he was black. I couldn't say 'Emma, you didn't tell me he was black.' It's been good for me." As much as Montclair talks about race, Franklin buries the subject. The town had more blacks than whites At the time of the Civil War. They were plantation slaves. By 1990, Franklin was only 14% black, and in2000, as whites flooded into the area, the black population was down to 10%. Twice as many people in Franklin as in Montclair — 58% vs. 29% — say minorities have equal job Opportunities with whites, the USA TODAY poll found. But the poorest neighborhoods in Franklin are black and Hispanic. The black middle class is small, and black-owned businesses are nearly non-existent. Stereotyping is a problem. Chris Williamson, a fundamentalist black pastor, is built like a football player. At restaurants and golfclubs, people often ask him if he is a player for the Tennessee Titans. "I'm a preacher," Williamson tellsthem. Privately, he wishes they'd ask if he is a doctor, lawyer or teacher. Race relations have been mostly quiet, says county historian Rick Warwick, author of Williamson County in Black and White. "All business was controlled by a few families. Blacks couldn't afford to raise any protests because they wouldn't be able to work," he says. Black students even gave money to build the Confederate statue in 1899. More than a century later, County Commissioner Mary Mills, a retired school principal who is black, says she deals with it by averting her eyes. "I look at the flowers," she says. "There's so much beauty on the square. Why do I need to look up?" Changes are coming. Blacks are slowly moving into elected and appointed jobs, including county Schools director. Spanish-speaking students are flooding schools as their fathers fill jobs on landscape And construction crews. Williamson's Strong Tower Bible Church is integrated, as is dentist Felix Lawrence's practice. The only routine "conversation on race" in Franklin is taking place among several dozen evangelical pastors.Usually they meet for prayers and presentations. But at the time of the 2000 election, the topic waspolitics. Why, the white pastors asked the black ones, do devout black Christians keep voting en masse forDemocrats who support abortion and gay rights and in many cases aren't even born-again? The black pastors were blunt. Some things are more important than gay rights and abortion, they said —such as being able to feed and educate your kids. Blacks believe the Republican Party is for the elite,they said, and will never care about the poor. Bush tried harder than many Republicans to crack the black vote in 2000 but won less than 10% of it. Thefactors that predict whites' political choices — where people live, whether they attend church, their levelsof income and education — often do not apply. As Janet Booker-Davis, a black accountant in Franklin, put it: "It doesn't matter how much money you have.You're still black." That is, you're still concerned about practicalities: jobs, education and discrimination. If you're doing well, you worry about those who aren't. Franklin's black pastors offered their white brethren a glimpse into a world in which conservative religiousvalues do not dictate political choices. Scotty Smith, pastor of Christ Community Church, says he and hiswhite colleagues emerged "redemptively humbled." The main casualty, he says, was their notion that "anythinking Christian is going to vote Republican."
RELIGIOUS LEADER CALLS FOR RESIGNATION OF ALABAMA SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE WHO SUPPORTS INCARCERATION, EXECUTION OF GAY & LESBIAN PEOPLE A Message From the Rev. Troy D. Perry______________________________________________ "Justice Moore's decision contains some of the most biased and hate-filled propaganda to come out of a governmental authority since Nazi Germany.." -- The Rev. Troy Perry, MCC Moderator______________________________________________ FEBRUARY 22, 2002 Today, I am adding my voice to the many voices of faith and conscience around the world in calling for the resignation of Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore. Justice Moore, in his ruling this past week in a custody case involving a lesbian parent, called for the confinement and execution of homosexuals, imposing his own draconian morality on the judicial system and upon the citizens of Alabama. In the court's decision, Justice Moore wrote, "The State carries the power of the sword, that is, the power to prohibit conduct with physical penalties, such as confinement and even execution. It must use that power to prevent the subversion of children toward this lifestyle, to not encourage a criminal lifestyle." The official court opinion also described homosexuality as "abhorrent, immoral, detestable...a violation of nature's God upon which this Nation was founded...and...an inherent evil." Many people of faith who know the Christian Scriptures will recognize that Justice Moore has simply lifted words from the Bible, twisted the meaning of those words to fit his own personal biases, and then imposed them as law upon the citizens of Alabama. This is unconscionable. As a former citizen of Alabama, who attended junior high and high schools in Mobile and Prichard, Alabama, I value my deep and personal connections with the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities of Alabama. I am all the more horrified that this legal decision was rendered in the same state in which Billy Jack Gaither was savagely murdered solely for being gay, and in which a recent survey by the University of Alabama found that 44% of Alabama's lesbians and gays had been targets of anti-gay abuse in their families, 39% in their neighborhoods, and 48% in the workplace. As the Founder and Moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches, I also wish to note that there are six predominantly gay MCC churches across Alabama. I have frequently visited these churches and I know these congregations. I have observed firsthand the many GLBT parents in Alabama who are raising wonderful, loving, healthy children -- and the thousands of GLBT citizens of Alabama who seek nothing more and nothing less than equality under the law. I salute all the members of Metropolitan Community Churches across Alabama who are uniting with human rights groups to fight injustice and to work for equality under the law. Justice Moore's decision contains some of the most biased and hate-filled propaganda to come out of a governmental authority since Nazi Germany. Not since the Jim Crow laws of an earlier day, have I seen such prejudice and hostility towards a minority group endorsed by any government agency within the United States. As an act of solidarity with the gay and lesbian citizens of Alabama, I call upon all people of goodwill to follow the recommendations and actions offered by GLBT and human rights groups in Alabama. Today, I am inviting all people of goodwill to join me in prayers for the lesbian mother and her three children involved in this custody case -- and in support for all the citizens of Alabama who are seeking effective ways to right this injustice. And I am adding my voice to a growing international chorus calling for the immediate resignation of Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore and for the appropriate authorities to open investigations into this miscarriage of justice. The Rev. Troy D. PerryOffice of the ModeratorMetropolitan Community Churches
(Note: Justice Moore’s career is
one loaded with “honors”: In 1995, he was
presented with the George
Washington Honor Medal from the National
Freedom Foundation in Valley
Forge, Pennsylvania. In 1997 he received
the Bill of Rights award, the
Christian Statesman of the Year Award, the
Spirit of America Founders Award
and the God and Country Award. In 1998, the
State of California Republican
Assembly endorsed Judge Moore by formal
resolution at their annual
convention calling him a "tireless defender of individual
freedom and liberties." In 1999, Judge Moore received the Family,
Faith, and
Freedom Citation presented by the
Family Research Council in Washington, DC.
He has been a guest on Pat
Ropbertson’s "700 Club", Dr. D. James Kennedy's
"Coral Ridge Hour",
James Dobson's "Focus on the Family" television programs.)
NBC TO AIR THE MATTHEW SHEPARD STORY – MARCH 16th NBC is to air the long-awaited “The Matthew Shepard Story” on Saturday, March 16th, at 9pm/8pm (EST/CST). “The Matthew Shepard Story” is based on the true story that shocked a nation and devastated a family. Stockard Channing (The West Wing) and Sam Waterston (Law & Order) costar in a film every family should watch together. Canadian actor Shane Meier plays the title role, and gives a fascinating interview whicxh can be read at http://www.canoe.ca/TelevisionShowsM/matthewsheppardstory.html. For more information log on to: http://www.matthewshepard.org/.
WOMENVISION MONTCLAIR – FEBRUARY 20th WomenVisions next support group meeting will meet on Wednesday February 20th at 7:30 pm
at the First Lutheran Church, 153 Park Street, in Montclair. Please note the change in the regularly scheduled date (2/13). For more information, please call 973-709-0455
GLSEN MEMBERSHIP MEETING – FEBRUARY 28th A GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Educators’ Network) membership meeting will be held on Thursday, February 28th, at the Unitarian Society, 113 Cottage Place, Ridgewood from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. Light refreshments will be served. Through this meeting, GLSEN hopes to give theirmembers and supporters in the area an opportunity to learn more about our work, and to share their views and ideas with the GLSEN leadership. GLSEN Northern New Jersey has worked since 1999 to end bias against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the K-12 schools of your community. Sinceour founding we have become one of the state's leading voices for equality and safety in the educational system. Directions from Route 17 (north or south) to the Ridgewood Unitarian Society: Take The East Ridgewood Avenue exit toward Ridgewood. Go approximately 2 miles (this will take you into the main shopping area). Make a right onto Cottage Place. At the stop sign (Franklin Avenue), make a left and then a quick right to stay on Cottage Place. TheRidgewood Unitarian Society is on the right at 113 Cottage Place.
The Montclair Public Library (Montclair, New Jersey) in
collaboration with GLSEN-NNJ
(the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network of
Northern New Jersey) will be hosting
a 3-month series of meetings focusing on transgender issues
entitled Transgender Stories,
Transgender Lives.
The series is made possible by a grant awarded to the
library by the Live@YourLIbrary Fund,
an initiative of the American Library
Association, with Major Support from the National Endowment
for the Arts, Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds
and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
The series will consist of three events, one occurring each month and wll take
place at the Library's
main auditorium, at 50 South Fullerton Avenue, in Montclair,
New Jersey. All events in the series
are free of charge.
The first event scheduled is a screening of Julie Wyman's film A Boy Named
Sue. It will take place
on Thursday, March 14th, and is scheduled to begin at
6:45pm. There will be a facilitated discussion
following the film led by Arlene Scala, Ed.D. and Donna
Ezrol. (Please note: The organizers of the
series ask that note be made of the fact that
this film contains graphic depictions of subject matter and
language appropriate for mature audiences only).
The second event will take place on Thursday, April 11th and is scheduled for
6:45pm. This panel
discussion will be led by members of GLSEN and Montclair
resident Karen Lateiner, M.Ed. Ms.
Lateiner, whose eldest child transitioned from male to
female, and GLSEN members will discuss
the issues that transgendered young people face as well as
the challenges that their family members
are called upon to manage. Excerpts from two films
will be viewed - Youth Out Loud (produced by
Sun & Moon Productions and Transfamily:
PFLAG's Transgender Network.
The third and final event of the series will take place on Thursday, May 9th,
from 6:45 to 8:45pm.
This will feature as keynote speakers internationally
known transgender activist and author Leslie
Feinberg and her lifetime partner Minnie Bruce Pratt, also a
well-known author, poet and activist.
Refreshments for all events will be provided courtesy of the Lateiner family,
under the auspices of
the Jenni-Josh Lateiner Memorial Fund of the Community Foundation
of New Jersey. The Fund
was established by the Lateiner family in memory of their
daughter, and for the purpose of promoting
education and understanding of transgender issues.
For further information on the series, please call Elaine Schenkel at the
Montclair Public Library,
at (973) 744-0500, extension 235.
FEMININE CONNECTION TEA DANCE – MARCH 10th
The Feminine Connection-Montclair will sponsor a ‘Tea Dance’ on March 10th, from 4:00 to 8:00pm at the Friar Tuck Inn in Cedar Grove. A hot buffer and cash bar will be offered, and Jean-Marie is the DJ. There are still a few places available, and tickets are going for $32. in advance or $ 37. at the door. For further information, please call 201-337-6943 or e-mail Feminine Connection at [email protected]
SOUTH MOUNTAIN NEIGHBORS 9th ANNUAL SPRING BALL – MARCH 16th Two weeks left to order tickets for New Jersey's largest gay and lesbian formal dance, South Mountain Neighbors' Ninth Annual Spring Ball. This year's gala, A Salute to New York, New York" will be held Saturday, March 16th at the Hanover Marriott, Rt. 10E, Whippany, NJ. Select from your choice of chicken casablanca - seared boneless breast of chicken filled with couscous, red peppers, black olives and basil pomodoro sauce OR broiled salmon filet with fresh pesto and served with white bean relish.
Hors d'oeuvres start at 7:30 p.m. followed by dinner, and dancing to a DJ and light show until 12:30 a.m. Tickets are $75. per person with tables of ten available for reservation with full payment. Hotel rooms can be reserved in the South Mountain Neighbors block at a reduced price. For more information call the SMN info line at 973-313-1030, check the SMN website at http://members.aol.com/smngala/smngala.htm or email mailto:[email protected] for a registration form in Word.doc or .txt format.
Hyacinth Foundation will again conduct a spectacular silent auction during the cocktail hour and dinner to benefit NJ's oldest AIDS service organization. Come prepared to bid on fabulous gifts and prizes. The last three dances have all sold out at the Marriott - seating is limited. No tickets sold after March 1, 2002.
Outbike New Jersey: The Gay and Lesbian Bicycle Club of New Jersey has announcedIts 2002 Ride Schedule. Fore further, more detailed information, please call them at (973)748-9368 or visit the Outbike website: http://www.outbikenewjersey.org. MarchSunday, 3/17 – 1pm Beginner - 17 miles,Oradell to Piermont, NY.Meet at the Oradell train station. A few hills, but mostly just suburban Bergen County.Saturday, 3/23 – 10 am Mountain - Ringwood State Park.Advance mountain bike rideSaturday, 3/30 – 10 am Road - North Branch Park.25 miles. rolling hills, SomersetCounty.AprilSaturday, 4/13 – 11 am Beginner - 17 miles Great Swamp ride. Starting at Loantaka Brook Park in Morris County, we ride through the swamp and parts of Bernards Twp.Sunday, 4/14 -10 am Mountain - Lewis Morris Park. Intermediate ride in the hills of Morris County.Saturday, 4/23 – 10 am Road - Bulls Island ride. 42 miles of beautiful Hunterdon county, including the Delaware and Flemington.MaySaturday, 5/11 –10 am Beginner - Sandy Hook shore ride. We take advantage of free parking in theNational Park and ride down to Deal.Saturday, 5/18 – not an official ride, but many of us do the MS shore ride from Sandy Hook. There are three rides of 25, 50 or 172 miles.Sunday, 5/19 – 10 am Mountain - Wawayanda Park. Intermediate ride over some very challenging rocks and wetlands Sunday, 5/26 – 10 am Road - Training ride for the P-town ride. 80 miles, combining the Bulls Island and the Far Hills ride.Sunday, 6/2 – Jersey Pride ride, 10 am all bikes - ride anything you want in Asbury Park beforethe annual Jersey Pride event. We meet at the convention center and do a short (15 mile) ride that agrees with the direction of the wind! Saturday, 6/15 – 10 am Mountain - Mahlon Dickerson ride, an intermediate ride in Morris CountySaturday, June 15 –6 am road - the Boston to Provincetown ride. The annual solstice ride run by Outriders of Boston.Sunday, 6/23 – 10 am Trail - Blackwells Mills. 25 miles of Delaware Raritan Canal trail. Meet at theCanal Park officeJulySaturday, 7/6 – 10 am Trail - okay, urban trail. Our annual trek down the west side of Manhattan starting in Fort Lee and rolling down the Hudson River trail to Battery Park. 22 miles.Sunday, 7/14 –10 am Road - Edgewater to Alpine along River Road. Depending on the heat, we may go to Nyack. 17-30 miles.Saturday, 7/20 – 10 am Mountain - Hartshorne Wood. Advanced beginner/Intermediate ride.Saturday, 7/27 – 10 am Trail - Bulls Island to Frenchtown along the Delaware, 18 miles. Bring a suit to jump in the river afterwards.AugustSaturday, 8/3 – 10 am Beginner - Montclair. Meet in Brookdale Park for an easy roll through suburbia – 15 miles.Saturday, 8/17 – 10 am Mountain AND Road – Round Valley. Both groups will meet and then split foreither an intermediate mountain ride or a 30 mile, hilly road ride. Afterwards, they will meet and compare who hurts more!Sunday, 8/25 – 12 noon Road - meet at the Paradise bar and pool in Asbury Park. Ride. Enjoy the pool with cocktails.SeptemberSaturday, 9/14 -10 am Beginner - A true beginner ride from Glen Rock through Upper Saddle River: slower pace, 15 miles.Saturday, 9/21 – 10 am Mountain - a beginner mountain bike ride at Allamuchy South for those of you who keep wondering what IS IT with mountain biking?Sunday, 9/29 - 10 am Far Hills - a great time to see the hills of Morris and Somerset. 42 miles.OctoberSaturday, 10/5 – 10 am Trail - High Bridge. An easy 15 mile trail through some beautiful woods, with one hill. Saturday, 10/19 - 10 am Road - Sussex County ramble with the trees turning. 25 miles.Sunday, 10/20 – 10 am Mountain - Ringwood State Park. Advanced skill mountain ride.NovemberSaturday, 11/2 – 10 am road - A 22 mile roll throughthe Great Swamp and Bernards Twp.Saturday, 11/9 – 10 am - Mountain - Huber Woods. An advanced beginner ride in Monmounth County 10. JAMIE FOX – NEW JERSEY’S FIRST OPENLY GAY CABINET OFFICER
James P. (“Jamie”) Fox is our first openly gay New Jersey
state cabinet officer, and
he brings more than two decades of public and community
service experience at both the
state and federal level to his new role as New Jersey's
Commissioner of Transportation.
Most
recently, Jamie Fox was President and Managing Partner of Winning Strategies, a
public
affairs consulting firm in Washington D.C. Prior to that, he served as
Executive
Director
of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC). From 1997 to 1999,
he was
Chief of Staff to United States Senator Robert Torricelli. Before that, Jamie
served
as his
Chief of Staff in the US House of Representatives from 1994 to 1996 and served
as
his
District Director from 1983 to 1987. Jamie was also State Director for United
States
Senator
Frank Lautenberg from 1989 to 1990.
Jamie
spent six years working in the New Jersey State House, starting in 1987 as
Director of
Intergovernmental
Affairs for the New Jersey State Senate. He returned to the State House in
1990 as
Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of day-to-day operations to Governor Jim Florio
and
continued
in that position until 1994.
A
graduate of St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Fox received his
B.A. from
Villanova
University in 1977. In 1991, he studied at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy
School
of Local and State Government. Recently, Fox was included in Roll Call's
"Fabulous
Fifty"
as one of the most influential people on Capitol Hill.
We wish
Jamie every success in his tenure as head of the New Jersey Department of
Transportation.
11. APRIL 10th: DAY OF SILENCE DRAWS CLOSER One Month and Counting Until the Day of Silence! The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) announced that it is leading the coordination of the Day of Silence Project, in partnership with the United States Student Association (USSA). The Day of Silence Project, which will take place on April 10, 2002, and is the largest youth-run lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) action in the country. In support, GLSEN has unveiled a new website, www.dayofsilence.org, to help young people in their organizing efforts. As the Day of Silence gets closer, look for GLSEN-NNJ updates regarding participation by local schools. The new website, located at www.dayofsilence.org, will provide information and updates on the Day of Silence Project as it approaches. The site includes resources for students and teachers, news briefs, and opportunities to connect with other schools embarking on
the initiative. 12. FOREST HILL (NEWARK): ROOM-MATES WANTED Roomates wanted to share beautiful victorian home in the beautiful Forest Hill section of Newark. Large rooms completely remodeled, 4 baths, plenty of closet space, close to all transportation and within walking distance of shopping centers, hospitals subways, buses, and glorious Branch Brook park. Great all year around. Rent is $575.00 & up. For information contact Sue 973-680-4800 x1179(work) or 973-350-1240 (home) or by email [email protected] or [email protected] 13. SUPPORT OUR SUPPORTERS!
We ask that you patronize the following businesses whose
cooperation and friendship
help make this newsletter possible:
"An Internet Cafe without the Cafe!"
344 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair NJ 07042
Tele: (973) 783-1777
Visit their website at
http://www.geocities.com/theworkstation2001/index.html
"Professional grant writers and program developers
working with progressive community
organizations"
344 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair NJ 07042
Tele: (973) 783-1777
Visit their website at
http://www.geocities.com/mygrantwriters/index.html
"Montclair's Premier Realtor & Relocation
consultant"
Tele: (973) 746-9200; Toll-free: (800)442-9668
Visit Jaan's website at
"Find a Gay or Lesbian or LGBT friendly realtor near
you ... serving the community's
needs without charge"
Toll-free Tele: 1-800-4 GAY-RELO (1-800-442-9735)
Visit their website at
http://www.crossroadsrelocation.com/
"Manage your own legal matters for a fraction of the
cost of hiring an attorney with
an Independent Paralegal Practitioner."
Tele: (973) 776-3902, ext. 3251
Visit their website at
http://www.geocities.com/uslaw2001/index.html
"Affordable, attractive and effective websites -
crafted by a graphic design professional
and promoted to assure you a global, 24/7 target demography.
Our websites work!"
Tele: (973) 776-3901, ext. 3351
Visit their website at
http://www.welcome.to/coursonweb
"Attractive Gifts for Gardeners: Whether You're Just a
Little sprout,Ripe 'n Ready, or
Completely Gone to Seed, You'll Love Our Gardening-Themed
T-Shirts. Weed 'em and reap!"
Visit their website at
http://www.articulategardener.com/
CUP & CHAUCER BOOKSSince the 1980’s Marina Cramer has brought to Montclair the town’s friendliest and most expertBookselling establishment. Now the personal, professional and prompt service that we’ve all grown accustomed to (Marina has simply spoiled us!) is available online. Visit her website for all your book-buying needs at:http:www.geocities.com/cupandchaucer OPTIONS GALLERYMontclair’s premier gallery of African, African-American and other folk and fine art: paintings,Prints, woodcarvings and textiles: a wide variety of mediums and their masters to suit everySophisticated taste. Vist Carmen’s website at:http://go.to/optionsgallery