Thank you Maureen, We're still willing to fight

Thank you so much Maureen for getting that very important info for us. The most important fact is that A DECISION HAS NOT YET BEEN MADE.

That being said we believe that there should be no meeting with Mentor. Any meeting with them symbolizes giving up on our part.

Our meeting should be with state reps only. The meeting should also include anyone who still believes that this is a bad idea. We have said from the beginning that our strength lies in numbers. We believe that it is time to rally again. Mentor will not give up. Our only hope is that the state will see our point of view and choose a more suitable location for these kids.

We firmly believe that any other negotiations right now are pointless. Our message should only be "figure out another location, this one is not acceptable".

This is our opinion. If you agree, and you think that we can gather a lot of support, please post here that you agree. If we are completely off base and the majority of the neighborhood feels that this group home is acceptable, we will stop stressing out over this and be done with it.

Thank you,
Mark and Lynda Markel

Carole Deutch-Wright called me back and she said she definitely wants to meet with me/us, the Community, but not in numbers like the township meeting. I agreed only that I would post this to our forum and get back to her. I said I was not willing to have or have there or meet with NJMentor, but only with her, her dept., supervisors and our municipal township authorities. I stated that NJMentor is O.U.T. as far as I was concerned. I understood the chaos that could occur, and I assured her that, although I will not deny ANY CH community member in being made aware of or attending, we could come up with a panel of spokespersons/speakers only, and if someone who is not on that panel wanted to add to our meeting with facts/concerns/input, they would need to pass a note (not speak) .

So................respond or email to this now. Wanna be group 1 (speakers/spokesperson), group 2 (in attendance), or group 3 (other)?

She stated that this could be scheduled at OUR convenience. Jim, Jay, Andy -- what's a good day/time for you. Morning/Noon or Night ? Nannette -- I think you'd be a great asset. Who else wants on board with this particular meeting? Group II (immediate neighbors) are the Gornowskis, Chenets, Reinhardts, Bovitos, Reeses.

I say we postpone (indefinitely) NJMentor's Tuesday meeting ... and go with this one first.


Maureen
1109

Absolutely right decision,
We have already said that the meetng with Mentor will be pointless and will make us look like we are acepting this house.
Let us meet with the State reps only, we will defenetely be there.
Lana, Alex (1105).

I agree entirely with the Markels. Also AndyB made an excellent point about picketing. Maybe we should - just to be difficult. Also, we must continue to ride our representatives at all levels and remind them that they work for us. I'm sure many of you know darn good and well how politics works. If the township wanted to keep these people out...they could. Maybe not in a conventional way, but by continuing to nit-pick code things and slow the whole process to a crawl. For instance, maybe the wiring in the house- hmmm, not to code. When that's done, maybe some of the wood needs replacing. Oh, you didn't use the right nails...do it again. Oh, gee, you didn't caulk this well enough. These outlets need to be replaced with the GFI outlets. Someone will be out 2 months from now between 8am and 6 pm to reinspect.

Get my point?! Perhaps if we/township become a big enough pain in the fanny for these people they will take the path of least resistance and leave!

No Mentor meeting.
Keep emailing your politicians people!!
Keep up the good work!!!

I would like to be on the panel as long as it is agreed that no negotiations will take place. My stand will continue to be that this type of group home is not acceptable for a neighborhood setting. Trying to negotiate about numbers of employees, salaries, etc... will be pointless. This "for profit" business is not going to let us dictate their bottom line. Not to mention the fact that they have already shown us their decietful business practices.

I also feel that a peaceful public display outside of the meeting will be beneficial if we can rally enough people. Can we rally the people??

Mark Markel

HOO RAH! I'll be there as a peaceful demonstrator!

Disregard anything I have said in the past about being a bleeding heart liberal. I am now Mad as Hell and I'm not going to Take it any more".

I received a denial this morning for my OPRA request for a copy of the contact between The State of NJ and NJ Mentor. The reason:

Contract under negotiation and not yet executed.

I think this is a good thing. I agree no contact with NJ Mentor.
This would be pointless.

I work 12 hr shifts so I can only meet after 8pm on days that I work. I am available Tues and Thurs. during the day next week.

Believe,
Nannette

To: CaroleDortch-Wright, Deputy Director
[email]carole.dortchwright@dcf.state.nj.us[/email]

Cc: (via email)
Mayor Berni Platt
Assemblyman Louis Greenwald, Assemblywoman Patricia Lampitt

***********************************************************
Hi Carole!

After our conversation(s) yesterday and our mutual agreement that we need to meet, I stopped by Cherry Hill Public Library, Kings Highway, today (9/19) and spoke to Katie Hardesty (Director of PR & Special Events) to inquire as to the possibility of reserving a meeting room for the purpose of expressing our concerns with regard to our Cherry Hill Group Homes. We discussed and agreed that NJMentor will not be invited to this meeting. We would be delighted to have Commissioner Ryan attend and I have copied Mayor Platt, Assemblywoman Lampitt and Assemblyman Greenwald in an effort to have all represented. Please let me know who, from the State of New Jersey, will be attending. Our tentative plans are to have only 12 representatives of our citizens attend and speak, with at least 20 other non-speaking citizens in attendance.


The Multicultural Room (capacity 20 with tables 40 theater style) is available on the following dates and times:


Please get back to me before Friday, or this forum will not be available. If this is not accommodating to you and our other NJ officials, we welcome other mutually suggested places, dates and/or times.

Thanks in advance.

Maureen Gornowski
1109 W. Valleybrook Road

856-795-1460

Hello All:

We would like to attend this mtg. We think the meeting with the state will be more beneficial than mtg with NJ Mentor. We should have an agenda and rehearsed line of articulate arguments so that the issues are clearly and precisely stated so that they get the point and allow as few side tracks as possible.

Esther & Carlos Ingravera

The following is what I could type quick enough to report to you.
========================================

Telephone Conference on Sept. 19th/ 2:08

With Dr. Nadia Robinson & and Carole Dortch-Wright
==================================================
Carole said she was concerned with my email – concern being -- mainly the no. of people. They would like something smaller. I stated that 15 of that 40 were immediate neighbors. She would like to see it under 30.

====================================

Dr. Nadia made it Loud and Clear – They are the policy makers / her recommendations / her department / she has heard concerns and talked with many / also knew a lot less after the township meeting than before – she had many side bars of varying opinions – and it is obvious that the community has lots of misinformation – the point is to take the temperature of community and to asses how the kids would be received – these are not advocacy meetings. Our rights have been heard – extending herself to that type of previous forum is not going to happen – she needs to make a decision – what’s safe for the community to know – genuine facts – on the basis of real information – meetings are about the questions and the answers / based on fact and not misinformation.

This is an opportunity to hear further answers to things that remained unanswered. Folks walked away with untruths. She will have NJMentor representatives there.

If the purpose of the meeting is to not to give and receive information – then we don’t need to be together. She welcomes a sharing of information and we will learn more things and then have the full opportunity to give them their genuine answers.

She would like the truth – to have specific and detailed questions – to respond to -- rather than why this Group Home shouldn’t be there. If that is the consensus, then state that and she will make her recommendation now and not give facts and information to us. If that is all what this meeting is about and to be stated, then this meeting will not happen. She said she certainly welcomed that statement and consensus if it based on facts.
-------------------------------------
Carole is going to call our Assembly office in an effort to have the meeting there and sooner, rather than later. She will get back to me with that.

===============
Maureen
==================
What is the consensus? Go forward with the meeting? If not, then what?

Secretary reporting for now and out.

Well, If the fine Doctor Nadia insists on Mentor being there and also insists that this meeting be about information sharing, and not about how "we don't want it there", then I guess we have a few options and courses of action:

1. We go to the meeting, behave, and listen to the PR show that Mentor and the State will have for us. (BTW, make sure you bring a dictionary, because the fancy politically correct medical terms for future criminals will be flying...) The purpose of this type of meeting, of course, is to convince us that this is a good idea for us, the community, etc....yeah, right.

2. We go to the meeting and have a "meaningful" discussion with them, which of course is us telling them that we don't want them there and they aren't welcome today, tomorrow, or ever. They won't like it, but at least we had another forum to get the word to them. Especially given that the nice Doctor will be there and she has to make a recomendation.

3. We tell them to forget the meeting because we're not interested their propaganda. The house isn't welcome in the neighborhood and to please see to it that our wishes are carried out.

4. The odds of number one happening is almost zero because I'm not convinced a group of us, whether it be 5 or 50, will be able to constrain ourselves from attacking them anyway.

5. If we do actually attend the meeting (scenario #1) with an honest attempt to listen to the "facts" as they call them, we may actually get more ammunition to use against them. Maybe. Of course if we do get that ammunition, the integrity of the meeting will obviously break down and we are back to scenario number #2 anyway...

6. I'm not really sure what's the best course of action here, I'll have to think about it for a few...

7. Please disregard any typos, misspellings etc, I stink at typing, I'm a much better talker...

Jay

We need to have the meeting either way. Listen to what they have to say and politely stand our ground that this is a bad idea and we don't want it. Like Jay said, at least it will give us one more forum to let them know how we feel.

Do you want to submit a petition of dissenters signatures to Nadia Robinson?

A petition of neighbors who oppose the group home would be helpful, I'm sure. It sure couldn't hurt.

First of all, I would like to thank the individual who placed the flyer in my door. I did not know of this forum, nor had I found a way to actively participate.

I agree it is not over, nor should it be. Until they actually move people in there exists a possibility the decision could be reversed. We are all interested in a safe environment in which to live and raise our children and THAT IS WHY WE MOVED HERE/LIVE HERE.

That is worth fighting for until the end.
Organization will be key and this is a great forum to organize our next steps.

Just an update to my fellow CH neighbors --
Here's my recent email to
The Deputy Director of the Commissioner's office --

KEEP CALLING
=======================

Hi Carole!



With the holy Jewish holiday, scheduling conflicts amongst our forum so far, and inability for me to contact other critical representative speakers, I can not, at this time, confirm this Tuesday's Meeting at Mentor in Mt. Laurel at 7:00 p.m. [I will not cancel, at this time, the possible CHLibrary dates in case we agree we may still need that meeting location room.]

I will surely keep you informed as to any further information/confirmation I receive, and will email (or call) you when I have more concrete information from the folks on this end.

Sincerely,[/size]

Maureen Gornowski

9/22 at 3:00 p.m.

==================================

To be continued........
Watch the forum..............
or email someone for updated information:bball:

Thanks for getting back to me.
I will inform to the best of my ability.

Maureen
3:33



<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">-------------- Original message --------------
From: Carole Dortch-Wright <carole.dortchwright@dcf.state.nj.us>







Maureen – Got your email. I have talked with residents who will attend. Remember we are having an informal exchange meeting. We look forward to hearing concerns and responding to the many questions and rumors existing. Remember, our Commissioner has not made a decision yet. We look forward to this meeting Tuesday.



I understand also that you have information in front of your home about the meeting. With this being a very important issue, I’m certain people will attend even if they hear about it on Monday. Thanks for all your help. Please know that your neighbors care greatly about you.



With respect to the RFP, I am still trying to obtain it. It is no longer on our web site because it was announced a while ago. I will have to go into archives to retrieve it. That is one of the things I came into my office today to get for you. I understand also that someone from your neighborhood has already requested it through the freedom of information process. I will continue but I want you to be clear that I am referring to the general RFP that was announced to the world and not the signed contract with NJ Mentor.





Carole

=======================
</BLOCKQUOTE>