This has been quite a week at the Trenton Journal. We held our first candidate Meet and Greet with the Trenton Branch of the NAACP, where candidates running for various wards throughout the city had the opportunity to express their hopes and plans for city council at Shiloh Baptist Church. First, I want to thank everyone who participated in the event including Damian G. Malave (South Ward City Council), Merkle Cherry (North Ward City Council), and Divine Allah (North Ward City Council). Candidates wont be certified by the city clerk until September, but I think it's never too early to speak to the people that you want to elect you into office. There's a lot at stake both nationally and locally. People can't afford to sit on the sidelines and not let their voice be heard.
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Given the dismal turn out of the 2018 election with voter participation at around 22%, it's apparent that things need to change. Giving candidates a platform to engage with residents and to tell their own story and providing people an opportunity to register to vote is a part of my civic engagement. We look forward to our next candidate meet and greet on July 26 from 6 pm to 8 pm for at-large city council prospective candidates at Shiloh Baptist Church. Contact Kenneth@TrentonJournal.com or the TrentonBranchNAACP@gmail.com for more information. Don't let anyone take your power away. Stay informed and stay engaged in order to make the best decision when you cast your ballot on November 8th.
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I believe it's important to share our highs and our lows. Last week was extremely stressful for me, but when I received news that Edson Garcia who participated in our "My Trenton Story" series was recently honored it made my day. Garcia received a resolution and a visit from New Jersey Senator Shirley Turner at his celebration party after she read his powerful story in the Trenton Journal of overcoming personal obstacles to land a full scholarship at Princeton University. It reminded me of why I do what I do. Congrats, Edson the world is yours!
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My bigger vision for the Trenton Journal is to have this newsletter ultimately ran by the residents of the city. I want to know what's important to you. What's not being covered in mainstream outlets? What stories would you like to see covered? What are the information gaps in the city and how can we address them? That's one of the reasons why a survey was designed to help Trenton Journal learn more about the concerns and lives of the people in our community so that we can better serve your needs. It is focused around how you live, what you are worried about, and how you use news.
The questions should be easy to answer and the entire survey will take less than 10 minutes. Your participation is voluntary and you can choose to skip any question. Your responses will be anonymous and pooled with those of hundreds of other people who will be taking the survey. For more information about the collection of data please go to bit.ly/TrentonSurveyIRB.
This study was designed and will be analyzed in consultation with the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University, an organization whose mission is to grow and strengthen local journalism, and in doing so serve New Jersey citizens. Forty (40) randomly selected people who fill out this survey will receive a $25 gift card. Only one entry per person. (Please note, an email address must be provided at the end of the survey to receive the gift card; email addresses will NOT be used for any other purpose without your permission.)
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✉️ Got questions, story ideas or comments, contact: Kenneth@trentonjournal.com
