What’s Dave up to?

More than a dozen years ago, I spent a few minutes wandering around Middlesex Borough Hall, looking for the office of then-Mayor John Fuhrmann.

My elderly mom had encountered bureaucratic red tape and I was seeking advice on how to cut through it. The mayor invited me to sit down and we discussed the matter. During the course of our chat, my journalistic occupation came up. 

“Why don’t you start a newspaper in Middlesex?” Mayor Fuhrmann asked. “Nobody seems to know what’s going on in town.”

The once-beloved Middlesex Chronicle was a memory by that time. The mayor lamented that a degree of civic awareness disappeared with it. He had a point. Middlesex residents needed a go-to place to find out the goings-on with their local government.

It took me more than 12 years, but I’ve finally gotten around to it. But it won’t be the old paper format that comes to your mailbox. This internet address is now the home of Inside – Middlesex, which will offer online news about local events and what’s up with the mayor and borough council. The goal is to post new material several times per week. Occasionally, that could even be on several consecutive days. Check back often.

My intent is to make it more than just a recap of council meetings. We don’t live in a silo. Occasionally, Inside – Middlesex will venture beyond our town’s borders to check what’s going on next door in places like Bound Brook, Warren and Piscataway. All those housing units being constructed nearby have consequences for us, as do other towns’ political battles.

There are other Middlesex people out there with interesting things to say. Maybe we’Il give them the microphone as a guest writer from time to time.

I won’t be endorsing candidates or telling people how to vote. You can figure that out yourselves, but hopefully the material you find here will help you make that decision. I will be giving my opinion on issues and events from time to time. The Middlesex politicos, I’m sure, are looking forward to that.

Occasionally, we’ll take a look back at the events in our recent past. Some might say, “Enough of you-know-who.” I know they really don’t mean that. The views counter on Pundit goes off the charts whenever “you-know-who” is the topic.

Speaking of my other blog, Pundit, it’s not going away. It will still be home to special projects from time to time. 

The vast majority of content on Inside – Middlesex, will be free. Occasionally, a post may have a paywall seeking a nominal charge to read. After all, there are bills connected with all of this. If that bothers you, scroll past and just read the free stuff. I won’t be offended.

By the way, If you have a nostalgia craving, you can feed it with a 1976 copy of the original Middlesex Chronicle delivered straight to your front porch. It only costs $29.95 plus $4.99 shipping on eBay to read front page news packaged as only the Chronicle could. Right next to articles headlined “Pool membership gains momentum” and “Wood Avenue businesses protest road conditions” is another tagged, “Search on for rapist.”

Hopefully, this is a sufficient explanation. As I noted earlier, check back often. It won’t be boring. How could it be? How many other towns of 14,000 people have been home to atomic bomb research, numerous floods, an indicted mayor and a fugitive alligator?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and for your past support.