Conference at WPU on October 17th

My students get extra credit for attending:

THE NICHOLAS MARTINI CONFERENCE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT

At a Crossroads: Urban and Suburban Identities in New Jersey Politics and Culture
Monday, October 17, 2005
8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. • 1600 Valley Road Auditorium
FREE FOR STUDENTS

THEME
In New Jersey, perhaps more than anywhere else, politics have been shaped by the overlapping of urban, suburban, and rural ideals and constituencies. Over the course of its history, the state has built up an incredible number of municipalities —566 at last count—and a dizzying array of political and administrative structures for allocating assets, resources, and responsibilities. In the conference’s morning session, historians will discuss New Jersey’s unique situation, focusing on the complex political interactions of urban and suburban communities. The key role of former Mayor Nicholas Martini of Passaic will be highlighted. The afternoon panel of elected public officials will discuss the pragmatic realities and challenges of growth and sustainability faced by twenty-first century Garden State residents.


SPEAKERS

Lizabeth Cohen, “The Heartland of the Consumers’ Republic: New Jersey’s Landscape of Mass Consumption”

Professor Cohen is the Howard Mumford Jones Professor of American Studies in the History Department of Harvard University. Her recent works include A Consumers’ Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America, in which New Jersey figures prominently.

Michael H. Ebner, “Becoming Nicholas Martini in Twentieth Century America: A Passaic Story”.

Professor Ebner is the A.B. Dick Professor of History at Lake Forest College where he has received several awards for excellence in teaching. He was born in Paterson and raised in Clifton and Passaic. His doctoral dissertation focused on the urbanization of Passaic.

William J. Martini (Commentator), Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Prior to his appointment as judge of the United States District Court, Martini held elected offices in Clifton and Passaic County. From 1995-97, he was a representative from New Jersey’s Eighth Congressional District in the 104th United States Congress. He is the nephew of former Passaic Mayor Nicholas Martini.


PANELISTS

Michael Aron (Moderator), Senior Political Correspondent, New Jersey Public Television & Radio (New Jersey Network). Aron cohosts and produces Reporters Roundtable with Michael Aron and frequently hosts On the Record, NJN’s weekly public affairs program.

Nia H. Gill, New Jersey State Senator. Prior to her election to the New Jersey State Senate, Gill served as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1993 to 2001.

Scott Rumana, Mayor of Wayne. Rumana is an attorney completing his first term as mayor of Wayne. Prior to his election, he was a Passaic County freeholder and held various township offices.

Jose Torres, Mayor of Paterson. A former businessman and official in the Paterson Housing Authority and City Council, Torres became the first Latino elected mayor of Paterson in 2002.