Local activist organizes voter drive in Hillside
Cook: 'Many people are motivated' this year
Friday, September 19, 2008
BY JASON JETT
Star-Ledger Staff
George Cook of Hillside has a four-year-old website titled "Let's Talk Honestly." In his politically charged town, that is a bold invitation.
In addition to promoting contemporary literature and addressing African-American socio-political issues on the site,
www.letstalkhonestly.com , Cook has been active in his community. This summer he held a children's poetry contest, and he is a youth basketball coach.
Tomorrow afternoon Cook is coordinating a voter registration drive at the Hillside Public Library, from noon to 2 p.m.
"I've been trying to be active, and with the presidential election coming up I decided to do this," he said.
Cook was unsuccessful in his own attempt at elected office last spring, finishing sixth in a 10-candidate field for the local school board.
"When I ran for the board, less than one percent of the total population decided who gets to make choices for our children," he said. "Maybe we can get more people to vote now.
"Many people are motivated," he added. "A black man or a white woman will be elected president or vice president. It's an historic vote."
Cook said tomorrow's event makes voter registration convenient for residents, noting it is being held on a weekend and at a central location.
"It's for people who need a little push," he added. "It's close to home, so people do not have to drive too far."
The drive coordinator said he simply is responding to a high level of public interest.
"A lot of people are talking about this election," said Cook. "People are talking politics a lot more than usual. You always hear talk about Hillside politics, but now it's national.
"People are talking about the is sues," he added. "Health care. The energy crisis. Drilling off shore. Stuff you normally don't hear about at the barber shop."
Cook stressed people do not have to live in Hillside to complete voter registration forms at tomor row's event.
The deadline to register to be eligible to vote in the November general election is Oct. 14. Anyone who will be 18 or older on Nov. 4 is eligible to register and vote.
The Hillside League of Women Voters is to conduct voter registra tion during the township's 2d An nual Street Fair, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 27 near the municipal park/ pool complex on Central Avenue.
Elsewhere, the Plainfield Alumni Chapter of the Kappa Alpha Phi fraternity is conducting a voter drive 5 to 8:45 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays through Oct. 9 at the Plainfield Public Library.
In that city on Tuesday the local People's Organization for Progress will continue a voter registra tion drive 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Front Street and Park Avenue. Ste ven Hatcher, a leader of the community action group, said it has registered more than 50 people to date by staffing an information table weekly in the city.
Posted By: George Cook
Friday, September 19th 2008 at 8:38PM
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