Hamilton Mayor Kelly Yaede puts it all on the line

From Jeff Edelstein:

Hamilton Mayor Kelly Yaede does not lack for confidence.

I say this in the most armchair psychologist way imaginable, having talked to her a few days after she was sworn in as mayor. See, I’ve talked to a handful of first-time mayors days after moving into their offices, and all of them had a little bit of the deer-in-the-headlights thing going on. Yaede, however, looked like she belonged.

And that “belonging” sentiment is something many Hamilton watchers, residents and township Republicans have long whispered about Yaede: She was, for many people, mayoral material. Born and raised Hamiltonian. Familiar face. Respected councilwoman.

And now, after a near-literal whirlwind of activity, Yaede finds herself sitting on top of the Hamilton political mountain...

Robbinsville and school district's negotiations falter, head toward super-conciliator

From Mike Davis at the Times:

Negotiations between the school district and its teachers are heading to a super-conciliator, marking nearly 18 months of unsuccessful negotiations.

The move to a super-conciliator, who would be appointed by the Public Employment Relations Commission, follows a period of talks with an appointed “fact finder,” who was unable to bring the two sides to agreement and did not have the power for force a pact. In November, state-appointed fact-finder Martin Schienman recommended the sides agree on a 1.5 percent salary increase that would have taken effect on June 30 of this year. There would not have been any retroactive payments...