The Morning Briefing - March 25, 2015
HUNTERDON COUNTY - Plenty of sunrise yoga in the park, crunchy red apples and bike rides along long, winding roads, as Hunterdon County is deemed the healthiest county in New Jersey, as part of a health survey being released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report examines how education, housing, violent crime, jobs, diet and exercise impact the health of people. Other strategic places to open a kale smoothie shop? Somerset, Morris, Bergen, and Middlesex counties.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY - Plenty of Twinkies, cigarettes, and midnight pizza runs washed down with Mountain Dew, as Cumberland County is considered the least healthy county in the state, as per the same study. Researchers say unhealthy places seem to comprise more smokers, teen births and alcohol-related motor vehicle accident deaths. Other strategic places to open a Cluck U chicken franchise? Atlantic, Camden, Salem, and Essex counties.
ATLANTIC CITY - Now it looks like the city is eating its own, with the Trump Taj Mahal trying to block the $18 million sale of Showboat to Stockton University. Trump says the waterfront property is only designated for use as a "first-class casino hotel." That would mean the down-and-out Showboat has been violating its zoning for at least two decades. Stockton U. is an up-and-comer in Atlantic City, a silver lining of good news for a city that could really use some. So, why hold up plans for jobs and opportunity in a section of boardwalk that has been left for dead?
BERKELEY TOWNSHIP - Save the Dinosaur! That's the rallying cry in South Jersey as residents are fighting to preserve the Bayville Dinosaur, named "Virginia," which has proudly stood guard on Route 9 for more than 80 years. The Asbury Park Press tells how a taxidermist erected the 12-foot brontosaurus to advertise his business. He's long gone - likely stuffed somewhere. But local folk say the dinosaur always served as the halfway marker between Atlantic City and New York. There's hope the new property owner will sell or donate Virginia to the local historical society.
NEWARK - You may think all the excitement is with that high-flying NCAA Tournament, but our eyes are on the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. What the heck is that, you ask? It doesn't really matter, because somehow NJIT is in the Elite Eight in this third-tier tourney, heading into a game Saturday at the Newark campus against some school called Canisius. This is a Cinderella season for the Highlanders (the NJIT mascot), after the team shocked the world by beating Michigan and announced a $100 million events center. Remember NJIT is the only Division 1 college that no conference wants. But things are changing for the Highlanders, now 20-11, and right in the thick of March Madness.
SCOTCH PLAINS - The town's recreation director doesn't report to the town - the entity that signs his paycheck. Rather, his boss is an independent, "non-partisan" group of volunteers who meet twice a month. So when the Scotch Plains Council voted to abolish the Recreation Commission and have the director report to Township Manager Al Mirabella, it seemed to make sense. Heck no, says a group of youth sports league leaders who claim Big Brother is now sitting squarely in their sandbox and refuses to share the shovel. They are circulating a petition: Let voters decide who is actually in charge of the recreation director. The big winner in all this? TAPintoScotchPlains-Fanwood, which is being pounded with Letters to the Editor and a spike in readership since the council's controversial vote on March 17.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
SOMERSET, Pa. - Ignoring jury notices was not a big deal for a Pennsylvania man - until he showed up in court for a custody hearing for his kid. The judge was unimpressed that the man was able to find the courthouse to argue custody issues, but managed to ignore a total of 11 notices for jury duty. The judge says that's equivalent to a $500 fine and 10 days in jail for each time he blew off jury duty. The Daily American reports the judge ultimately slapped the guy with a $500 fine, and suspended a seven-day jail sentence - if he makes sure he never again tosses those court notices.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was one year ago today that Girl Scout Katie Francis broke the record for selling cookies - managing to take orders for 18,107 boxes over a seven-week period. No clue what happened to little Katie in the past year, although we assume she is now working the phones at Amway.
WORD OF THE DAY
Crapulence - noun
Definition: While some users of the word believe it is a synonym for smoldering excrement, it is actually defined as "discomfort from eating or drinking too much."
Example: "Ugh, I'm suffering from a bout of crapulence today, after eating 18,107 boxes of cookies. Damn that little Katie Francis!"