The Morning Briefing - November 5, 2015
BLOOMFIELD – In what has become a New Jersey tradition, voters have elected another dead school board member. Last year, it was a dead Salem woman who earned 682 votes, as the ballot was printed before she died. This year, it was a Bloomfield lawyer who collected 29 percent of the vote, coming in third in an uncontested election. He died Oct. 21, yet amassed 1,308 votes on Tuesday.
PATERSON — Can an ex-con serve on the school board? That’s what Paterson is trying to figure out, with the election of Kevin Michael Henry, who rose to notoriety for heckling Gov. Chris Christie, yelling for him to “fix the schools!” at a public forum. The Paterson Press reports Henry clinched a seat on the school board, after being sentenced to four years in the slammer for theft of deception and forgery in 1991. Can he serve?
IN THE CLASSROOM – It’s unclear what teachers talk about at the annual NJEA convention in Atlantic City, happening today. But maybe there will be chatter over the mojitos about all the student teachers soon descending on classrooms. The state is making it tougher to become a teacher, with teachers-in-training now needing to do 175 hours of “clinical work” in an actual classroom before they can begin a full semester of student teaching. Having extra hands in the classroom would be welcomed relief for overwhelmed teachers, even though they surgically have eyes in the back of their heads. But this new regulation is just another reason for potential teachers to seek a career where noses don’t run.
NEW BRUNSWICK—The mayors from South Brunswick, Old Bridge, Milltown, Spotswood and South River will head to Forsgate Country Club tomorrow at 8 a.m. to set aside their campaign slogans and talk about real stuff: economic and transportation policy and the benefits of community volunteerism. The gathering is part of an ongoing "Meet the Mayors" series hosted by the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce. Hey, maybe they can even let us know how we should properly dispose of those lawn signs. Find out more at www.mcrcc.org.
TRENTON – Of all the pressing issues in one of New Jersey’s most struggling cities, it is interesting the City Council will be spending time tonight debating if the state should legalize marijuana. The Trenton Times notes a guy busted with a joint could end up in jail, lose his job, get his license suspended and spend up to $1,225 in fines. Yes, that’s a real downer. But been to Trenton lately? Should this topic be a priority of the City Council?
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – Gov. Chris Christie is balancing on the bubble in his campaign for President, without the poll numbers to get on the main stage for the Fox Business Network’s Nov. 10 debate. He needed 2.5 percent of poll support, but only garnered 2 percent in yesterday’s Fox News poll. But, God bless his soul, the man doesn’t give up. This morning, Christie was featured on CBS national news for advocating policies to fight drug addiction, talking about a 52-year-old friend who died from pills and booze. That’s 3.34 million viewers – almost three times the size of New Hampshire’s population – according to our firm’s handy-dandy database.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
SAN MARCOS, Texas – If dogs could talk, perhaps we would know more about how a pit bull disappeared in Texas in May and just resurfaced in northern California – about 2,000 miles away. “Thor” ran away when the family fled its home during flooding. Cops just found him wandering in Crescent City, Calif.; his microchip identified him. Thor’s family can’t afford the estimated $1,500 to ship him home. Perhaps Thor can figure it out on his own.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
After visiting us on Oct. 21, it was this day that Marty McFly was back in good old 1955.
WORD OF THE DAY
Ineffable - adjective
Definition: Too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words
Example: There is ineffable natural beauty in the Newark skyline.