The Jaffe Briefing - May 3, 2017
BEDMINSTER – He’s coming, and it sucks. There were high hopes that President Trump would decide to just stick it out in Washington or find some other place to spend his weekends apparently reconnecting with the First Lady. But, sorry, it looks like he is definitely coming to New Jersey, jamming up the roads and somehow costing us taxpayers a bunch of money. NJ.com reports the FAA has issued an updated “Temporary Flight Restriction” for tomorrow through Sunday, classifying the airspace over Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster as "national defense airspace." Ugh. We are now stuck with a 10-mile “security ring,” as roads around Somerset Airport in Bedminister and Solberg Airport in Readington will be closed as New Jersey braces for a completely unnecessary, expensive and unwanted visit. And this is just the beginning.
STATEWIDE – Perhaps the days of indentured servitude are finally over in New Jersey, as the state is promoting a program to help employers actually pay their summer interns. The state is throwing $1.5 million into a program and given it a jazzy name: “Many Paths, One Future Internship Grant.” The program will reimburse employers 50 percent on wages paid to the interns, up to $1,500. A smart way to get the kids off the couch, out the door and somewhere else.
BAYONNE – Commuters have endured all the construction on the Bayonne Bridge for four years. But, beginning this summer, it will all be worth it. Politico reports the world’s largest container ships will finally be able to reach the Port of New York and New Jersey by July, when the $1.6 billion project to raise the 85-year-old span will allow the biggest vessels to pass under it. Huge news for the ports in Newark and Elizabeth, which should certainly expect a spike in work and help fuel the local economy for some serious urban revitalization. This is a much, much bigger story than many realize.
SOUTH JERSEY – If you start receiving phone calls from area code “640,” don’t immediately assume it is some foreign guy trying to sell you Viagra or a new mortgage. New Jersey will soon be warmly welcoming its latest area code – 640 – which will help take over some of the burden on 609. It seemed, at one point, that 609 did a great job covering all the backwater South Jersey towns. But, as even your pet dog has his own phone and fax numbers, 609 will likely be maxed out by the end of next year, prompting the impending need for 640.
CLINTON – The Hamburglar has apparently struck again. Local cops are trying to find out who kidnapped a life-size statue of Ronald McDonald from a bench in front of a local McDonald’s on Center Street. The caper unfolded April 24, NJ.com reports, when workers began refurbishing the joint. At some point, over the next day or so, Mr. McDonald vanished. The statue weighs around 250 pounds, and isn’t the easiest thing to haul away and hide. The franchise owner is offering a $500 reward for the safe return. He’s obviously not clowning around.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
QUEENS, NY – Some choose to remember a lost loved one by lighting a candle. Others, like an NYC man, is on a mission to flush the cremated remains of his lifelong friend – a plumber – down the toilets of ballparks across the nation. The New York Times reports the man typically waits for the first pitch and then makes his way to the bathroom, where he pulls out a little plastic bottle, sprinkles his friend’s ashes into the toilet and then goes WHOOSH. The pair are from – of course – Flushing Meadows.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 2010 that United and Continental airlines announced they would merge, creating the world's most unfriendly business.
WORD OF THE DAY
Minatory – [min-uh-tawr-ee] – adjective
Definition: Menacing, threatening
Example: Waking up at 5 a.m. to write this, I wore an ill-omened and minatory look.
WEATHER IN A WORD
Breezy