The Jaffe Briefing - February 28, 2019
NEWARK - Here, have a sandwich. That simple act of kindness is what fuels Bridges Outreach, a non-profit that brings volunteers into the heart of Newark, Irvington and NYC to directly help the homeless where they live. This street outreach hands out 65,000 brown bag meals, 10,000 pairs of socks and underwear, 7,500 toiletry kits and tons of clothing each year. Richard Uniacke, executive director of Bridges Outreach, says the non-profit has made a tremendous impact, but is only scratching the surface. He explains why, in this week's episode of the Jaffe Podcast.
EN ROUTE TO DC - It's time for the 82nd-annual annual "Walk to Washington," as hundreds of politicians and business leaders chug on down to the nation's capital on a chartered Amtrak this morning to shake a hand, find a relevant conversation point, tell a light joke, pass a business card and then repeat that process 174 more times before the train rolls into Union Station at 3:25 p.m. For those who need the brush up on your etiquette, try this guide to the do's and don'ts of this annual ritual from InsiderNJ.
TRENTON - Is it time for New Jersey property taxpayers to celebrate? Apparently so, reports NJ Spotlight. Although we famously pay the highest property taxes in the nation - and perhaps the civilized world - the rate has climbed less than 1 percent in the past year, the smallest bump in decades. Still, we are highest in the average amount paid, tax as a percentage of home value and per capita property tax. Where does your town stand in the mix? Click here for NJ Spotlight's handy-dandy map.
FRANKLIN - Wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat evokes plenty of emotion these days. But it should never get anyone, much less an 81-year-old man, physically assaulted. Yet, the Somerset County prosecutor tells NJ.com that a 19-year-
MORRIS TOWNSHIP - Five high schools. 80 teens. And the booze was flowing. Yet the homeowner told cops he was "unaware" that a kegger was raging right under his nose last Friday. NJ 101.5 tells the unbelievable story of how cops busted up the big bash, with some kids sprinting away, while 69 were rounded up. Cops then had a little chat with this homeowner, who claimed the entire shindig in his house was complete news to him. Now, this house isn't some sprawling mansion, with plenty of grounds. It's a basic house on a basic lot, where booze-infused teens could likely be heard for blocks. The homeowner got hit with a disorderly persons charge for having an under-age boozefest. But, perhaps, the judge may also require he wear eyeglasses, hearing aids and undergo top-down tests of his other three senses.
MILLTOWN - "Jeopardy!" is for brainiacs, but "Family Feud" is the TV game show for down-to-earth folks like the Wathen family, proudly representing this small borough on last night's episode. Christine, Greg, Kayla and Zach Wathen, and a cousin from Kentucky won the $20,000 jackpot in the "Fast Money" round. Christine, a Middlesex County College business professor, tells the Home News Tribune it "was an amazing experience" to tape the show in Los Angeles last June and watch all the magic happen.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Bottom feeders fighting over bottom feeders? An argument over crab legs at a dinner buffet boiled over into a brawl, with two locals using service tongs like swords on Friday. A Huntsville cop happened to be eating at the Meteor Buffet, for the $10.58-a-plate special, when the scuffle ensued. The cop told WHNT-TV that impatient diners had been waiting in line for crab legs for up to 20 minutes, someone cut someone in line and everyone went berserk. Some lady was pounding on some guy, as plates shattered, fish went flying and this cop had to remove his lobster bib and break it all up.
MARYVILLE, TN. - A local worker thought he would have a ball by dipping his testicles into an order of salsa, cops say. The 31-year-old employee for a food delivery service is accused of doing the deed on January 21 for a customer who ordered from a Mexican restaurant, WBIR-TV reported. There's a video of this, of course, in which you can hear someone else giggling and saying, "This is what you get when you give an 89-cents tip for an almost-30-minute drive." The man, with the testicles, responds: "Oh, it feels so good!" Company officials are now describing this driver as a "rogue independent contractor." The suspect now faces charges for the "adulteration of food." That's a new one.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 2017 that Gov. Chris Christie announced his big plans to try and yank at least $300 million in reserves from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. Huh? How? Because of a loophole in which Horizon is the only private non-profit health insurance carrier headquartered in New Jersey, somehow entitling the state through potential legislation to raid its surplus. (The effort failed.)
WORD OF THE DAY
Churlish – [churl·ish] – adjective
Definition: Marked by a lack of civility or graciousness, surly
Example: My son had a churlish tone when I told him to shut off the damn Xbox.
WIT OF THE DAY
"Never miss a good chance to shut up." - Will Rogers
WEATHER IN A WORD
Brightening
THE NEW 60
A Jaffe Briefing exclusive by Andy Landorf & John Colquhoun
