Editor says never mind

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Today's earth-shaking, Page 1 news in The Record of Woodland Park is about gas-pipeline infrastructure in North Jersey -- so many supposedly ticking time bombs under our streets and homes. Yawn. A terrorist bomb plot in Oregon? Yawn. An animal shelter in South Jersey. Now, you've put me to sleep.


Saturday's earth-shaking news -- more spending by Black Friday shoppers -- was plastered all over Page 1. But today, you'll have to turn to Page A-7 to find out sales were up only 0.3% -- no big deal.


Still, Editor Francis Scandale and Editorial Page Editor Alfred P. Doblin know retail advertising revenue helps pay their inflated salaries, so there is a long editorial on O-2 today, frowning at the way Paramus officials put the kabosh on opening stores any earlier than 7 a.m. Friday.


Doblin doesn't even have the balls to acknowledge the paper's selfish interest in longer shopping hours and the extra ads they'd generate.

Also in the Opinion section (O-1), a Washington journalist who has written about the Hudson River rail tunnel project killed by Governor Christie lists its many good qualities, including the coveted one-seat ride into Manhattan and direct corridors to 13 subway lines.


In view of all the negative press the tunnel project got from Doblin and others at The Record, why weren't readers given a more-balanced picture months ago?

Head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes' Local section is almost devoid of municipal news today, in view of the 90 or so towns in the circulation area. But to compensate, she is running a lot of feel-good stories for the holiday season.


Restaurant Reviewer Elisa Ung didn't file a Sunday restaurant column for Better Living, so readers get only a wire-service story on "healthy" holiday cookies. How can they be healthy with a stick of butter in the recipe?

I know she is busy stuffing her face with desserts, baking cupcakes at home and eating restaurant leftovers for breakfast, but she could take a lesson from chief space-filler John Cichowski, who files extra Road Warrior columns before he goes on vacation. Any drivel will do.