Editors play Obama blame game

Joe Cerniglia, chef-owner of Campania in Fair Lawn, jumped to his death in September 2010. On Friday, a restaurant review of its replacement didn't even mention his name.

Suspects facing criminal charges -- including a wealthy Republican lawmaker from Bergen County who landed on Page 1 today -- will say anything to justify their alleged crimes.

But all those bored editors at The Record and other media are under no obligation to print every one of those  idiotic statements.

Too bad Editor Marty Gottlieb's desperate need to sensationalize the news won out today at the Woodland Park daily, where a big, black A-1 headline calls $400,000 in bad checks a "mistake."

It gets worse. 

Assemblyman Robert Schroeder "is blaming President Obama and the poor economy for his financial and legal problems," according to the first paragraph of the news story, which is paired with a political column.

You have to plow through the text all the way to the continuation page (A-8) before Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chisea is quoted as saying Schroeder allegedly acted deliberately, bouncing "numerous checks ... that were written to two people who invested large sums of money" in the lawmaker's company.

Some "mistake."

Road rage

Why are drivers charged only $5 at the Tappan Zee Bridge, but $12 at bridges operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (A-4)?

Check out the photo with today's editorial, showing the GOP's Laurel and Hardy presidential campaign team in Colorado -- including absentee New Jersey Governor Christie (A-11).

Chickening out

On the front of head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes' Local section, same-sex couples came to their senses, failing to show up for a "kiss-in" at Chick-fil-A in Paramus (L-1).

Doctors had advised them against wasting money on low-quality fast food filled with harmful animal antibiotics.

School is out

Englewood Councilman Eugene Skurnick voted against the Garfield Boys & Girls Club taking over operation of the Mackay Park ice arena, citing the latter city's "poor schools." 

But nowhere in the L-1 story does Sykes mention Englewood's decades-long reputation for "poor schools," which prompted the removal of virtually all white students.

Even in the recent intense coverage of Englewood's school board outsourcing 90 jobs, Sykes never mentioned the city's middle and elementary schools are filled only with minorities (Letters, A-11).

Self-serving

Leave it to the Better Living section to put a positive spin on self-serve yogurt-shop owners slashing their labor costs in a struggling economy, contributing to the state's high unemployment rate and laughing all the way to the bank (BL-1).

The Garden State has long history of fighting self-serve, as any driver can attest. 

At least the yogurt-shop owners aren't blaming Obama.

Friday's paper

On Friday's front page, Gottlieb and Sykes made no attempt to report in the obituary of Englewood Councilman Jack Drakeford whether his color was the reason he held "virtually every prominent position" in city government "except mayor" (A-6).

Chairman Malcolm A. "Mac" Borg has lived in a mansion on Englewood's East Hill for decades, but he and his newspaper have done little to call for integration of the schools or change the fortunes of thousands of residents who live on the wrong side of the tracks.

Lawsuit news

In Friday's Local section, the big Hackensack news is yet another story about lawsuits filed against former Police Chief Ken Zisa (L-1).

But the story appears to be incorrect in listing the settlement agreement as $320,000 for five police officers and $80,000 in court-approved legal fees (L-1 and L-6).

As Eye on The Record reported on Wednesday, the settlement totals $425,000, which will be paid by the city's insurer.

Readers see red

Most drivers can't wait for their towns to install red-light cameras, improving intersection safety and raising badly needed revenue.

Road Warrior John Cichowski, however, continues his negative campaign against the cameras, hanging his entire Friday column on a woman who paid an $85 fine, but has joined a suit to seek a refund (L-1).

Dissing dead chef

In Friday's Better Living tab, readers got indigestion from the poorly edited appraisal of Sage in Fair Lawn by Restaurant Reviewer Elisa Ung:

"Until Sage opened in late March, the former Campania had been empty since late 2010, a few months after the suicide of its chef," Ung writes.

"I felt a little sick each time I passed it, remembering the meatballs and merriment that used to be inside."

I'd think recalling the suicide of Chef Joe Cerniglia -- not "the meatballs" -- would have made her a "little sick" every time she drove past.

And is there any reason his name was omitted?

Plus, does it make sense to report "many customers didn't realize Campania had ever closed"?