News or advertisement?

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Is that a news story or a lavish advertisement for Hackensack University Medical Center's new cancer building on the front page of The Record of Woodland Park today? Like all hospitals, HUMC is big business, and this one is a big advertiser in The Record and on northjersey.com. 

And it's no coincidence that Jennifer A. Borg, Esq., was a board member at the hospital while it spent tens of thousands of dollars on advertising in the paper. (Borg, one of the two Tarnished Silver Spoons running North Jersey Media Group, is a lawyer whose iron fist is well-known in the newsroom.)

Over the years, the medical center has been treated deferentially in the former Hackensack daily, notably while Francis Scandale has been editor and chief seller of the front page to the highest bidder. Recall the Page 1 story this past July 25, promoting a new venture by John P. Ferguson, who had resigned as medical center president during a scandal.

And the frequent expansions of the hospital's campus in a residential neighborhood -- despite loud and determined opposition by neighbors -- gets nowhere near the coverage that The Valley Hospital's expansion proposal in Ridgewood does, even though Valley plans to stay within the borders of its property. 

You couldn't rouse head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes or Hackensack reporter Monsy Alvarado from their deep slumber to cover those protests in recent years.

You call this recycling? 

Teaneck reporter Joseph Ax has a story on the front of Local today on plans to expand recycling, because the township lags behind others. But he doesn't compare Teaneck's effort to other communities. 

If he did, he could tell readers Teaneck has a long way to go on recycling. Hackensack collects all recyclables weekly, compared to once a month for some recyclables in Teaneck and twice a month under the new plan.

And Hackensack residents can bring electronics, computers and other items to the DPW -- a program that few other North Jersey towns have.

There is no Hackensack or Englewood news today, but be sure to check out the story on the Kinnelon police (L-7). Sykes and her clueless assistants continue to do a great job on local news -- if you live in Passaic and Morris counties.

Hold the cow feces

There is more junk food and cupcakes promoted in Better Living today, thanks to Staff Writer Elisa Ung, the restaurant reviewer, Sunday columnist and dessert addict. 

Ung, who returned recently from maternity leave, has been eating an enormous quantity of cupcakes, cheesecake, pizza and other crap, according to her Twitter tweets and articles in the paper.


Today, she reports the Food Network will be comparing sliders at White Manna in Hackensack and White Mana in Jersey City, and cupcakes on another program.

But Ung doesn't tell us anything about the ground beef used in Hackensack beyond saying is it 10% fat. What I really want to know is whether this ground beef, like much of the conventionally raised ground beef produced at the big packing houses in the United States, contains cow manure.

Miss something?

The political profile of Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney that ran on Sunday had an interesting tidbit that wasn't addressed in the story by Staff Writer Michael Gartland, who did an otherwise good job comparing the incumbent to his Republican challenger.

The bio box noted McNerney was "vice president [of] derivatives with UBS, Paine Webber" from 2001-03. Wasn't it trading of derivatives that caused the financial meltdown, failure of big banks and the recession? Do we really want to reelect this fat cat to office?