Editors write off Hackensack again

Like a bird called Sykes' Nightjar, Staff Writer John Cichowski stays put, rarely leaving the office to report the Road Warrior column. He prefers relying on e-mails from readers.

The front page of The Record on Saturday dramatized the flawed reporting  readers have come to expect from Editor Deirdre Sykes and her gang of local news assignment editors.


You don't see too many local obituaries on Page 1, but for the death of Hackensack-based builder J. Fletcher Creamer Sr., Sykes and Editor Marty Gottlieb pulled out all the stops, assigning two reporters to the story.


Unfortunately, the long A-1 obituary failed to list the 2011 death of Creamer's wife, Kissie, even though she was listed in the death notice on L-4 in the Local section, Sykes' pride and joy.


No correction appears in today's paper.


Creamer and Borg


Creamer was a major business presence in Hackensack and funded a trauma center at Hackensack University Medical Center.


Vice President/General Counsel Jennifer A. Borg served on the hospital's board of directors for many years and may have had something to do with the medical center spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on ads in The Record and on the NorthJersey.com Web site.


Did Creamer know another major businessman in Hackensack, Chairman Malcolm A. Borg, Jennifer's father? 


The obituary doesn't say, though Mac's best friend, real estate mogul Jon F. Hanson, is described as Creamer's "friend" and "real estate business partner."


It takes a Zisaville


Last Monday, Sykes ran an A-1 story reporting suspended Hackensack Police Chief Ken Zisa "will go on trial today" on criminal charges.


But the story proved an embarrassing flop, because it was jury selection -- not the testimony -- that was scheduled to start.


So, Tuesday through Friday, Sykes was forced to run more legal mumbo-jumbo stories on the Zisa case to explain the delay. 


One revelation buried in the stories was that Hackensack has paid $754,000 in the past two years to lawyer Richard Maligiere to defend Zisa against lawsuits filed by police officers, as well as for his work as zoning board attorney (L-6 on Thursday).


The next day, I expected to see an editorial calling on the city to put Zisa up against a wall or hang him from the highest, 161-year-old tree in the Fairmount section, but nothing appeared.


Editors' royal F.U. 


The biggest flaw in coverage of Zisa's legal problems, which date to 2009, is that Sykes forces Hackensack reporters to write about nothing else for weeks at a time -- while residents of smaller communities get a steady diet of municipal news, from school budgets to zoning board meetings.


It's clear Sykes and Publisher Stephen A. Borg have written off Hackensack since North Jersey Media Group and The Record abandoned their landmark headquarters at 150 River St. in 2009.


Now, the Borgs are licking their chops over the millions they will get from sale of about 20 acres they own opposite the city bus terminal.


City development


On Saturday, another poorly edited story about Hackensack reported "a group of rising urban planners" see development opportunities near "landmarks" (L-3). The headline said:

Novice planners see landmarks

as key to Hackensack's future

But the exhausted news copy editor who worked on the story Friday night completely missed that it isn't "landmarks" but "transit" -- bus and train stations -- that would be the focus of development, as a sign in the photo with the story clearly showed: 

"Transit-oriented development, creating a city that is more vibrant, walkable [and] safe."

One possible explanation for use of the wrong key word is that Hackensack reporter Stephanie Akin's assignment editor was staring at her breasts instead of editing the story, as she sat next to him.

Long correction

Today, on the front of Local, a story on city development amounts to an elaborate correction of Akin's story, under the headline:

Remake

should

hinge on

transit

Immaculate revival

On the front of Saturday's Local section, a long story on the workmen who repaired the beheaded statue of St. Nicholas in Palisades Park didn't mention whether for their next trick, they will try to revive the Rev. James F. Reilly of St. Michael's Church.

Reilly died from fire injuries after he fell asleep while smoking in the rectory, and in an L-1 story by Staff Writer Monsy Alvarado, the paper recently linked the twin "tragedies" of his death and vandalism of the statue.

Desperate to fill space

Sykes continues to show an inability to fill the Local news section with legitimate news, as today's paper clearly demonstrates.

Padding includes the Dean's List (L-2), swearing in of a single police officer in sleepy Old Tappan (L-3); and three wire-service obituaries, including one for the Vietnam era president of Cornell University in far-off Ithaca, N.Y. (L-7).

More road kill

Another inane Road Warrior Q&A column based on reader e-mails again demonstrates Staff Writer John Cichowski's laziness, arrogance, contempt for older drivers and ignorance of auto safety.

 "Q. You've said the inability of older drivers to crane their necks when changing lanes is a sign that they should relinquish their licenses. Haven't you heard of rearview mirrors? J.K., Hackensack.

"Yes, I have. Haven't you heard of blind spots?"

But it's Cichowski who is out of touch with blind-spot monitors to supplement mirrors for drivers of all ages now available on a growing number of new models from Audi, Chrysler and other manufacturers.


Friday's paper


The Record and other newspapers love anniversaries, as readers can see by the enormous waste of Page 1 space on the 25th anniversary of the Baby M case. 


The piece relieved Staff Writer Mike Kelly from coming up with a fresh idea for his stale column.


A second A-1 story -- on an autism "epidemic" -- reminds  readers  of how little they see on Alzheimer's disease or the challenges facing older drivers. 


Diner trash


Many readers would never go to a diner for dinner nor consider a cheeseburger with french fries a proper meal.


But that didn't stop Restaurant Reviewer Elisa Ung from evaluating Candlewyck Diner in East Rutherford, giving it a lukewarm 2 stars.


Leave it to the Candlewyck to turn heart-healthy raw fish into a fattening meal by putting it on a roll. And why tuna, which contains more harmful mercury than other sashimi? 


Ung's poor writing continues to confuse readers:

"The ingredients are chosen with care, such as no-antibiotic chicken and beef from suppliers like Murray's and Pineland Farms."

So, does the beef contain growth hormones or animal by-products? Does Murray's raise beef as well as poultry? 


Ung must have written that sentence while on a sugar high from sampling four of the diner's artery clogging desserts.


Saturday's paper


I wanted to see another editorial criticizing officials for using my tax dollars to bail out that uninsured couple who were severely injured in a scooter accident in the Bahamas.


I would have let them rot.


The A-1 story led the paper and was displayed over a doomsday story trying to measure the impact of a negative Supreme Court vote on the national health care law.


But the editors never mention the law's individual mandate is aimed at Diandra Barreto, boyfriend Michael Gallinella and others who don't buy insurance and then loot the system.


Also on Saturday's front page, Sykes produced another long story that amounted to an elaborate excuse for why the paper never looked for witnesses to the fatal police shooting of Malik Williams, 19, of Garfield or tried to find the owner of the garage where he hid from pursuing officers.


Today's paper


The local obituary of concert pianist Edward Menzer on Page 1 today relieves readers' eye strain from the humongous story rehashing the EnCap golf-village fiasco and the power brokers who made it possible.


Investigative reporter Jeff Pillets deserves praise, but readers simply can't digest this much in one sitting -- something Gottlieb, a former Timesman, doesn't seem to realize. 


Pillets' story fills 2 newspaper pages. A series of shorter stories, one for each power broker, would have been much more effective.


Israeli diet


The off-lead story on Governor Christie's trip to the Middle East should have mentioned his real motive is to lose weight by substituting falafel sandwiches and pure fruit juices for his usual diet of pizza and beer.


The Menzer obit also goes on too long, but includes a rare mention of Alzheimer's disease (A-8).


The Business editors commissioned a long cover story today to give automobile dealers a platform for complaining about the millions they are forced to spend on showroom and service upgrades (B-1).


Of course, the story is designed to deflect long-standing criticism of dealers over deceptive newspaper advertising, high-pressure sales tactics and other practices that make buying a car one of the most unpleasant consumer experiences ever.


The Record's editors would never bite the hand that feeds them.


150 River St.


Today's L-1 story on development in Hackensack is the first time since rumors surfaced last June that The Record has acknowledged the Borgs are negotiating the sale of the River Street acreage to Wal Mart (L-3).


At Saturday's workshop, a planner said the U.S.S. Ling submarine and the Heritage Restaurant would not be part of any land sale.


In Better Living, The Corner Table Column again ignores restaurant issues facing readers to promote a bunch of chefs -- as the paper continues glorifying owners, wine experts and others who work in the industry.