On A-1: Fat cats, pregnant pigs and a GOP elephant

The owners of Boomerangs in Hackensack are preparing to open a branch of the Caribbean and soul food restaurant on Palisade Avenue in Englewood, above.

By Victor E. Sasson
Editor

Don't look for local news on Page 1 of The Record today.

Editor Marty Gottlieb tried for balance, but ended up with two stories about Governor Christie, a centerpiece on a nasty ruling-class inheritance battle and the sad story of a battered Hackensack woman who breathed her last.

In the past two months, Staff Writer Kibret Markos has been hanging on every word during the Hudson News inheritance battle in state Superior Court in Hackensack (A-1).

Just imagine what he's been missing -- lawsuits, trials and motions he hasn't had time to cover -- as he does a good imitation of a lap dog for some of the richest fat cats in the world.

Christie, meanwhile, finally got a state Supreme Court nominee past majority Democrats in the state Senate (A-1).

And in a second victory, the GOP elephant backed factory farmers and kept helpless pregnant pigs in metal crates (A-1).

Columnist Charles Stile calls this Christie "wielding power and control, and doing it quite successfully."

Over pregnant pigs?

A third story about Christie appears on A-3 today as The Record continues to do a good imitation of being the GOP bully's personal journal.

More animal news

In the Local section, Deputy Assignment Editor Dan Sforza couldn't manage to fill his pages with legitimate news.

So, like Gottlieb, he looked to the animal world and plugged a big hole on L-1 with a story on the Meadowlands Racetrack.

On L-2, Hackensack and school board officials shook hands on a deal to pay the full salary and benefits of a school resource officer.

The City Council dropped a demand for seven years of back pay totaling $1 million -- money the board refused to pay.

In utility pole news, check out that 10.5-inch-high photo of a pole fire in West Milford (L-3).