Nelson Mandela reminds us there is good in the world

A truck carrying watermelons caught fire this morning on Route 17 north, near Midland Avenue in Paramus, above, sparking a traffic nightmare for commuters using that road, Routes 4 and 80, and the Garden State Parkway.

Two of the three lanes on Route 17 north were closed during the cleanup of watermelons on the road and removal of the burnt-out truck.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
Editor

Nelson Mandela's smile is beaming from a big color photo on Page 1 of The Record today -- an affront to white Republican conservatives everywhere.

Tributes poured in from many in New Jersey after they heard the news Mandela died on Thursday night in South Africa, but I couldn't find a statement from Governor Christie in today's front-page sidebar (A-1 and A-8).

In fact, I didn't find any Republicans quoted in Staff Writer Monsy Alvarado's story, which appears under this headline:

N.J. leaders admired

his courage, compassion

Mandela -- the face of freedom in South Africa and around the world -- probably reminds Christie of the black state Supreme Court associate justice he got rid of a few months after taking office in January 2010.

He also could represent the many minority workers who sought an increase in the minimum wage, only to see the mean-spirited GOP bully veto it.

What about the thousands of Latinos courted by Christie in his successful bid for a second term on Nov. 5?

Now, the governor objects to extending lower, in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants, whether they are Hispanic or not. 

Sorry, Carlos, didn't you and the other Latinos who voted for him know that the governor won't hesitate to screw you and every other minority any chance he gets?

More screw-ups

Three more embarrassing corrections appear on A-2 today amid a seemingly total breakdown of the checks and balances on The Record's production desk, which is run so ineptly by six-figure Editor Liz Houlton.

On the Local front today, Road Warrior John Cichowski explores another compelling commuting issue (L-1).

Restaurant Reviewer Elisa Ung sampled only one salad out of a dozen dishes she tried at Cafe Amici of Wyckoff, but managed to stuff her face with four artery clogging desserts (BL-20).