Flashes

Stargate

The surprise announcement that the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team would take up residence in Glendale was big news in the west-side burg. Mark Swain, editor of the weekly Glendale Star, dutifully weighed in with his views on April 12.

Swain acknowledged that the Coyotes were “a terrific acquisition for the City.” But he also raised salient questions about how the deal went down, which was very quickly and without any disclosure to or input from the citizens of Glendale:

“Here’s a city that prides itself on citizen participation but no one has any say whether the Coyotes should come to Glendale or not.”

In the next week’s newspaper, Swain’s boss, Star publisher William E. Toops, repudiated his editor’s commentary, issuing an apology and a retraction and several other forms of suck-upedness. “. . . your local newspaper lost sight of the excitement, significance and benefits of the city’s biggest development opportunity to date,” Toops genuflected.

The Flash will grant that Swain’s column appeared to contain a bit of speculation. But does anyone doubt that Toops was more concerned about heresy than hearsay?

“I’d rather not comment on that, to tell you the truth. I’d like to keep my job,” says Swain. Swain’s column, incidentally, has not reappeared since he was cross-checked into the cheap seats.

Toops says he is “reexamining the whole column concept.” Hey, here’s an idea. While you’re at it, how about simply letting the mayor edit the newspaper?

Toops says the fact that the Star holds a contract to publish the city’s legal ads had nothing to do with his decision to high-stick his editor. He says a community weekly must maintain good relations with City Hall, because muckraking just isn’t worth the hassle. When city officials have asked him to get reporters off their case, Toops says, he has obliged.

“Yes, I would just say, ‘Okay,'” Toops says cheerily.

These comments all made sense when I went back and read the final paragraph of Toops’ jeremiad, which began: “Although the second amendment guarantees freedom of the press . . .”