One more for the road

(Confidential to Terry Bain : Avert your eyes)

Steve Smith acknowledged that we don’t want to cover the Orange County Choppers visit “indefinitely,” but a couple of things were brought to the table’s attention this morning. Gary Graham, after meeting with our marketing people this morning, said that attendance at the event was evidently lower than expected, and also said there was a $10 parking fee assessed at the event, which understandably had some folks upset.

Smith said it may be worth one more story to take a look at the parking contract and see who, exactly, decides what the fee will be and where the money goes.

Other issues raised this morning:

• Smith said Alison Boggs’ story on Kendall Yards this morning was “a model of fairness and balance,” and accurately summed up the pro and con sides of the new development.

• Reporter Jim Camden asked why a wire story on page A8 about Bush’s position on the Israeli-Lebanese conflict was labeled an “analysis.” The article was a straight news story, he said, and wasn’t exclusively about Israel. City editor David Wasson said he recalls at least one other instance in which an analysis label was placed on a news story, and questioned what standards were being applied. Smith said it’s something worth looking into.