And here's the Press article covering DeSeno's appearance:
Merchants Guild member attacks Press series on Asbury Park
Published in the Asbury Park Press 02/3/05
By NANCY SHIELDS
COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU
A representative of the Merchants Guild of Asbury Park Wednesday
night harshly criticized a five-part series on the city published in
the Asbury Park Press last week, saying the stories were an unfair
representation of the city and its people.
Thomas DeSeno, a downtown lawyer, said he was speaking as a founding
member of the guild. He gave a 15-minute presentation to the City
Council, saying he had come to condemn the newspaper's reports on the
city's drug and crime problems.
The series examined the stubborn problems of the drug trade and under-
achieving schools in light of redevelopment efforts under way. The
paper reported on what progress has been made and examined the issue
of whether the downtown and beach improvements can reach beyond the
immediate redevelopment areas.
DeSeno said the series portrayed the city as "all about crime and
drugs." He said that 772 of 1,323 sentences he said were in the
series were "flat-out negative."
"We stand by our series," said William C. Hidlay, executive editor of
the Press.
DeSeno cited several examples in which he said the Press had "decided
what they wanted to write before they wrote it and got people to say
what they wanted to hear."
"Very good, Tommy," Deputy Mayor James Bruno said after DeSeno
finished and many people in the audience of 25 to 30 applauded.
Eva Sipos, a Monroe Avenue resident, told the council during the
public session that DeSeno had said many things she also was feeling.
She said she didn't want Asbury Park's problems to be whitewashed in
the series, but to dwell on the fact that "we still have crime and
drugs here misses the point."
--- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, Joe D'Andrea <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> >Important announcement from...
> >
> >
> >
> >Tom DeSeno will address the City Council at the end of their
regular
> >7 pm meeting tonight (2/2/2005). He will address the council on
the
> >overwhelmingly negative portrayal of the city in the recent Asbury
> >Park Press series. According to his calculations, crime and drugs
> >were mentioned 279 times in the 5 day series. He is asking for all
> >merchant's to come and be in attendence to show support.
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