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| VP sales team allegedly stole Maisey's news racks |
Ever since Council passed an ordinance last month banning
ugly and unsightly news racks on city property, news racks have gone missing.
Council passed the ban with little fanfare and no major
television or print media have covered the issue. Instead, they publicized
stories of the homeless in Norfolk riding their bikes and contributing to
Norfolk's reputation as a bike friendly city.
“I am a
tree hugger,” said Mike, a homeless man. “I'm a big fan of the environment,” he
added, flicking his cigarette stub into the gutter.
In one week, 40 news racks were discovered gone the next
morning, the magazines shredded and dumped in front of the NARO.
All the news racks belonged to Jeff Maisey, publisher of
Veer Magazine, who has been critical of City Council’s ban on owners of ugly news
racks.
News racks owned by Inside Business and the Virginia-Pilot,
both owned by Landmark Media Enterprises, were untouched.
Maisey was outraged, saying the theft of his property
constituted a violation of the First Amendment.
Maisey offered a week pub crawling with him in Ireland as a
reward. So far, he has received over
1,000 tips.
Maisey, said, however, that the tips were bogus. He decided
to go anyway, citing his preference for Irish ale.
A police spokesman declined to comment, saying the Norfolk
Police Department doesn't comment on investigations underway.
Pressed for an answer, the police spokesman bristled, saying
“this is City Council's fault” and hung up the phone.
A subsequent email was sent to the police spokesman. But it
was never answered prior to press time.
But according to city staff who asked not to be identified,
the culprits were employees of the Virginian-Pilot.
Their names and titles weren't disclosed. But apparently
they belonged to The Pilot's sales team, angry at Veer's ample advertising.
Publisher Maisey scoffed at the suggestion that they would
steal the news racks, saying they don't have the hutzpah.
Another source confirmed the thefts by The Pilot.
Mayor Paul Fraim didn't return several emails and phone
calls prior to press time. But the mayor has been known to vent privately about
Veer Magazine, saying it doesn't fit Norfolk's creative class culture. It is also a well-known fact that the mayor reads only the
sports section and throws way the rest of the newspaper, but clips Kerry
Dougherty's edifying and serendipitous editorials for an album he is compiling.
Some insiders believe the mayor has a crush on the
left-leaning editorial writer.
Alt Daily owner Hannah Serrano wept at the news.
“This
is real blow for our freedoms, our democracy and the future of the arts and
design district,” she said.
Serrano was interviewed at Cafe Stella on Colonial Avenue,
her office. Jesse Scaccia, her partner, couldn't be reached for comment. Word
has it that he's become an urban consultant.
Dave Mele, publisher of the Virginian-Pilot, couldn't be
reached for comment. According to
people familiar with the situation, Mele flew to Omaha, the home office of
Warren Buffett's Berkshire-Hathaway. Buffett's company has bought two of Landmark's newspapers since January.
Maisey's Facebook page exploded with angry complaints about
his refusal to take anyone on his trip to Ireland.
Reports leaked by the police department, in retaliation presumably
for Pilot stories critical of the police department, indicate the news racks
were found at the Union Mission on Virginia Beach Boulevard.
Published by Indie News Network LLC
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