KC Confidential

In its struggle for survival, the Kansas City Star‘s owner slapped yet another coat of red paint on its 3rd quarter financials…

"A slump in advertising showed no signs of easing for McClatchy Co. in its latest quarter," the AP reports. "The newspaper publisher cut expenses, partly through layoffs this year, but advertising and circulation revenue declined."

How bad was it?

Earnings down 21 percent from a year ago and ad revenue off 10 percent. More than peer newspaper rivals Gannett and the New York Times. Overall ciurculation was off by 3%.

One line in particular from McClatchy chief Gary Pruitt may be unsettling to surviving local newsies:

"We remain focused on controlling costs and expect to again reduce cash expenses in the fourth quarter in the high-single digits"

More layoffs?

Prior to past quarterly cuts, the Star‘s newsroom had been abuzz with rumors of heads rolling and other cuts. However, since the departure this past spring of publisher Mark Zieman its rumor mill has been silent.

Causing some Star staffers to wonder if the leaks had come from the top. Or maybe the bottom of the top. As in Zieman’s wife (and former Star columnist) Rhonda Chriss Lokeman. Lokeman disappeared from the pages of the Star  following an embarrassing DUI arrest in January 2009 that was not owned up to by the paper until McLatchy Watch broke the story a month later.

"Readers will want to know why the newspaper didn’t publish news about Lokeman’s DUI when the paper routinely publishes news about athletes or politicians with DUI arrests," McClatchy Watch said then. "Also, this arrest raises questions about the ability of her husband, publisher Mark Zieman to oversee the newspaper and handle several ethical issues that have arisen involving KC Star columnists.

"When Zieman became publisher of the Star in 2008, Lokeman joined  Creators Syndicate, and the Star continued publishing her column. When critics have raised the issue of nepotism, Zieman usually responds by saying Lokeman is ‘nationally syndicated’ — even though the only other papers that carry her column have a small circulation.  It’s a ‘sweetheart deal’ that meets the letter but not the spirit of nepotism standards."

So was it Zieman or wife Rhonda behind past layoffs leaks?

The Star reacted to McClatchy’s second quarter financial disappointments in mid August by imposing one week unpaid furloughs on most of its 700 person staff. Which could indicate the course it may take in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned…

Then there were two…

Stanford & Sons main man and KC Confidential lightning rod Craig Glazer’s little brother Jack Glazer was killed last night after his car went left the road on I 435 on his way home from the comedy club. The 55 year old Glazer worked at the comedy club with brothers Craig and Jeff Glazer.

"Jack was going home from work last night and ran off the road on 435 in Missouri," Craig Glazer says. "His car hit a tree and that crushed the car and killed my little brother Jack. He had worked at Stanford and Sons for many years. He is the son of Stanford Glazer, the founder of Stanford’s and is the youngest of the three of us brothers. We are making arrangements today about his final situation.

"I was informed last night by Hiighway Patrol Officers who were quite kind and came to my home just past mid-night to explain the accident. I am in total pain over losing my little brother. He always had a smile on his face thick or thin. He had a tough way to go much of his life, but he was a kind, gentle person and I’ll miss him greatly."

With two deaths in the family in less than a week, Glazer says he’ll take a little time off from writing while he sorts things through.

Parting is such sweet sorrow, then again…

For two of Kansas City’s biggest supporters of Missouri football and basketball – Missouri Tiger Club of KC honcho Joe Zwillenberg and PR wildcat Will Gregory – bailing on the Big 12 for the SEC is simply a no brainer.

"It’s stability," Zwillenberg says. "Oklahoma and Texas tried to get into the Pac 12 but they couldn’t get in, so they came back to the Big 12 and said, ‘We want to be here.’ But dude, it just doesn’t work that way, because you know eventually they’re going to screw you and contracts don’t mean crap nowadays. So I think Missouri’s doing the right thing."

Gregory agrees.

As for not so thinly veiled threats by KU basketball coach Bill Self to schedule other schools in place of the Tigers if they bail, "You know who else won’t have a problem finding non league games to play? Missouri," Gregory says. "I can see how KU and K-State would feel that way because MU leaving would hurt their revenue stream, but any team they add to the Big 12 is not going to mean as much as Missouri. What are they going to add, West Virginia or BYU? I’m not blaming Kansas for our departure, you need to look south for the answer."

That being Texas, with its controversial Longhorn TV network.

"I think (Self’s) just trying to protect himself," Zwillenberg says. "And he has a lot of influence, but I think if Kansas fans wanted it they’d play MU eventually. Look, they’re not invited to this party right now and I’d imagine there are some hurt feelings."

Gregory’s advice to KU: Follow MU!

"I mean, it’s not my fault the SEC doesn’t want Kansas, the SEC is a football conference. I’m sorry that their phone wasn’t ringing but ours was and I’m very excited that we don’t have to live under the thumb of Texas and Oklahoma. It seems like KU would have some leverage with the strength of their basketball team. And I think, like Missouri, they should try and get the best deal that they could."

Despite their obvious allegiances to KC, both agree MU absolutely should take the SEC up on its invitation.

"Oh, you have to go – it’s security," Zwillenberg says. "If you look back and you didn’t go, you’re an absolute idiot."

What about Missouri sacrificing its geographic proximity and the decades old rivalries?

"Well, we have a new basketball coach which will make for a great rivalry with Arkansas," Gregory says. "Which by the way is another border state and so is Tennessee."

How about the prospect of MU becoming an SEC doormat in football going up against Alabama, LSU, etc?

"The last four years we’ve been the 4th winningest school in college football," Zwillenberg says. "We’ve averaged 10 wins a year. So yeah, we’re going to have to step up our game, but when you’re competing against the best, I think you play your best. And we’ll gain recruiting access in states we’ve never been able to recruit in before."

Now a few kind words for the soon to be jilted Kansas teams about to be left behind in the Midwestern dust…

"The Big 12 will stay together as long as Texas and Oklahoma stay but if they leave, it’s over," Zwillenberg says. "I mean, I’m not happy about it; it’s just the way of the world. I don’t want it to happen, but it’s the smart play. And I know for a fact from several sources there will be at least two events here in Kansas City – a football game and definitely a basketball game with KU or it maybe a tournament. If Missouri’s going to go to the SEC, they definitely cannot leave Kansas City on an island. Kansas City cannot be left behind. We have a 119-year rivalry with Kansas that will continue. I would bet my house on it."

What do out of towners say about Kansas Citians?

Having interviewed hundreds, what I’ve heard most is how polite we are. To which I’d like to add, on the surface. That’s one reason we see so few edgy stories in the local media. Because outside of outright murder or mayhem, few folks are willing to speak their peace…in public, that is.

It’s poor form.

Behind closed doors or "off the record" though, character assassination is alive and kicking.

Take the recent departure of Waldo institution McClain’s Bakery from its longtime home at 74th and Wornall. When the local news media came a calling to report on McClain’s move, they served up a watered down tale of how McClain’s merely wanting more parking and a larger space.

That well may be, but after speaking with McClain’s staffers, I got – as they say – the rest of the story…

That the moved was prompted in no small part by the sorry shape of its now former Waldo home. Especially in back where the magic was made. The ceiling was so old and in such poor shape it literally rained on the bakers, I was told.

One need but peer in the window of the old McCLain’s to see that how bad that back room looked.

And seems there was some bad blood re McClain’s leaving.

For some reason, somebody kept taking down the signs McClain’s says it posted in the front glass advising customers of its new location at 201 East Gregory. You can even see an outline still where McClain’s sign had been taped,  then removed.

So much for fond farewells…

On a more upbeat note, the good folks at nearby Dave Smith the Lampmaker tell me the building has a new owner as of like four days ago, so things are bound to get better, right?

The former building owner could not be reached for this column.

To report or not to report, that is the question…

After confirming that Starker’s owner and chef John McClure took his own life yesterday, I reported the news here. Much to the chagrine of some commenters.

"Was that necessary to post right now when people are just learning of his passing???" asked LJ. "Perhaps some sensitivity to his family or friends who have not yet heard. This is deplorable."

"How dare you Hearne! Have you no tact, no soul??" added Jenn Tosatto.

Someone going by % however said: "It’s journalism. It may not be what people want to read, particularly if they knew the deceased, but it’s still journalism."

"So wait… I missed the part where Hearne killed the chef… as far as I can tell, McClure killed himself," said TruthSpeaks. "That sucks, and I feel bad for the terrible sorrow his friends and family must be feeling, but come on, a lot of these comments are a shining example of misdirected anger."

Bottom line: Reporting suicides is a tricky business – even when delicately done – one most are afraid to do.

After fishing around on Facebook for details of McClure’s demise, the Star‘s Joyce Smith undoubtedly clued in on the reason for McClure’s death. However, she chose not to report the news. Ditto for the Pitch’s Charles Ferruzza. Although he has far better sources in the restaurant biz and probably knew it was a suicide from the get-go and was merely trying to take the high road.

But is covering up obvious news about the cause of a high profile person’s death really the high road?

 "Suicide is a leading cause of death, substantially more prevalent than homicide," writes the Poynter institute’s Cindi Deutschman-Ruiz. "About 30,000 people kill themselves in this country yearly and half a million more wind up in the emergency room following a suicide attempt. Does media coverage of suicide reflect these realities? Generally not."

 There’s more…

" Gauging from the news, it would be easy to conclude that suicide is rare, rather than a widespread and ongoing public health problem," she adds. "As journalists, we’re fond of criticizing ourselves for over-covering homicide. Why do we fail to address our under-coverage of suicide?"

In part because suicide is considered by some to be a stigma,Deutschman-Ruiz contends.

" (But) suicide coverage is an opportunity to provide the public with information and resources that could save lives. Journalists often fail to do this, despite the obvious potential to do good. People who commit suicide do not do so suddenly, even if it might appear so at first glance. There are warning signs, and I think any coverage of suicide should incorporate them."

Professional journalist and blogger Martha Ross poses this question: "Does not reporting on suicide enhance the stigma of suicide and mental illness?"

"You rarely see suicide mentioned as the cause of death in an obituary," she writes. "However, sometimes you can pick up hints, if the person was fairly young and died suddenly and the family, in lieu of flowers, asks that donations be made to an organization such as the National Alliance on Mental Health."

In 2007 suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the country, more that of murder, Ross reports.

Another reason for an increase in suicides; the economy.

"This is what the economy is doing to people," says Westport businessman Bill Nigro. "A lot of people have been ruined in this economy. It’s devastated a lot of people and it’s not really being talked about in the news media."

Bay Citizen columnist Scott James says reporting on suicides is "relatively rare" even though there’s a bull market in practice today.

"Theories abound regarding the cause behind this year’s surge (in suicides), but full explanations perish with victims," James writes, adding, "some experts are pointing to economic despair."

"Studies have shown that suicide rates tend to increase about 18 months after an economic decline," he reports.

“Suicide is an attempt to stop pain,” Eve Meyer, executive director of San Francisco Suicide Prevention tells James, and it’s not limited to mental illness, which is a misconception. “That pain can be emotional, physical or economic,” she said.

So yes, I understand that suicide is a sensitive subject, but many experts agree it’s time for journalists to come out of the closet on the subject. Difficult though that may be.

*******       *******       *******

Kansas City suicide hotlines include:

Mental Health Help Line
(913) 281-123

Teen Connection Helpline
(913) 281-2299

Wyandotte Mental Health Center                                                                                                                                     County Crisis Line: (913) 831-177

In a sad twist of fate, Starker’s owner John McClure was found dead today at his home…

Sources say Starker’s staffers discovered McClure at his home today after he failed to show up at the Plaza eatery and could not be reached. The unofficial word being that it was an apparent suicide.

Kansas City Police say there appears to be no foul play but are investigating.

McClure, 36, was from Tescott, Kansas and studied culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America. He was also a chef and described himself as "Head Taco Maker" at Barrio, a new Latin eatery poised to open in Westport at 4141 Pennsylvania.

McClure’s friends flooded his Facebook page with heartfelt comments ranging from "Rest in peace Pony. You will be missed my friend" and "There must have been a job opening in Heaven for an amazing chef and man…that could be the only explanation" to "I will miss you so much!! You taught me so much in the kitchen and in life. You were like a brother to me through the good and the bad. Goodbye my friend."

The flip side of that grieving:

Star reporter Joyce Smith used her Facebook page to troll for details, posting, "Hearing some bad news on Starker’s chef/owner John McClure. Hoping not. Anyone have updates?"

"I think it’s wrong how she’s trolling for sources here," says one of McClure’s friends.  "If people want to grieve and leave comments, it should be on their own or on John’s page."

To borrow an expression, the Skies the limit…

Or is it? The Star‘s Joyce Smith reported recently that Skies – the Hyatt Regency Crown Center’s decades-old, revolving, rooftop restaurant – would close and be converted into a “Sheraton Preferred Guest” lounge after Sheraton takes over in December.

I visited the 20-plus year old restaurant Saturday to check it out one last time. I wasn’t alone. Reservations were tight and the best I could do was a 9 p.m. seating. The point being, if you want to dine in prime time, make your reservations early.

There was even an hour-plus wait to get into Skies scenic lounge – a cheaper thrill – although the hotel did allow small groups to ride the special elevator to the 42nd floor for a farewell look.

Skies last day is slated for November 30, the Peppercorn Duck Club’s on November 26.

However the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center’s new Web page indicates that Skies may live on.

"Work out in the fully-equipped fitness center, swim in the heated outdoor pool, and dine in style in the rotating rooftop restaurant…" Sheraton’s "overview" page reads.

Click on it’s "dining" button and you get a promotional pic of Skies, accompanied by the following description:

"On the rooftop, Skies rotates to provide a beautiful 360-degree view of the skyline to accompany a sumptuous dinner."

Doesn’t sound like a "preferred customer lounge" to me.

"I know nothing about Skies opening again," a Hyatt rep said.

"From what I’ve heard they’re going to make meeting rooms out of it," said a Sheraton Suites Country Club Plaza staffer. "And they’re going to stop it from rotating is what I’ve heard. So you’d better enjoy Skies before December 1st is what I’m thinking."

Not so fast…

If indeed Sheraton is planning on grounding Skies, why go out of the way to include such enticing descriptions on its brand new site? A site so new its local phone number is not yet in service.

Stay tuned…

Things haven’t been the same since Clancy left…

Once upon a time, there was Comedy Sportz. No mas. Oh, it’s still around, just not in Kansas City. Local improv dude Clancy Hathaway was the man with the plan in those dark ages of 1987. An out of work actor, Hathaway rented space in the back of Torres Pizza in Westport then richoceted around town to location after location for a dozen or so years before having a falling out with the Mother Ship and changing the name to Comedy City.

That was then…

And while Hathaway’s Linkedin page still describes him as "da’Mayor at Comedy City," he’s now retired says new owner Clay Morgan.

Morgan – a comic since 1997 – now runs the show in the Westport Flea Market – and is leading a bolder, edgier new charge.

"You know, people go, they see the show and they leave, but we want to make it a total experience," he says. "We’re looking at bigger and louder performers and we’re going to bring back that real, hardcore sporting performance. Like these guys are out for blood. That’s what made the format so successful initially – that it was a competition."

A new sound system is in place along with a new Web site that allows people to buy tix online.

"That’s a first, and we’re getting involved in social media, Facebook and Twitter," Morgan says. "And the shows are really interactive now, every scene, every game is about somebody from the audience."

But don’t let the "sports" part of the proposition fool you.

"Most of us are theater geeks, so we can tell you what’s going on on Broadway, but we couldn’t tell you who the quarterback of the Chiefs is," Morgan says.

How wild is it?

"We had a kid who was probably 19 sitting in the front row and he was really mouthing off and I said, ‘Fine, what’s your deal?’ And he said, ‘I just got out of prison today on parole.’ And his whole group of 10 cheered for him. And he kept answering his phone during the show and saying stuff like, ‘Yeah, make sure two kilos go out.’

"So he kept doing deals during the show and we took what was going on and twisted it to make him look so bad and embarrass him so bad that the entire audience just errupted in applause at the end of the scene. We did a scene about him being in prison and saying all this stuff in bravado, but he was just being someone’s bitch. We basically showed that he was somebody’s girlfriend and he had to do whatever that person said. So we showed what really happened to him in prison and that shut him up."

The bottom line: Play at your own risk!

Scratch one kickass KC New Year’s Eve bash…

Kansas City’s largest New Year’s Eve Party is no more. That on the heels of an announcement by Crown Center that the Hyatt Regency Crown Center hotel and three of KC’s most esteemed upscale eateries – Peppercorn Duck Club, Skies and Benton’s – will take dirt naps at the end of November.

The word on the street being the hotel was canceling its popular New Year’s bash.

For years the gargantuan event drew thousands of upscale Kansas Citians to the Hyatt to dine, drink, dance and dart into hotel rooms before embarking on the new year. Last year’s bash was headlined by The Elders and featured live comedy and every brand of band and music imaginable, swallowing the hotel’s lobby, event spaces and 732 rooms at an entry price of $75 per person.

No mas…

"There are no reservations being taken for that at the moment," a Hyatt operator said, before transferring me to someone named Christy for further clarification.

So is the hotel holding an NYE bash?

"Let me take a look and see if we are, one moment," she answered. "We actually are showing that we are not having  New Year’s Eve party this year at the Hyatt."

How huge a loss is it?

"It was the New Year’s Eve party in Kansas City," says former Fairmont (Intercontinental) marketing main man Will Gregory. "It was basically the only big New Year’s event here. When you thought of New Year’s Eve in Kansas City, you thought of the Hyatt Regency."

So will the new anybody else pick it up?

Calls to Hyatt successor, the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center, fell on deaf ears as in the telephone number listed on the hotel’s new Web page is not in service.

"It does leave a void for a lot of folks who, by default, went to the Hyatt," Gregory says.

Stay tuned…