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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Crater Lake eyes plan for plant invaders ... Low-power FM tower deal hits a snag in Cave Junction ... Mail Tribune 100, Feb. 8, 1916 ... Crater Lake eyes plan for plant invaders ... Low-power FM tower deal hits a snag in Cave Junction ... Mail Tribune 100, Feb. 8, 1916 ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: No Satanic invocations in Phoenix (Oregon) Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 5, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Feb. 5, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News On Saturday, Jan. 30, your paper posted an article on Page A4. It was titled something like "Phoenix Satanic group to give opening prayer at council meeting." I started reading the article and realized it was describing an ongoing problem they have been having in Phoenix, Ariz. I did not gather that information from the article, but only because I keep up on news through USA Today and other sources like the Washington Post. Unfortunately, I have had quite a few inquiries and complaints about this either directly or through others thinking it was about Phoenix, Oregon. ... A woman today asked me how it went with the Satanic ritual at council last night. ... For others in the Rogue Valley it gave a very negative slant to our city and council. I would guess many didn't even go past the headline but are rubbing their heads while asking themselves how Phoenix could be so screwed up. ... — Jeff Bellah, mayor of Phoenix Well, Mr. Mayor, we apologize for the misunderstanding and want you to know that we've never thought your council was dabbling in the dark arts. It has seemed on occasion that some area city councils — which will go unnamed — have been at least temporarily possessed, but there was no intent to suggest that in the short item that appeared on Saturday. While the article didn't include the word "Phoenix" in the headline, it was datelined with the city's name, but no state. That may seem an oversight, but it's actually the style used by The Associated Press, which moved the story. The AP has a list of 30 U.S. cities it says do not need to have their states listed in datelines. It assumes cities such as Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and, yes, Phoenix need no further description because there could be no confusion over the reference. As we like to say in the newsroom, the first three letters of the word "assume" often wind up being descriptive of the writer doing the assumption. Regardless, we should have caught the misleading dateline and added the state name after the city reference. We don't know what in the devil got into our editing crew that day. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 5, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501