The most riveting presentation at the recent spirited City Council debate on the surprisingly controversial zoning changes proposed for the King Street retail business corridor was that of Ward 2 Councilor Frances Volkmann.

In media coverage of news and issues of community interest, details are not only important, but often crucial to a more complete public understanding.

So like others who watched on the local access cable channel, I was impressed with the depth of feeling expressed by nearly a score of citizens who spoke on both sides of the issues. I was struck by their interest in what might otherwise be arcane stuff - setback requirements, design standards, and site plan review.

Councilors Bill Dwight, Rita Bleiman, and Alex Ghiselin, involved in crafting the zoning changes which seek to limit the scale of new developments on King Street, also came across as thoughtful and persuasive, even conciliatory.

But it was Volkmann, in her deliberate, meticulous, carefully phrased praise for the openness of the process by which the ordinances were drafted and ultimately brought to the council, who carried the day, or night, in my opinion.

By contrast, she was critical of the behind-the-scenes manner in which opponents preferred to operate, culminating in their filing preliminary plans for a large-tract development on the very day the council was scheduled to meet, thus rendering any new zoning restrictions, even if passed by the council, inoperative for this parcel.

She then identified by name Atty. Edward Etheredge, and Chamber of Commerce President and realtor Patrick Goggins as the chief players behind the effort to block the more restrictive zoning.

Strong stuff, I thought, and courageous to boot. Apparently, Mayor Mary Clare Higgins thought Volkmann’s comments too strong, because in an odd and highly unusual comment she sharply rebuked Volkmann for being so forthright, saying in effect the councilor was out of line to name names.

And the next day when I read Judson Brown’s otherwise clearly written and well reported article in the Gazette I was not totally stunned to see no mention of Volkmann’s citations of Etheredge and Goggins as pro-business moles seeking to undermine the broader community interest.

While Brown’s story contained four paragraphs about the thrust of Volkmann’s comments, we were left only with the vague statement that she was "highly critical of the seemingly last-minute filing of the commercial subdivision proposal and of prominent local people who have opposed at least some of the amendments." But who these citizens might be, we were left to wonder.

I know Judson Brown to be a terrific reporter; his hallmark is thoroughness. Why did he leave out crucial facts in the councilor’s statement? A puzzle.

A couple of days later, I asked him about this and he said he had included the information, but it was removed - with his approval he says - because of space limitations. Something had to be cut and that seemed like extraneous material.

Now how can it be that out of a 22 paragraph story only a single sentence has to be excised and it just happens to be the one which might be the most sensitive?

But, if you went to Gazettenet, the on-line service of the newspaper and read Judson Brown’s story, you find that Brown, the very thorough reporter, had included in his original version the following sentence, referring to Volkmann’s statement: "She cited city Attorney Edward Etheredge, city businessman and Chamber of Commerce President Patrick Goggins, and Andrew Crystal, a member of the planning board who works in commercial. development."

So it turns out excising the controversial sentence from the newspaper was not completely effective in blacking out the information.

And, of course, what about the people who were on hand for the meeting or those hundreds or thousands watching it on cable at home. They heard what Councilor Volkmann said and either were impressed, angry or indifferent. But it was her right as a elected representative to speak frankly, despite the mayor’s subsequent scolding.

In the end, it is more likely that if there is any embarrassment over this small but heavy-handed bit of censorship it is down on Conz Street and in the Mayor’s office, rather than at Goggins Real Estate or in law offices of Atty. Edward Etheredge.