Carol came to our afternoon news meeting on Monday. It was a free-wheeling session, with lots of stories to consider for page 1, plenty of discussion and a few judgment calls. Editors had identified the gun-permit story at 10 a.m. as being a strong candidate for a front-page centerpiece, and at 3 p.m. we had a lot of discussion about the nature of the numbers, but it was clear the story would hold on to that spot.

When the meeting broke up, it was still uncertain whether the downtown/police story would qualify for A1, but both reporter Pam Zubeck and her editor, Sue McMillin, made the case that this particular ongoing story has widespread interest, even if the news of the moment -- uncertainty over how to pay for an uncertain service -- is characterized more by inaction than actual new developments.

Even though our last meeting as the first Community Advisory Board is scheduled for tomorrow, each of you is welcome to visit the Gazette newsroom at any time. Just call Pam and arrange a convenient day and time. Our afternoon news meeting, scheduled for 2:45 p.m. M-F, usually is the most wide-open discussion of the possibilities for the next day's front page.