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THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2006 6A Rotary Club LoL v * . -fir •Hit jus 0 &dfe&,. jap ;£, xmllm - MHjBBHpP a *T| fg||j§j§| SB « i »i&* »|l ifiHH Upti mm M i •Journal Kristy Warren Perry Rotary Club District Governor William James Blankenship spoke at Monday’s meeting. FUTURE From page 1A and the founders of the city would probably be aston ished, both at the ambitious vision for the future and at the tender loving care given to a commercial area that could have been left to decay when the big chain stores started opening along Sam Nunn Blvd. At this month’s meeting of the DDA, the group talked about small problems and big questions. The smaller problems included issues like how to stop merchants from using the downtown litter bins for business trash cans, a subject that wound up with laughter over the possibil ity of “dumpster diving” to identify the merchants caus ing the problem. Another ongoing problem is basically “Who’s going to be the downtown police man?” which isn’t about law enforcement, but about code enforcement. Who, for example, is going to enforce the sign ordinance and police the placement of satellite dishes on stores. Who’s responsible for removing the “pink plastic box” that has mysteriously appeared on Carroll Street? There are big questions, too. Should the DDA expand its territory, incorporating more of the older build ings in the peripheral area, like the Board of Education and Watson-Hunt Funeral Home, or down Macon Road to include Antiques at the Shed. Should the DDA area be extended past the railroad tracks to take in more of the area around Big Indian Creek? Will the available facade grant money be enough? That question became homework for William Jackson, Larry Walker 111, Kim Mullins, Davis Cosey, UNIFORM SHOP 50% off ,Rgiasi (Already Discounted Items, Cherokee Unisex Scrubs & Dansko Shoes NOT Included)__ JULY 26th - AUG. 4th BUY 1 get 1 FREE Shirts Select Shoes just $19.99 Clearance Rack - EVERYTHING SB.OO Hours: M-F Bam-6pm Sat 9am-lpm CLOSED Sunday 1544 Watson Blvd. Warner Robins, GA (478) 328-9977 Carl Lumpkin, Pearlie Dixon and Terre Moody-Walker to take home and study. The big question at the moment, however, is a mat ter of suspense. Will the Perry City Council agree to sign over the deed to the under-used parking lot on Commerce Street, so that the DDA can sell it to a retail business and use the proceeds from the sale to create a landscaped area for parking and park use on the other side of Commerce Street. The vision which lights the eyes of volunteers like Mullins and Walker, and the DDA chairman, William Jackson, is one that turns Commerce Street into an attractive entry to the down town area, and a “yes” vote for City Council would be a big step forward in their plans. - * A lot of progress has already been made on Commerce Street., especially where a former eye-sore island has become a small park with intricately-laid brickwork, benches, and an attractive “monument” style sign wel coming visitors to Perry. Still, while Carroll and Ball Streets are lined with restored shops, hanging bas kets and attractive historical facades, Commerce Street has historically been a step child - a street lined by the backs of buildings. The retail business under discussion is Walgreen’s, and that’s not a done deal yet, but it’s close enough, appar ently for discussions to be under way about having the new store face Commerce Street, and saving the big shade tree on the corner of Ball Street and Commerce Street. There are also plans to move the gazebo now at that corner, possibly to the Big Indian Creek area, where another ambitious project is going on, with help from state grants and from the Rotary Club. jnMKs ■ u ? STATUE From page 1A ready and will start enforc ing the restrictions.” Burke noted “school does not start for a cdbple of weeks and routes and stops usually are not settled until after school starts and they know how many students are going to school.” In his ruling Cooper said, “the court recognizes that local school boards of educa tion will likely immediately designate school bus stops in light of this ruling. This ruling, therefore, may only result in delay, confusion, and inconsistent actions at the local level. The Court is powerless to alter this result. That the Court may not have made the same policy choice as the Georgia legislature is irrelevant.” Beth McLauglin, spokes woman for the Houston County Board of Education, said the board will follow the law and follow the lead of the state school board on this matter. Cooper said “the Court is deeply troubled, however, by the overwhelming evidence, Hr v v ft ** ** WL .JHb .Journal/ Charlotte Perkins Gaynil Croteau of Crossroads Landscaping was out early Wednesday morning watering the flower baskets and flower beds in downtown Perry. Go Back To School In Style! OUTLET Lee Wran^er Heattyex Peach Shops at Byron, 1-75, Exit 149, Byron, GA, (478) 956-3275, Mon-Sat 10-9, Sun 12-6.www.vffo.com LOCAL presented by plaintiffs at the preliminary injunc tion hearing, that local law enforcement authori ties have been preparing to enforce the school bus stop provision by measuring the distance between registered sex offenders residences and school bus stops obtained from local school officials or from school Web sites.” “While this interpretation of the definition of school bus stop was not entirely unreasonable,” Cooper said, “the Court expects that, in light of this ruling, local law enforcement authorities will re-evaluate whether regis tered sex offenders in their respective counties.” Local law enforcement is ready. “We’ll be going ahead and enforcing the schools and daycares right now,” Giles said Tuesday. “We sent notices out today,” The new restrictions of House Bill 1059 were signed into law in April. It was slated to go into effect July 1 and was delayed twice before now. On June 27, the court entered an order granting a temporary restraining order as to the school bus stop provision, at I | ''W Outlet Cash Al I = aassfi" ffwL mm -?££ ZcTjT w JEANS Juniors - Misses - Women's - Men s - Kids HU OFF Lowest Ticket Price 50% Off Healthtex & Adidas Fall Playwear Separates Boys and girls sizes 2-14. Bestform Sport Bras Available in.basic and fashion colors. Bestform Teen Bras Available in many styles and basic colors. Vanity Fair & Lily of France Bras Select regular underwire and full figure bras in basic and fashion colors. and on July 11, the court extended the restraining order for an additional 10 days so that the court could hear evi dence and argument from both parties and rule on plaintiffs’ motion for pre liminary injunction. The act provides: • No individual required to register pursuant as a sex offender shall reside or loi ter within 1,000 feet of any childcare facility, church, school, or area where minors congregate. Such distance shall be determined by measuring from the outer boundary of the property on which the individual resides to the outer boundary of the property of the childcare facility, church, school, or area where minors congre gate at their closest points. • No individual who is required to register as a sex offender shall be employed by any child care facility, school, or church or by any business or entity that is located within 1,000 feet of a child care facility, a school, or a church. The Act defines “areas where minors congregate” as: “all public and private parks and recreation facilities, ’ Daughter of *, Charles & Colleen I fmJjS Mcghee is 25 years ‘ 'fs ■. gy old today! She is a very Hr friendly & outgoing person Y with lots of goals for her life, many of which already have been accomplished. Crystal is solid in her faith and knows that these goals have not & cannot be accomplished without the Lord’s help. Crystal is excited about life & looks forward to experiencing it to the fullest & accomplishing her goals & future endeavors with a spirit of excellence. As her family we are thankful that Crystal was bom in this family unit and we all wish her a very . Wt Love you but went dftUjotws Jo* and. rtwembtr OryttoL.. ■ j jDk He who which hath beyun. a jood work in you will perform itf M P < until the day ojjtuu Chritt. HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL playgrounds, skating rinks, neighborhood centers, gym nasiums, school bus stops, and public and community swimming pools.” The pen alty for knowingly violat ing the act is a mandatory sentence of 10 to 30 years in prison. Cooper noted the act defines “school bus stop” as: “a school bus stop as. designated by local school boards of education or by a private school.” Plaintiffs had asked the Court to preliminarily enjoin the portions of the act that would prohibit reg istered sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school bus stop or a church, with focus on the school bus stops. Subscribe today Call 987-1823 Prime Rib Seasoned to Perfection 1-75 Exit 136 • 987-8877 35515 Tfi Hp • * jHpißpPr , JJ You pay $ 6 50 -*l7 Ong. ticket price $!3 - $34 ! 3 Ong. ttcket price SB-$1 S SOSO Ortg. ticket ptice $5 $6-*8 Orig ticket price S!S-S3O 1.16356