MARY, JOSEPH, AND BABY JESUS HAVE LEFT THE BUILDING

The "Temporary Free Speech Zone" in front of the Neil Combee County Administration Building in Bartow is no more. Those items which had been approved for placement there were to have been dismantled by 5:30 PM Monday, but apparantly the Sunday School class from Bartow's First Baptist Church --- which had placed the Nativity scene there under cover of darkness without approval and thus started the controveresy --- once again came under cover of darkness and took down their display Sunday night.

Signs promoting the fictional holiday "Festivus" and holiday greetings from 97 Country (WPCV) morning show hosts Tanner & Tom were previously taken down after noone submitted written requests for them to remain. The only other display that remained was from area resident Sheila Darby who put up a sign promoting the ancient prophet Zoroaster; she later gave permission for the gay-rights group Equality Polk County to use her display as well. It was dismantled at the end of business yesterday when the "Temporary Free Speech Zone" expired.

Now a newly created "citizens committee" appointed by the Polk County Commission will assist in developing a policy to prevent such controveresy in the future. It is to report by March 1, and present it's recommendations to the BOCC by April 1.