WHO NEEDS BILLBOARDS...PUT UP YOUR SIGN AT THE NEIL COMBEE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING IN BARTOW!

This morning the Polk County Commission will take up the issue of displays being erected on county facilities to hopefully resolve what has become a controversial --- and often humorous --- situation that has come to pass in front of the Neil Combee Administration Building in Bartow.

First, a Sunday School class from First Baptist Church of Bartow erected a Nativity scene last week on the building's lawn without seeking County Commission approval. Then earlier this week a sign appeared reading "Festivus For The Rest of Us", signed by the "Seinfeld Fan Club". "Festivus" is a fictional holiday concevied by characters on the 90s NBC sitcom. Yesterday another sign, simply reading "Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays" was erected, believed to be the work of 97 Country WPCV-FM morning guys Rob Tanner and Tom O'Brien.

Now it seems that at least two County Commissioners --- Jack Myers and Randy "Three Square" Wilkinson --- apparantly knew of the Baptists' original plan to erect the Nativity scene before it came to pass last week. Myers says he had heard that a children's class were planning to put up the display, while Wilkinson says he heard about it and drove by the group as it was putting up the scene.

It should be interesting this morning.

UPDATE: The County Commission ruled by a 4-1 vote that the manger scene should remain through Monday as a "temporary public forum", based on the original written request by a Presbyterian minister on behalf of an area ministerial association (which was denied last week for the display to be placed on the lawn of the old courthouse). But the "Festivus" and (alleged) WPCV "Happy Holidays" signs must be removed as there was no written request submitted for them.

So the Baptists got exactly what they wanted. A retired Winter Haven attorney --- a member of Americans United For The Seperation of Church and State --- who had considered asking for an injuction asking for the Nativity scene's immediate removal, decided not to do so as the chances of it being heard before a judge prior to Christmas is slim at best.