A federal judge denied a North Carolina businessman’s request for a temporary restraining order that would have allowed him to open an adult entertainment shop in downtown Suffolk immediately. All rise and praise the judge. He may not know it but that judge spoke for an awesome majority of Suffolk citizens. If there is one person other than the attorney representing Gregory Sakas favoring the installation of a porn shop anywhere in Suffolk, they remain silent and that’s probably a good idea.

I’d rather see him on the streets with a pushcart peddling his wares. Or perhaps door-to-door in some parts of town, or under a tree on the grounds of our coming new Cultural Center. If he thinks restraining him is against his right to free speech, let him stand up and hawk his wares in Peanut Park, or next to the Roman fountain by the Courthouse. There is a lady pushing hotdogs from a stand on the streets in summertime…Amedeo Obici began with such an operation selling peanuts, then we could all get a good look at Sakas unless he hired someone else to do his evangelizing. Surely he could join the Chamber of Commerce and champion his product during its meetings.

If this guy is opening a business to save customers shipping charges I could understand his generous offer. But methinks he’s after browsers who can’t make up their mind when surfing the hundreds of porn product sites on the Internet. Maybe he will institute a return policy for inept toy experimenters; that would be nice. Surely there must be some angle making it plausible there be a stop and shop. I’d think most buyers of smut would head for a distant town where they wouldn’t be known. Or is this emporium for the use of customers from distant cities who wish to remain anonymous. That’s it; Sakas is going to cash in on the out of town customers too timid to admit their addiction to porn. He saw that movie &uot;Field of Dreams&uot; and figures if he opens it they will come.

Even though I am an honorary member of the Nansemond tribe I find myself slowly twisting in the wind toward City Manager Steve Herbert’s opinion…a bit shaky project based on the tribe’s submitted &uot;business plan.&uot; I don’t know if it has been said that way, but it appears tribe spokespersons have said,&uot; give us the land and we will give you a business plan.&uot; That doesn’t check out with former tribe statements, &uot;we have already given the city a business plan.&uot; I am convinced, and so is the DOT, that the village would be good for tourism and a feather in Chuckatuck’s hat. Fat Boy’s employees could dress as Indians and offer venison jerky along with Moose beer. It seems sad but the project appears to be breathing its last. When the City Manager added that he thinks there are better places for the village than Lone Star Lakes he effectively scalped the Indians.

Next time you are in Chuckatuck take a good look at the main intersection containing three of those fancy light posts. I understand residents of that area don’t agree, but if they don’t change the Kings Highway Bridge direction, that intersection will become even more famous, or infamous. That whole triangle mess could be cleared up with a stoplight. As it is you place your bet and take your chances with traffic. Vehicles turning left off Kings Highway have but two car lengths to wait for a chance to slip into south traffic. Others headed south wait, holding up traffic going north. Many think it provides a bad image and reflects upon the residents who think the &uot;interchange&uot; adds charm, to say nothing about the appearance of the triangle. There need to be some re-thinking here.

&uot;Hussein has chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies.&uot; Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 19, 1999.

Robert Pocklington is a resident of Suffolk and a regular News-Herald columnist. He can be contacted via e-mail at robert.pocklington@suffolknewsherald.com