FLYING J MAY BE "FLYING" SOON

Despite a long battle and high hopes that the brakes would be placed on a proposed travel center in Dothan, it now looks like the J will be flying. The concern of Cloverdale Subdivision residents is the hundreds of trucks entering, parking, and exiting the Flying J which will be located near their neighborhood. But last night, their backs were against the wall and facing mounting challenges, and the opponents of the Flying J, are now backing down and hoping for some concessions from the Utah based company. The vote was nearly unanimous, with a Judge`s ruing and mounting legal costs staring them in the face, the people many of them whom have lived in Cloverdale for years, decided to back down and allow the Flying J to become their neighbor. Now they hope they can go to the bargaining table with the corporate giant, and win some concessions including a possible new buffer to help protect the quiet middle class area. Their main concern is the traffic, including the trucks going in and out, and up to 150 of those semis parked there on any given night. A group of Cloverdale residents will meet with Flying J officials within the next few days. They admit they are perhaps at the mercy of the company that operates literally hundreds of travel plazas nationwide. But members of the group that met Tuesday night, said they had no choice to but go along with a compromise. The city commission, who previously had tried to block Flying J, made it clear they would not fight the battle, or ante up additional fees alone, and that it would be up to the Cloverdale residents to help foot the bill for a battle many feel they could not win. Flying J is represented locally by Dothan Attorney Wade Baxley. The company is expected to have reaction to Tuesday nights action some time Thursday.