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I`?3
<br />q-e
<br />Heated •saint Paul Firearms" debate
<br />referred to adn~inistr~c~tive law .judge
<br />ByJANBMCCL1JItE nearlyadozenspokeforthelicense. -- - ---
<br /> ' Saint Paul Firearms will sell
<br />aintPaulFireattns'quesF guns used for sports, collectible
<br />for a dty license has me[ flrearms and military souvenirs, said
<br />with enough questions Perkins. He has voluntaHly pledged
<br />tha[ffiemat[erhazbeen nottoseli"cheaphandguns"or as- '
<br />referred to an adminl. rte- Sault rules. Atcesc to h15 business will
<br />ttvelawjudge.Withtec• be controlled,withvisltorsscru[i-
<br />ommendationsfrom the tlty attorney ' sized before they are allowed iii. The
<br />andllcensingauthorlUestograntstore building has an elaboratesecutity
<br />owner Gregg Perklns a license to sell system, with measures taken to pre- ` im
<br />fl- ns, the challenge for opponents vent burglaries.
<br />1: -nd enough tadual evidence to Perklns akked [he City Coundl
<br />buUd aaseon. to recognize Sale[ Paul Firearms az a
<br />In taro, the delay In obtaininga ,' legitimate business, and to not listen
<br />dry tirearms sales llcensg hazprovid•' ! to hJS oppopents "who ace guided by
<br />
<br />
<br />,, mortgagethetamilyhomeazidiscon• " Perkinshazstatedthatopening f.
<br />s `" '"^'~.,.,_ '°f
<br />sl"deripg+t~}kfngaaempot jobJus[
<br />,•t`^~:'~ ` SainteaulFirearmshasDeenalong-
<br />hgld dream. ",Unfortunately for us, I ,
<br />,~ , , ogtohaYgpn~dminls• ~:-thtnkhLtdreamisaplghtmaretothe
<br />traityelaW,,Judge;otAT~„~@a,Ji~tagwas
<br />b ;:community;" sald.nelghbor'and s-
<br />~
<br />made
<br />y.theSt:"Paul City Coundlon, ...;teacherAndrewNjaa. 1
<br />a b-1 vote Apri122. The council lls• °I believe you should have [he
<br />'taned to more than two hours .testa- freedom to have your store," Njaa
<br />mony for and against the proposed added, `but l believe we should have Saint Paul Ftrearms'questJor acity Ifcensehasbeen re/erred to an adminlstradtelaw/ut{gg to be heard ort/une2.
<br />gua shop, which is to be located at thefreedomof ourneighborhood.''r° *' • Store ¢wner.CreggPerklrrssays Ihedelay In obta(ninga dtyJtrearms sales Itcense has been a J/nandai hardshlµ
<br />634 NorthSnelling Avenue... The referral to a judge and new Above Perklns Ls pfct~red with some mtUtary souvenirs that se~ral Hamline-Midway residenGc hair taken issue
<br />While dry staff hasrecommend- healittg, set for June 2, mean that the with Although attention Aas been focused on Neat hems, Perklns also displays communist and Japanese Items/or
<br />ed that the license be granted, the testimony heard April 22 can't be sa(efrom the Second World War. (PhotobyTerryFausU
<br />-
<br />ply Coundl has the right to send the taken into account in the upcoming
<br />matte to an ALJ hearing. Such hear proceeding, said Assistant CI[y Attor- of people," Perklns Bald. He Contends . Maccabee also wrangled verbally a orgaNze more supporters than oppo-
<br />Ings can be set if there is reason to neyJerome Segal He also warned the that the debate over the license is "a few Umes, with Perkins being admon- nests to his license.
<br />consider adverse action against a li- City Council against discussing the game" to those who oppose him and a fished by other qty Coundl members Perklns also continues [o con-
<br />cr^~ ~,or it there Is a need to gather matter further, until it is brought "hobby." He also refers to his oppo• torhiscomments tend that the 700-plus petition signs-
<br />' u• testimony. City Coundl Presi- back to them this summer. nests az "flakes" and says he H the one In the weeks since the meeting, [ores against his business represent a
<br />deutBlllWllsonindlcatedtpatthe While those in theHamline- beingteasonableinthewholetnattec none of those opposed to hisbuUrless smallportlonotthecommunlty.lfhe
<br />qty Code contalnslanguagestaUng Midwaynelghborhoodaresayingll[' PerkinslsaLsoconfiden[tha[hls have stoppedlntoseehlm,sald were soindlned,Perkfnssaldhe
<br />Utat businesses should not "annoy, tn- Ue publicly about the hcense, az they license will be ultimatdy be approved, Perklns rn an Interview. `eve invited could easily get more signatures In
<br />jareolendanget"othets.lncallingfor prepare for the June 2 hearing, or that the state lawswillpre-empt. people intepeatedly,butl~ustcan't favotofhisbusinesa
<br />referral ofthemattertoanALJpro- PerkinslsfreelystatinghiscaseHeis anydtyactlon."Ithlnkreasonis seem to get anyonetostopin...No- Theacrimonlousdebatebe-
<br />ceeding,Wilsonnotedthathehas
<br />" . eager to talkabou[hissituation,but gotngtoprevailonthisthing,"herald bodyseemstowan[[otalktome,and tweenMaccabeeandPerkinsApril
<br />never seen a neighborhood respond frustrated that more people haven'[ Almost 100 people jammed the t've been given very little opportuN- 22 centered on a white supremacy
<br />azUilsonehastoULLtlitense." tontadedhlmaboutthdreoncerns. gn,Cq~~~~rs~rtheAprll22 tytotalkaboutmmpromise." flier thatwazfouhdatMidwayCen-
<br />TheApril22publlchearingwaz Looking back at thehearu[g,and publichearing.Manyofthaseagalnst However,Petkinsnotesthatthe ter in mid-April, and the tact that
<br />oaeofthemos[emotlonalandyetor• apreviousmeetingwithnelghbors,
<br />~ the gunllcensewavedstgnsandwore meeting-whlchwas rebroadcast Perktnsisse111ngWorldWarllsou-
<br />ganizedinrecentmemory,wlth Petktnsadmitstofeeltngawfde whiteamtbands.Emotionsranhfgh three times on [hed[}rscabletelevi- venirsfromNazlGetmany.
<br />nelghborhoodresidentsand"expert range ofemotlons,fromstupidity"for during the meeting,wlthscat[eredap- sionchannel-didwlnhimsome WhenMaccabeeaskedPerkins
<br />wlmesses" lined up todiscussa myrl- what Pve put my famUy through" [o p~mR booingand shouted comments more supporters. Some people have if he had seen the fliers, Perkins
<br />ad of Issues against granting [he li• anger and helplessness. punctuating the proceedings. Saint stopped In to let him know of that asked, Are you trying to make some
<br />tetue.Almos[[wodozenpeoplespoke ButheistryingtobephUosophf- paulFlrearmsownerPerkinsand suppor[;manyothershavecalled.lf
<br />agalnstgranUng the license, while caL"Societyhas alotof differen[kinds Ward 4 City CouncilmemberPaula he wanted to, Perklns said he could Continued on page 12
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