No lions or tigers or bears Oh My

The Planning and Zoning Commission took the first step Tuesday evening to bring a circus under the old-fashioned "big top" to town in mid-May.

Commissioners voted 6-0 (commissioner Lori Huey missed the meeting) to approve a Conditional Use Permit for Circus Aguilar to stage a one-ring circus May 14-18 on grounds located immediately south of the Central Texas Speedway track. The general manager of the speedway said, in spite of what the circus’s posters illustrate, there will be no lions and tigers at the circus, but (and don’t breathe a word of this to those PETA zealots who recently boasted they got the critters banned from Ringling Bros. shows) there will be elephants. In fact, the posters advertise that people can take a ride on the elephant prior to show times. Along with the pachyderms, the circus will feature "for the first time in the US Wolf Man live," along with such other typical attractions as trapeze artists, jugglers and, of course, clowns.

The performance schedule is:

• Thursday, May 14: 8 p.m.
• Friday, May 15, and Monday, May 18: 5 and 8 p.m.
• Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17: 1:30, 5 and 8 p.m.

The price of admission was not listed in the advance information, but the circus posters do advertise that children 14 and under don’t have to pay to see the show.

Commissioner Mike Wilson wondered whether the circus had an adequate plan to deal with and dispose of the elephant poop and really didn’t get his inquiry answered except that the general manager assured Wilson the circus plans to work closely with Kyle animal control during the event.