THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, November 21, 1994 TAG: 9411210057
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONI WHITT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Long : 109 lines
Folks here have been working to change the city's image from down and out and rough and ready to a family place attractive to tourists.
They've gotten excited over plans for a new downtown. They will open the Children's Museum of Virginia next month, and in the near future they will cut the ribbon on a fine arts center.
But Portsmouth is finding it hard to shed some of its problems, especially its history of go-go bars and unruly night spots.
After months of deliberation, city officials passed an ordinance in the spring to limit many forms of adult entertainment. But things don't seem to be getting any better.
On Dec. 6, dancers from three go-go bars - Mad Dogs, Sticky Fingers and Lickety Splits - are scheduled to appearin court for allegedly carrying their acts too far.
Also, Raymond Rogers, a co-owner of the three clubs, will be brought before the state Alcoholic Beverage Control board on Dec. 8 at the agency's Chesapeake regional headquarters. Agents have charged the dancers with lewd and disorderly conduct. If the board finds them guilty, it can revoke or suspend the liquor licenses or fine the owners.
Lawrence J. Ross, the owner of Mickey T's, will be in court today to defend against charges that he brought dancers into another club without a permit now required by city law. Ross contends his club was open before the new zoning regulations on adult businesses went into effect.
The city is fighting to force Mickey T's to go through the new club permit process, which would allow City Council to decide whether another go-go bar should be allowed in Cradock.
Council members are frustrated because the new, stricter regulations for nightclubs and go-go bars apply only to future businesses. They are unsure how to deal with existing clubs and go-go bars that they fear hurt the city's image.
In the Cradock area and along George Washington Highway, seven go-go bars dot a half-mile stretch of the road.
Since the council passed the ordinance, the city has gone to court to close two nightclubs where police have had to control unruly crowds. In one of the clubs, the Ebony Showcase, there was a shooting spree.
Morton V. Whitlow, a former city councilman, is defending the six dancers from the three clubs and one of their managers. He also was hired by the Cradock community to help them stop Mickey T's from opening without a nightclub permit.
``They feel like that area has enough taverns and bars and go-go bars, and they feel it's not beneficial to have more,'' Whitlow said. ``The Cradock property owners are proud of their neighborhood and have worked hard to maintain it. They simply take the position that they don't want any more go-go bars or taverns.''
The city has long had go-go bars near its naval shipyard, but the number of such establishments has been growing as other cities have tightened their laws regulating the adult dancing business.
The city also has yet to develop a vision for the section near the shipyard. City officials have delayed designs for the Cradock area until a second phase of its urban design plan.
``It's certainly not a positive image,'' Councilman Cameron C. Pitts said of the problems with the clubs. ``As we struggle to emerge as a more progressive community with a positive history . . . we are responding to complaints. We have come out with a law on adult uses and stricter enforcement.''
Pitts said that if in the end the laws make the clubs more sterile, the businesses may not survive.
``I certainly would hope that we could address this in an urban design plan,'' Pitts said. ``But I think a study has to be done to see which is the worst impact, losing the bars or keeping them - a morality study of sorts.''
Pitts said the current laws must be enforced. But, he added, the bars serve as a release. By eliminating them or making them illegal, it may force the activities to go underground where they would be a burden on law enforcement, rather than a source of revenue, he said.
Residents in Cradock, a neighborhood near most of the clubs, said unless George Washington Highway becomes less tawdry, their community might not survive.
``The entire Cradock area is going to keep going downhill unless the city pays attention to what's going on here,'' said Debra Wiggins, a resident. ``Instead of bringing new business and merchants to Portsmouth, they're going to go elsewhere. This George Washington strip is not a desirable place to be.''
Wiggins said that while the go-go bars are not in the neighborhoods, they are in nearby shopping centers and close to other areas that families in the community frequent. She said she blames the city for allowing the bars to operate so close to neighborhoods.
``They're not right across the street, but they're close to everywhere you need to go,'' she said. ``You live in your community, you don't just live in your home. I'm not a prude; it's just not an appropriate place to have these places.''
Wiggins, who has five children, said the problem of the clubs hit home one day when her 7-year-old son asked why one was called ``Sticky Fingers.''
She said often her sons will see dancers hanging around outside the clubs in their ``little costumes'' when the family goes to rent videotapes at a nearby store.
But Wiggins said she doesn't believe it's ``too late'' for Cradock. She said her neighborhood can survive if the city decides to change its image.
``You get what you're advertising for,'' Wiggins said. ``It's not the type of place that advertises for respectable people.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color staff photo by GARY C. KNAPP/
Dancers from Lickety Splits and two other Portsmouth go-go bars have
been charged with lewd and disorderly conduct.
KEYWORDS: NIGHTCLUB GO GO BAR PORTSMOUTH by CNB