Rewind back to last summer. The local uproar was over the new kids in town, KK’s Temptations adult boutique, that was to open in October. Some of the City folks had a fit because the shop was in Old Town Manassas. People envisioned hordes of perverts lining up to see the bustiers and nighties. It didn’t matter that the City also has Fashion Fantasy over on route 28 and at least one adult movie store over near the library, within blocks of Kindercare and Parkside Middle School on Mathis Avenue. This new store was going to be in Old Town near the Candy Factory. Each and every person I talked to who was opposed to the opening of KK’s used the location as the main, if not only reason for objection.
Fast forward back to the present. In the past couple of weeks, I have heard some mumblings and grumblings over KKs from two friends who I can clearly say are on different ends of this argument. KK”s had planned to do some events for Susan G. Komen for the cure to raise money. Their first plan had been a wet tee shirt contest. Elena and I spoke briefly but negatively about this plan and basically backed off. Because of issues with the City, KK’s plans changed to a bikini contest at Backyard Grill at the corner of Sudley Road and Williamson Blvd. We didn’t like that idea either because of the objectification of women but kept our mouths shut. It was Kim’s business. In other words, do no harm. We didn’t.
Fast forward again. I go out to Backyard Grill at least once a month. I consider it to be in my extended neighborhood, so I thought I would just go have a little chat. It appears that some of the rumblings I had heard were true. Backyard Grille had cancelled the KK’s event. A week before it was to take place, on a Friday night, there was a sweep. you know, one of those events where the ABC, the county cops, and the fire marshall all show up simultaneously. It isn’t real good for your business. They got cited for not having enough security during DJ time, even though there were only 10 people in the bar area.
More to the point, Why did this raid happen? Had some folks been lying? That is a fairly low key establishment that causes very few problems. I also f0und out that lots and lots of phone calls came in complaining about the KK event, even though contests of that nature are not unusual at Backyard. The complaints all were directed over KK’s. Most of the callers were anonymous. One in particular, when pressed, said she was with the City of Manassas. Yea. Right. Callers asked very complex questions that tipped off the manager.
I immediately told the person I spoke with that it was the Pitchfork and Torches crew putting pressure to bear. My dining friends wanted to know how come the cops, fire marshall and ABC board all cooperated. Easy. If enough bogus complaints are made, they would be remiss not following up. Furthermore, the likelihood that some ‘torch carriers’ work for the cops, ABC board, and fire marshall’s office is fairly good. I might have to put a little pressure to bear myself about wasting county resources for political gain.
Backyard Grille basically got the word if they wanted the sweeps and complaints to stop, they would cancel the event. Much as they hated to do so, they complied. I was told too many of the employees count on their jobs and money from tips for the restaurant to put them in jeopardy.
Some of those who participated in this intimidation and who are reading this account are probably cheering and hi- fiving each other that they won. They need to ask themselves if they won a battle or a war. Most Virginians don’t take too well to intimidation. This situation was clearly intimidation by the social do-gooders. These same do-gooders have lied. They have lied about their intentions. KK’s was not going to hurt the City of Manassas by having an event in the county.
Remember, every person I spoke with who wanted KK’s to disappear used the excuse that the shop was in Old Town. I was told by ring-leader Jackson Miller, who claimed to represent many City folks, that he had never said anything about Fashion Fantasy or MCV because those retail stores were NOT in Old Town. I guess the latest episode of Moms Against Sex Shops (MASS) really weren’t being very honest, now were they?
The problem with these kinds of lies is, they often push people over to the other side. Elena and I weren’t involved. We don’t like those types of contests so we just didn’t offer our support. We didn’t blather on about it. We said nothing. And when we say nothing, assume we aren’t in support. I don’t like intimidation and I don’t like the Pitchforks and Torches coming on my turf and wasting county resources over a ridiculous raid.They also hurt the employees of Backyard because no one comes to an establishment with 20 cop cars in the parking lot. Most of them went home that night with fairly empty pockets.
The world is big enough for KK’s Temptations and the Pitchfork and Torches crowd to co-exist. Meanwhile, the Pitchforks and Torch crowd needs to tell the truth. They need an enemy and Kim Skokal is it. They targeted her and regardless of what she did, some of them were going to go after her. They didn’t care who they hurt in the process. It might be wise to stay off our turf out here in the county. It is mighty stupid to take people like Elena and me and force us back into the fray by being bullies and control freaks and worst of all, by telling lies.
Further reading:
Manassas Busts Up Wet T-Shirt Contest
I don’t agree that wet t-shirt contests and the like “objectify” women if they are participating of their own free will. Back when O’Meara’s was in business on Old Town, they had that sort of thing all the time, complete with an annual calendar of their girls, and no one said peep. Where was the torch crowd back then?
It sounds like there are a bunch of people who need a life. Are these folks going to ban the t-shirts that say “Save First Base?” I love those shirts and would wear one if I had the nerve.
It is interesting that an area that is about to celebrate a war that costs over 600,00 lives, tore the country apart and devastated the countryside for four years is now scared to death by a few “wet tee shirts”. Come to Manassas and step back in time has a totally new meaning.
I guess with election season coming, it’s time to resurrect the “My town is in flames” issue again. Perhaps Del. Miller could use some wet tee shirts to help put out the flames.
Emma, Elena and I are entitled to our own personal opinion. We didn’t lobby for or against anything to do with it. How on earth can you criticize us for saying nothing? We didn’t say a peep either and that includes about O’Mearas.
I can’t speak for Elena but in my case, I am sure that my feelings are generational. The only reason I included my feelings in the post is because we had been very silent on the subject one way or the other. How we feel personally should have nothing to do with KK’s participation in something happening in the county.
You remember back when all the hoopla was going on. The main reason for objecting to them moving in is because the shop was in Old Town. Backyard Grille is a long way from Old Town.
Ivan, I love it! step back in time indeed.
@Moon-howler How did I criticize you?
Maybe you didn’t. I wanted to clarify that we did nothing one way or the other…intentionally. I wasn’t real focused when I responded. I was listening to the final court argument. Its the first time I have heard that whole story.
@Emma.
Thanks for the information, MH. The point is, the event was a fundraiser so that Kim Skokan, her daughter Kristina and their other team members can walk in the 3-day walk to benefit breast cancer research in the fall. Each individual walking has to raise $2300 to participate. Backyard Grill wouldn’t benefit, and neither would Kim Skokan.
To donate to their team or to join their team in the 60 mile walk go to:
http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/2011/WashingtonDCEvent2011?team_id=184068&pg=team&fr_id=1623
I also disagree that women are objectified if they choose to wear t-shirts and participate in a wet t-shirt contest. I would argue that they are empowered.
As for people anonymously calling for a raid of a business establishment. Just plain sad.
If you’re going to do something like that at least do so from out of the closet.
I am not sure men get to decide what constitutes ‘objectifying women.’ Obviously men and women are not going to agree on this issue unless we are talking about daughters. Then the worm turns.
Example: In the mid 90’s there was a very patriotic bikini splashed all over Playboy. I had seen my husband oogling it on one of the playmates. I would have loved to have had a camera when our daughter came downstairs at the beach wearing an identical suit. I thought the man was going to have a heart attack. Talk about a stricken look. He did a quick recovery but knew we were all watching him. He would deny that it happened but I have witnesses who to this day would declare what I am saying is true.
@marin, I agree and it is cowardly to call for a raid on a business because of that reason.
And remember, I* never talked to anyone at KK’s over this. I spoke directly to the people who work at Backyard Grill. They know a set up when they see it.
It became obvious because of the number and content of the phone calls.
Gee, couldn’t the pitch fork crowd have done something positive – such as raising $5000 for the Skokan’s team if they skipped the tee shirt contest? Nah.
Where’s the dark side on this? I remember the brouhaha over the raid on a certain pool hall. Situational outrage?
Censored, I had forgotten all about that. You are right. Situational outrage.
I guess it wasn’t all about being in the middle of Old Town Manassas, was it. Why do those folks care what happens in Backyard Grill clearly in the county? Could it be they weren’t being truthful about their real objection?
Maybe those same folks should give Fashion Fantasy or MVC video a turn. Fashion Fantasy has been over on 28 for nearly 20 years. I have been in both stores. Fashion Fantasy probably has more merchandise and it isn’t in the back room, just around the corner.
No one has complained about similar bikini events at Backyard Grill to my knowledge. They told me no one else had complained, just about KKs.
Just think how fast that battle would have ended if all of the women in the town had had a wet shirt contest back then…..
“I am not sure men get to decide what constitutes ‘objectifying women.’”
And that goes to my point. I think a woman that is able to of her own free accord choose and decide for herself is empowered. Her choice may not meet the approval of others but that she does have the choice and makes it; empowers her in my humble opinion (as a man).
Funny thing is. As a future father of a daughter I hear where you’re going on this.
In the privacy of our home the discussions will all boil down to — don’t wear anything out in public that you don’t want your dad, uncles, brother, or grandfather seeing on the internet or in a magazine.
Funny anecdote.
I think it should be the patriotic duty of those women – who are inclined – and feel slighted by the government and people that would make phone calls from their closets to have those women march on the main strip with white shirts and water bottles during the Civil War festivities. I support their First Amendment right to do so. 😉
And I support their right to do so also. I still feel that those kinds of contests (as well as a lot of other things) objectify women. However, if they want to do it, have at it. I won’t be stopping them. And that had nothing to do with any of the Backyard Grill thing either.
I only threw that in because Elena and I had just not mentioned it. I was informing our readers why. It is really irrelevant to any part of the story other than our silence. As a person, who cares. As blog owners, the conversation goes something like this: do we want to go out on a limb for this. Nah. Didn’t think so. We pick and chose which swords to fall on. Wet T-shirt and bikini contests aren’t just where I want to stake my rep defending.
However, I will fall on a sword over lying and hypocrisy. If one is told Old Town is the entire issue and then Kim is hounded when she goes to the county to hold an event, well…that tells me a whole lot of folks weren’t being truthful with me since Backyard is NO where near the city. You can see 66 from that parking lot.
I also hate hounding people with country resources. I have seen that happen several tiimes and every time it pisses me off. Marin, you and I paid for that raid both locally( Fire and cops) and at the state level with the ABC agents. This was all to make a point over KK’s, a city business.
Wet tee shirt contests are probably the equivalent of a bachelorette party with the Chippendale troupe. The audience is there to ogle and have a good time .
I think there is a generational disapproval of wet tee shirt contests because those of us who worked and attended college – before laws prohibiting sexual harassment – were subject to crude remarks about our appearance, clothes, etc. We were propositioned by our bosses, slapped on the butt by our professors, whistled at by construction workers. It didn’t matter much what you wore or how you conducted yourself. You were reduced to your sexuality. Wet tee shirt contests are a reminder of that. Maybe younger women can cash in on their attributes to their advantage, but I’m not so sure of that. No men in the audience are wondering if Miss D-cup is a Ph.D.
M-h, don’t forget the $70,000 wasted by the City to second guess the City Attorney’s advice and to appease the prudes. Where’s the howl from conservatives over government waste!
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/after-violent-video-games-what-about-adult-entertainment
City of Manassas Code for Indecent Exposure (part of the arguement by some with regards to wet t-shirt contests):
Sec. 78-261. – Indecent exposure.
(a)
As used in this section, the term “state of nudity” means a state of undress so as to expose the human male or female genitals, pubic area or buttocks with less than a fully opaque covering, or the showing of the female breast with less than a fully opaque covering of any portion thereof below the top of the nipple.
(b)
Every person who knowingly, voluntarily and intentionally appears in public or in a public place or in a place open to the public or open to public view in a state of nudity, or employs, encourages or procures another person to so appear, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
(c)
No person shall be deemed to be in violation of this section for breastfeeding a child in any public place or any place where others are present.
(d)
Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to apply to the exhibition, presentation, showing or performance of any play, ballet, drama, tableau, production or motion picture in any theater, concert hall, museum of fine arts, school, institution of higher learning or other similar establishment which is primarily devoted to such exhibitions, presentations, shows or performances as a form of expression of opinion, communication, speech, ideas, information, art or drama, as differentiated from commercial or business advertising, promotion or exploitation of nudity for the purpose of advertising, promoting, selling or serving products or services or otherwise advancing the economic welfare of a commercial or business enterprise, such as a hotel, motel, bar, nightclub, restaurant, tavern or dancehall.
(Code 1978, § 20-9)
City of Manassas Code defining “obsene” (the other half by some of the arguement against wet t-shirt contests):
Sec. 78-252. – “Obscene” defined.
The word “obscene,” where it appears in this division, shall mean that which, considered as a whole, has as its dominant theme or purpose an appeal to the prurient interest in sex, that is, a shameful or morbid interest in nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, excretory functions or products thereof or sadomasochistic abuse, and which goes substantially beyond customary limits of candor in description or representation of such matters and which, taken as a whole, does not have serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.
(Code 1978, § 20-1)
Actually, the bill went FAR FAR beyond the $71,000 tossed around at the beginning for the study. The City Council Finance Committee on June 29th, as the Fiscal Year is closing, had to do a ratification action for (quote from Agenda Item) “the sexually oriented business (SOB) issue has not been budgeted and appropriated.”
Breakout was: $27,438 to James Duncan & Assoc as the consultant who produced did the study and report (which reflected the City had a zoning issue, and no other “secondary effect” issue – something those who took the emotion out of the issue already knew); $9,175 for Attorney Fees not related to the City Attorney that had an additional $75,125 related to SOB. That first Attorney bill for over $9K I believe was related to drafting the final ordinance.
In total, the bill wa $111,738….$40,738 above the orginial stated publicaly and elsewhere of the $71,000 to be paid to resolve the SOB issue.
@Raymond Beverage
Thanks for the additional info about the cost to the City to pursue this subject.
In the above definitions, it appears as though a distinction is being made between “fine” art and the low brow version of “art”. I thought that after the original brouhaha over the tee shirt contest being held in the City, the owners of KK’s said that the women who participated would wear bikini tops…if I remember correctly. That would seem to skirt the nudity issue.
Hypothetical Question: what is the difference between a “wet t-shirt” contest where the individuals would be wearing underwear/bathing suit held at Philadelphia Tavern, and the dunking booth down at Sports Grille the other month where men were sitting in T-shirts, dropped into the tank, and came out with their t-shirts and swim trunks clinging to them?
Keep in mind, the Sports Grille is within the limits of the Historic District, just over the line dividing the core area of Old Town.
ooopss…line in #22 should read “would be wearing underwear/bathing suit under the t-shirt”
@Raymond Beverage
It seems as if both the dunking tank and the tee shirt contest fall in a gray area – they aren’t art and they aren’t commercial. They were/are charity events.
@Raymond Beverage
I am really glad I don’t live in the City. How reactionary. Sounds like they have money to burn.
The entire situation seems very hypocritical to me. It especially seems hypocritical after the goings on at O’Mearas. A blind eye was turned for years. Why? Was the City afraid O’Meara was going to go on a rant at them on the radio?
Raymond, I see little difference in dunking men in tight trunks and wet tee shirts with appropriate modesty inclusions. Not my cup of tea but hardly the den of iniquity proported by some of the MASSes.
But finally, in the interest of this thread, what KK’s does at Backyard Grill really isn’t any of the City’s business. Either the City needs to butt out or figure out who is impersonating a City employee.
“Raymond, I see little difference in dunking men in tight trunks and…”
I just threw up a bit in my mouth..
“Marin, you and I paid for that raid both locally( Fire and cops) and at the state level with the ABC agents. This was all to make a point over KK’s, a city business.”
Agreed. If they have enough money to burn to raid this establishment then they have way too much money. Lower the funding and blame it on the people in the closet.
The whole topic has me irked off because people think they can legislate morals.
And I am irked because I just paid for a raid over a city issue. I am also angry because people seem to think they can BS us.
I wish I had a dollar for everyone I heard say, “oh, its I object to KK’s because it is in the historic Old Town District.” Well, that obviously wasn’t true since these same pitchfork carriers are now pissed because KK’s was having a function in MY neighborhood which is about 4 miles from historic Old Town.
The real reason is …they are pissed because KK’s EXISTS. These same folks should go pay a visit to the other sites like Fashion Fantasy and MVC. I have never been in MVC but I have been in Fashion Fantasy. Interesting shop. 😉
That blind eye was turned for nearly 20 years–maybe because Fantasy is over on 28 near auto body shops and the trailer park. Mathis Avenue also isn’t exactly the high rent district and Parkside is a county school so they don’t count either, I suppose.
MVC is directly across an intersection from one of the city’s most historic sites, Liberia Plantation, visited by both Jefferson Davis (1861) and Abraham Lincoln (1862). Civil war reenactors parading down Portner Ave from Old Town to Liberia Plantation on Thurs, July 22 at 10 am will be able to salute MVC Couples Boutique to their right as they round the corner from Breedon to Mathis and enter Liberia Plantation. Every busload of tourists, 17,000 a day expected, will be able to wave to MVC from their Gray or Blue line windows. No so out of the way as you think.
http://manassas.patch.com/listings/manassas-video-club#photo-2439470
@Cindy, Is that Couples Boutique part new? I thought it was just a raunchy movie place.
Sorry, correct that parade to Friday, July 22, MH. Working with Neighborhood Services and the Week of Hope volunteers to arrange a cleanup of Portner Ave. sometime this week.
Don’t know – never been there. Here’s their website. Three locations in Prince William County, as well as the one in City of Manassas. http://mvclatenight.com/
@ Cindy,
Ah ha! I only see one in the City of Manassas. I had always heard there were 2. The Nathan Court House of Naughty appears to be over on my turf. So you guys spent over $100,000 to protect the City folks from THAT? OoooKaaaaay. Even Corey wouldn’t spend that kind of money.
Damn, I recken as they say here in the south. That house of naughty can almost be seen from the Battlefield. Holy Ghosts of Stonewall, your Pitch-forkers have better get over here quick. No more blind eye.
Where is the City hiding that second one?
Ooops, I forgot. MVC is ok. Not a problem. Its near Parkside and the county library.
If only we could find a trailer park. There are some homeless camps back in the woods behind the City Utility building and Parkside. Will that count?
Moon, that Nathan Court address is up off Wellington Road…that industrial/business park up behind Best Western Battlefield. It is “Manassas 20109” and technically Brentsville District.
whoops…that’s what I get for holding my comment and answering the phone….I see Moon, you already mentioned your turf on…LOL!
Yup. I guess I have been driving past those MVC places for years, both on Mathis and over on my turf and never paying a bit of attention. I have never seen old men in raincoats lurking outside either.
Does that mean I probably won’t get tapped for the Pitchfork and Torch Society? Does that mean they think I will be a bad pitch Forker? Sigh, my mother should have done a better job.
Actually I should be more serious. Doing vengeful things that hurt other people’s ability to earn a living is a serious issue. Those in the food service industry at Backyard Grill definitely didn’t have a very good night in the tip department. Nothing empties a restaurant and bar like a fleet cop cars in the parking lot.
A FOIA queen should find out if any other nearby establishments received the same type of treatment or wasmerely the Backyard Grill targetted.
You, Lafayette and I should take another little trip out to backyards for a burger and get the story again. I was speechless!!!
I think Laf likes the blue cheese burgers.@censored
Glad I was out of town and missed this thread. I would’ve worn my fingers out. 🙂
Devils and pitchforks, always a favorite with SOME of the elite city crowd. 👿
Did someone say blue cheeseburgers?
Yup. You have any time off this week, Emma? You can go on a blue cheese burger snoop with us!!!!
Blue cheese burgers…yummm. I broke down and ate a burger today after my mother and I watched her neighborhood’s parade. The politicians were slick – they gave out flag colored fans. I was a hypocrite and took a Republican’s freeby.
Is there a public record of these raids anywhere? Particularly why they iniate them against particular establishments. Is any restaurant with a healthy bar scene going to be a target?
Those are good questions. We should be able to figure out where to start on this one. I mean we paid for it. ABC board is state but we live in VA.
Did you say bluecheese burger? Count me in, Backyard has one of the best bluecheese burgers around and they will serve it rare. I probably shoudn’t have said that, the Health Dept. might pay them a visit next.
The Health Dept reports their violations on their website. I don’t think the ABC does. This would be the best place to start. However, I didn’t check the site out real good. Perhaps there’s something in the FAQ’s. http://www.abc.state.va.us/index.html
I meant to take a picture at 7-11 I saw in WVa. this past wekend and I sure DON’T want to see the same in the Commonwelth. The sign had the standard..”Oh, thank heaven” then below it “LIQUOR”. I couldn’t help but think of Madam Moon.
Lafayette, there’s some interesting info on that site. I wonder who makes up the ABC Community Advisory Council in this area.
@Censored bybvbl
I didn’t see that board mentioned on PWC’s site at a quick glance provided the boards were in alphabetical order. I’m sure there’s some other interesting appointments we may have missed. 👿
http://www.pwcgov.org/apps/bcc/reportview.aspx?file=report0910.pdf
@Censored bybvbl
I didn’t see that board mentioned on PWC’s site at a quick glance provided the boards were in alphabetical order. I’m sure there’s some other interesting appointments we may have missed. 👿
http://www.pwcgov.org/apps/bcc/reportview.aspx?file=report0910.pdf
Why not have the next Moonhowlings get together at Backyard Grill? We haven’t met in a while. I’ve never been there.
Excellent idea @Cindy. Our last get together was great though and people know where it is now. We got the royal treatment at Mama Mia’s in Gainesville, thanks to Steve. The food was very reasonably priced also.
Maybe we could do an informal lunch or something at Backyard during the week?
PWC Police and PWC Fire Marshall – those reports can be released under FOIA.
I’m kinda late to this but I don’t believe that city staff is investigating whatever it is that the folks from KK’s are doing in some other jurisdiction. Possibly some confusion as this event was originally slated to happen in the City?
As to the law we passed to regulate sexually-oriented businesses, I believe at least some here are playing rather loosely with what that law covers. It doesn’t really impact the existing businesses. It does regulate where future SOB’s can locate and does outright ban some kinds of those businesses. You may or may not think that KK’s locating in Old Town is a bad idea but what about a peep-show or an actual strip club? Before we passed the new law, it would have been legal and nothing could have stopped it. Some here may have no beef with a strip club opening in Old Town but I don’t believe the City has invested countless dollars and our citizens volunteered countless hours towards developing anything other than a family-friendly Old Town. KK’s may turn out to be innocuous enough (or not) but something rather more hard core would not. I agreed with the Council that this was worth looking at.
I think the real lesson here is that our City code needs to be run through the ringer and brought up to speed. We’ve had two examples in 3 years (fire dept/KK’s) where we are building the raft as we float down the river. I chaired the committee that re-wrote the Fire/Rescue ordinance and we started out with a hell of a mess. It took a lot of work to get it cleaned up. Manassas has changed a lot in 10 years and we have different kinds and/or magnitudes of problems than we used to…..Trying to legislate anything in the middle of a crisis yields mixed results.
Hi Andy, when I was told the story, I don’t think they thought it was really the city. I think that Backyard thought it was someone just saying that. I was raised in Virginia and believe very thoroughly in the shotgun theory. ie If you aren’t sure who to fire at, put away the rifle and get a shot gun. Fire off a round and see who answers.
I don’t think for one minute the City actually called for a raid on the county. I think it was busy bodies. I mean why would City government care?
I understand where you are coming from regarding the study. It just seemed horribly expensive. My criticism is directed more towards the folks who were more than content to have the establishments that might be classified as SOBs exist when they were brushed away over by the trailer park and by a COUNTY school and library.
My main bone of contention, however, is that an organized gang of pitchforkers would spend so much time targetting an establishment. That behavior goes well beyond the scope of the City. The fact that Backyard Grill got grilled tells me it really wasn’t about Old Town but more about existence.
Your fire/rescue issues are critical. I would always vote for public safety and security issues. I wonder how many of the pitch forkers see KK’s as more important than taking care of fire and rescue deficiencies? Now that makes me shake my head in disbelief.
Andy H, I believe in streamlining government. The City had a very competent attorney who could have – and probably did – provide the Council with neighboring jurisdictions’ ordinances which applied to sexually oriented business. It seems that the Council could have adopted those ordinances to prevent further similar businesses from opening without spending the extra monies or doing additional research. Instead they listened to the well-organized emotionalism of a segment of society which didn’t really care if these businesses located near a trailer park or school.
The fire department obviously had a problem giving the City adequate coverage 24/7 using volunteers and a minimal paid staff. Again, compare stats with neighboring jurisdictions. Instead the City created various committees (overseen by City Council reps) which tried to dance around the fact that the volunteer fire chief was uninterested in change. A lot of time was wasted before the inevitable – the need for more paid staff – was accepted. The Council has to share the blame for dilly-dallying around. There’s a tendency to hire qualified staff and then second guess them at every turn.
I highly doubt the ABC/PWCPD/Fire Marshall would show up a week before an event just to stymie the efforts of KK’s to hold a bikini contest. Really. My guess is there is some on-going activity that prompted the visit. Public entities like this do not act without some very public debate pushing them to action. Where has this debate been? Have there been throngs of people showing up at BCOS Citizen’s time to protest the upcoming event? Have there been firery threads over at bvbl, sounding the clarion call to grab said pitchforks and torches? Have there been any emails sent out from local and state electeds, telling their supporters to form up and advance toward the sound of the guns?
Nope. I am kinda plugged in to this sort of chatter, and I will swear on the Good Book, and my daughter’s head that I haven’t heard a peep. Zip. Zero. Nada.
I’m not buying it.
Any suggestions on why the event was cancelled?
I feel certain that the cops/fire/ABC didn’t act on that information. What usually happens is people complain about other things to suggest a reason why they might go racing in there. (fighting, underage drinking, nudity, whatever) I doubt that any of those three groups ever heard the word KK’s.
Our attorney guided our couse of action the entire way on the SOB ordinance. We might have picked at nits here and there but the narrative was his.
@Andy, and in the long run, it might have been a very wise investment. Most importantly, the City residents are who pay for things like this, not me. What the City does along those lines that pertain to zoning of businesses really isn’t my business. Public safety is another matter. That affects us all.
My biggest pet peeve in life are bullies, just can’t stand em. these people behaved like bullies. If they don’t want to participate, then dont go to the restaurant. I did not like the Salon I was in, so, guess what, I DON’T GO THERE!
These are private establishments, and if they choose to have a wet t-shirt contest, its their business. they either risk offending people or not, but let the free market reign.
Guaranteed, the people causing the stink are most likely conservatives, and most likely big believers of limited government. I wonder how they defend THIS blatent hyprocrisy of government intervention. I guess though, when it’s a social issue or a woman’s uterus, government intervention is just dandy.
“Guaranteed, the people causing the stink are most likely conservatives, and most likely big believers of limited government. I wonder how they defend THIS blatent hyprocrisy of government intervention. ”
A very gratuitous assertion there, I think. I don’t see where you can connect the visits by the ABC, Police and Fire Marshal to an event that hadn’t even happened. Equally or even MORE possible is there was something undercover going on, completely unrelated to a planned bikini contest, and this visit was a result. This happened at O’Meras all the time (and for good reason). This happened at Rack-n-Roll. This happens all the time. So the management gets a few calls from some unnamed individuals, protesting the bikini contest. Suddenly a state agency, local law enforcement, AND the fire marshall show up for an inspection. Yep, must be connected. Definetly…. I was once in the woods, and looked at a rock. There was nothing on it. I looked away for a moment, and when I looked back, there was a frog sitting on a rock. There must be a connection there….I got it: Frogs grow out of rocks.
And of course, we MUST find a way to track this back to the Mecca of civil liberties: The Womb. Fire Marshall…..abortion. I see the connection! Margret Sanger…eugenics…The Negro Project…Planned Parenthood….50% of all Black babies aborted…..No connection to racism there. Nope, not one bit.
As a big 2nd Ammendment supporter, I’m all about safe gun-handling. Something about “going off half-cocked” keeps coming to mind.
@Steve, I doubt seriously if this is abortion related or 2nd amendment. However, bringing in agencies to enforce someone’s point of view is certainly not unheard of. In fact, I have done it to me. Fewer agencies involved but it has been done.
You don’t even have to be connected. You know someone who knows someone. You know how it works and so do I.
Perhaps the sweep was random. Let’s say it was, for the sake of argument. The phone calls regarding the upcoming events certainly weren’t random since they addressed the issue.
I can even understand not wanting something to happen in Old Town. But why would city people care what happened in the county? I was specifically told that at least one person identified themselves as a City of Manassas person. I specifically asked if that person meant that is where they lived or who who they worked for. The person telling the story wasn’t sure.
Can you understand why I might get a little ruffled when City folks start trying to intimidate our local establishments here in the county?
Moon, are you sure the person didn’t self-identify as being from “Manassas”? Also, I seem to recall a bunch of greater-manassas folks commenting up a storm last fall, when KK’s opened. Folks from Westgate. Folks from Haymarket. They all had an opinion about KK’s. So a mysterious, well-connected City Resident called and voiced a protest. And PWC darkened the sky’s with black-clad ninjas just to stop a wet t-shirt contest. Hmmmm…..
@Steve, I was specifically told City of Manassas. I didn’t hear it though so….who knows. Actually what I was told was: The manager who was called asked if the caller was with the country and she or he said, no, City of Manassas.
I don’t think that the establishment believed the caller. The caller could have been from anywhere. I think we were into bikini at that stage of the game. Alert the ninjas.
To clarify, I have talked to no one except employees of the restaurant and my dinner partners who didn’t know anything about it. No one said anything to me directly other than employees of that establishment and I have not talked to the Skokols about any of it.
LOL! In keeping with sexually oriented businesses, did anyone see the headline on InsideNova about the burglar caught in a closet with a blow-up doll at the MVC in Woodbridge.
@Censored
Oh dead God yes. How embarrassing. The cops probably haven’t had that much fun laughing since the Bobbits. I expect the Marines probably got a good laugh out of it too since the ‘doll assaulter’ was Army. Over hill over dale…..in and out, hear them shout…as those caissons go rolling along.