Tired of ads? Subscribers enjoy a distraction-free reading experience.
Click here to subscribe today or Login.

By JUAN TORRES; Times Leader Staff Writer
Saturday, July 25, 1998     Page: 3A

WILKES-BARRE – It wasn’t John, Paul, George and Ringo, but one parent
attending the opening of a controversial under-21 dance club Friday night said
it was cool.
   
“I’m a big Beatles fan,” said Dave Redcay, 40, of Bloomsburg, who escorted
his 14-year-old daughter, Jennifer, and her two friends to the Market Street
Square nightclub.
    “This band is a little heavier than we expected. They’ve got a lot of
energy, them girls,” Redcay said of the mostly femalie Wilkes-Barre rock
group, The Fates. “I think I’ll get up there and jump up and down with the
kids.”
   
Probably to his daughter’s relief, Redcay did not.
   
The brainchild of city resident Guy Izzo and nightclub owner Thom Greco,
the dance opened at 8:30 p.m. and was scheduled to close at midnight.
   
Izzo, the president of the Wilkes-Barre City Neighborhood Crime Watch
Coalition, said he decided to find a place for youths to “hang out” after
their favorite night spot, the Sterling Hotel’s quirky coffee house Cafe
Metropolis, closed when the power was shut off in May.
   
As of 11 p.m., there were no incidents reported to police.
   
Deputy police Chief Tony George said earlier this month that Market Street
Square was not a proper environment for teen dances and labeled the club a
trouble spot.
   
“We’re not looking at any potential problems but we just want to prevent
them” from happening, Izzo said. “We don’t expect any trouble, but if there is
this’ll be the last time we do this.”
   
About 20 chaperones from various community organizations assisted the club
security guards with supervising the 100 in attendance. Izzo said the crime
watch coalition did not sponsor the event.
   
No alcohol was served and all signs promoting alcoholic beverages were shut
off, rolled up or removed. Doormen also used metal detectors to check for
weapons.
   
“We’re doing our best to keep this as quiet as possible,” said club manager
Scott Carey. “But they’re