Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 19, 1990 TAG: 9005210209
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
Citing a city statute that prohibits minors from playing or being in a poolroom, police gave proprietor Mary Brogan 30 minutes to clear the building of minors - or else face misdemeanor charges.
That's dirty pool.
Mary's place provides the Wasena Park gang with a lot more than three pool tables. It offers video games, Foosball, a second-hand store and - most important - an after-school hang-out that's supervised and free of alcohol, drugs and four-letter words.
The teens are being punished because of an age-old reputation that the game of pool just can't seem to shake, at least not in Roanoke. Pool halls may have once been sleazy enough to justify keeping minors out of them, but times have changed.
These days, kids can do worse than pool, and a lot worse than pool in a controlled environment. Pool in itself is surely no worse than playing Nintendo or watching television. It may get some teens away from more dangerous distractions of the streets.
People who don't want kids loitering on the streets shouldn't be opposed to alternatives. Mary Brogan tried, but a dusty old statute - which doesn't even define poolroom - stood in her way.
The statute should be history.
by CNB