Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 21, 1995 TAG: 9511210105
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN AND LISA K. GARCIA STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: PLUM CREEK LENGTH: Medium
"Exotic Cabaret. Girls Girls Girls," the sign outside the Plum Creek nightclub proclaimed last week, giving a phone number to call for more information.
Advertisements in this newspaper's classified section also sought "exotic dancers" for Juicie's, promising top pay - with no experience necessary.
Word got out quickly to the public - and authorities. Friday, after the club had been open for only about a week, Montgomery County sheriff's deputies showed up, watched a performance, and returned to warn the dancers and manager that the act was, in their judgment, illegal. Three dancers have been charged with indecent exposure and the club's manager and the building's owner have been charged with either giving or promoting an obscene performance.
The charges are misdemeanors, punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.
"We got a gaggle of complaints from people," said an investigator who asked not to be named.
The investigator was one of two county deputies who went to the club Friday night. He said there was a line out the door to get in. The two deputies paid their way in, saw the show, left, then returned with uniformed deputies to close the place down.
The investigator said he saw two bare-chested women wearing G-strings that exposed their buttocks. A third dancer wore pasties over her nipples, the investigator said.
The dancers' routines included bending over with their bottoms in patrons' faces and other "gyrations," including a "cat crawl" across the dance floor, he said.
"It might go in Roanoke but it don't go here," the investigator said.
No alcohol was being served. Patrons could choose from non-alcoholic beer and soda.
The three dancers were charged with indecent exposure and giving an obscene performance. The dancers are Amber Dawn Rucker, 18, of Vinton; Krista Ann Snow, 24, of Roanoke; and April Melody Wendell, 19, of Troutville.
Keith Wayne Guthrie, 38, of Boones Mill was charged with managing a location for the purpose of an obscene exhibition.
Ray Leo Price, 48, of Christiansburg faces a charge of owning, leasing and permitting a place to be used for an obscene exhibition.
The five are scheduled to appear in General District Court on Nov. 28.
Guthrie said Juicie's show was similar to the one performed in Roanoke and that he and Billy Harbour - the manager of Girls, Girls, Girls in Roanoke on Franklin Road - have no plans to try to fight to keep Juicie's open. Guthrie noted, however, that Juicie's and Girls, Girls, Girls are separate corporations.
``We want to go to areas where we will be accepted,'' Guthrie said.
Harbour said it was obviously not the time or place for Juicie's to open; perhaps in five or 10 years the business will be accepted, he said.
The special-use permit the building had would not meet the business' needs, Harbour said. It only allowed Juicie's to operate three nights a week until midnight. Given the circumstances, Harbour said he did not think the local officials would approve a new permit for later hours and six-day operation.
An answering machine at Juicie's gave the following information: "Thank you for calling Juicie's. We are presently closed for reorganization." Callers were told "we still have our show at Franklin Road in Roanoke. ... We hope to reopen soon. Thank you."
Memo: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.