COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | JUNE 18, 2020 | 11A however, has been cially not next door presented to the to it — especially city as a “bar or where we share a restaurant with property line.” special events.” Perry took issue, Hennricks and Marin ar- Top of the Bowl gue that the business is too, with the very spans the entirety perfectly within its rights nature of the busi- of the building’s to run and is protected by ness. upstairs, com- “We understand an Oregon Supreme Court prised of a bar that a business needs ruling on free speech, con- area, full kitchen, cerned community mem- to be a business. … board and card bers are actively seeking However, the explic- game room and a a resolution which would it nude dancing, the spacious lounge mitigate what they feel is adult, sexually-ori- complete with a the addition of a toxic in- ented business ac- stage and catwalk. gredient to the small town tivity, is something While Henn- that we definitely of about 1,100 people. ricks and Marin Hennricks and Marin oppose,” he said, state that special feel this view misrep- searching for a solu- events will from resents what they are tion. “There’s got to time to time in- be something rea- bringing to the town. DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL clude both male Still, a letter dated May sonable that we can Aside from dancers, the night club will feature a variety of other and female nude 15 and a petition of 182 fairly exert.” they Perry also com- special events day-to-day including live music, Sunday poker dancers, signatures was submit- pointed out that ted to the city expressing plained that he had tournaments and sports viewing parties. the events will concern about the nature picked up trash and town, I’m disappointed.” ever, City Administrator only feature topless nudity of the business and asked beer cans after Top of the Chamber of Commerce Steve Dahl confirmed he that the City Council Bowl’s soft opening on Chairperson Bonnie Mor- was, in the end, directed and will, in any case, not amend an old ordinance June 5 and that motorcy- gan expressed to the coun- by the council to draft an be the main form of enter- or create a new one re- cles woke people in the cil her support for the ordinance creating a 500- tainment. Aside from the dancers, quiring “500 to 1,000 feet neighborhood after mid- 500-foot ordinance, as did foot distance between sex- Hennricks and Marin plan between sexually-orient- night. Community member other commenters at the ually-oriented adult enter- to incorporate a variety of ed adult entertainment meeting. tainment businesses and events into the business, businesses from any and Myndee Ferrill then asked Additional concerns re- churches, parks or places including Sunday poker the council to reevaluate all churches, schools and zoning laws and look into volved around Top of the where children congre- tournaments, burlesque childcare facilities.” Bowl bringing more strip gate. shows, drag shows, live The letter, drafted by business licensing. clubs to town, increased Dahl was also direct- music and sports viewing Citing a statistical in- Jessica Cooper, “a proud expenditures for law en- ed to assemble a citizen’s descendent of the Cooper crease in crime rates of forcement and religious committee to develop a parties. On top of the soft open- 12 percent caused by family” residing in Drain, freedom of speech were rule which would prevent appealed to the town’s the opening of similarly also raised during the dis- situations such as this in ing, the establishment has already tested out these classic, “good old days” themed businesses, Ferrill cussion. the future. events on small scales. claimed that laws had al- charm and spirit where “This is going to really, “Everybody that has childhood innocence and ready been broken by the really hurt Drain and I am Top of the Bowl Response come here has had fun. neighborly relations can establishment, which in- not okay with this,” said a Hennricks and Marin We’ve had no problems,” cluded “...the employment be preserved. youth leader from Drain’s have watched the contro- said Hennricks. “There’ve of uncertified bouncers The fact that Top of the First Baptist Church. versy unfold with equal Bowl is located adjacent to with felony records and “What about my freedom parts bewilderment and been no drug deals. There’s no sex going on. noise complaints. ” the Gateway Family Fel- of speech or [Perry’s] amusement at what they There’s no crime.” Ferrill also appealed to a lowship church has been freedom of speech as a feel are unsubsantiated at- Part of the reason for an added thorn in the side debate the city has already church?” tacks on the business. starting the night club, had about the proximity of of many religious resi- The couple categorial- said Hennricks, was to be- Several community food trucks to schools. dents. members also expressed ly reject the allegations of gin producing revenue to “I find it incredibly sad During the June 8 City their desire to personally potential crime and youth Council meeting, public that we have arguments help fund attorney fees to exposure leveled during keep the building afloat. Initially rented from the comments critical of the against a food market in fight any legal battle which the City Council meeting business focused on sever- a certain location and that may result from the issue. and were mystified by the Masons, who originally owned the building, Hen- al concerns, including the our food trucks have to Limitations on the time degree of local criticism nricks’ mother has operat- proximity of the club to a be 500 feet from a school and place alcohol can be they have received. ed the downstairs bowling church, “the corruption of because of the fact that served were also brought “I have no idea why,” youth” and the possibility they’re not healthy enough up, though Mayor Jus- said Hennricks, who also alley, Family Fun Bowling, of increased crime in the when the schools are serv- tin Cobb said the council owns the building, which for the past six years. ing chicken nuggets and About two years ago, area. would be looking for other includes the downstairs Hennricks bought the en- Senior Pastor Ray Perry pizza,” she said. “So if we solutions. bowling center. “I don’t tire building from the Ma- of Gateway Family Fellow- will stand up for our chil- “The problem with that think there’s going to be sons as they moved out. dren’s healthy diets and ship was among the speak- Keeping the lights on we won’t stand up against is if we go that route, it is any of [those problems].” ers. Hennricks and Marin going to affect other busi- “We are obviously op- something that will pos- nesses as well,” he said. believe the controversy was proving a financial posed to any kind of sibly bring in sex traffick- “There are other options.” ignited when a Facebook burden, however. “The bowling alley adult or sexually-oriented ing, child endangerment, Technical difficulties post by a family friend business or activity go- all sorts of other things prevented a full recording alleged that the upstairs doesn’t really pay any ing on anywhere near our that go along with that — and online streaming of business was a “strip club.” bills,” said Marin. “Bowl- ing really isn’t that popu- church,” he said. “Espe- frankly, being a fifth-gen- the council meeting. How- The establishment, lar. … To keep the bowl- eration citizen of this ing alley open, Jamie and I work here for free.” Hennricks began rent- ing out the upstairs area for birthday parties, wed- dings and other parties, “but that didn’t cut it,” she said. Unable to make ends meet, the two decided to do something different with the space. “And so our venture up- stairs is hopefully to save the whole building and keep everything open,” Marin said. Hennricks also cited her mother’s health as a driving reason to start bringing in more reve- nue. Following her moth- er’s four-way bypass heart surgery and now facing an upcoming leg operation, Hennricks said the stress on her mother of trying to maintain the bowling alley had become too much. “So, she’s excited to let us pay the bills,” said Hen- nricks. Oden Armstrong Mikayla Baird Jasmine Izucar Top of the Bowl ob- tained its liquor license and was approved by the city before Oregon’s Club from A1 The Rotary Club of Cottage Grove Is pleased to announce the recipients for the 2020 Rotary Scholarships Cottage Grove High School COVID-19 lockdown began in March. It has since been waiting for the phased reopening to allow the business to open and has scheduled for a grand opening on July 3. The recent pushback from the community due to the presence of nude dancers, however, was an- other unforseen obstacle. Despite this, the couple said they are determined to push forward and are adamant that crime will not become an issue. “I really don’t feel like the crime rate is going to change,” said Marin. “Our target is the 20- to 40-year- old people who leave town [for entertainment]. And none of them are commit- ting crimes.” As for the risk of youth exposure, Hennricks and Marin assured that the door linking the bowling alley to upstairs is always locked, preventing an ac- cidental entry to the up- stairs business. “Anyway, if your chil- dren are sitting outside a bar at 11 o’ clock at night, then maybe you need to be doing something about your parenting skills,” Marin said. To address drunk driv- ing, Hennricks and Marin also purchased a shuttle bus which will go as far as Rice Hill to pick up people at a truck stop. “We will be busing truckers here, but we will be busing them back to their trucks,” said Henn- ricks. “They can’t get in too much trouble doing that.” The couple also added that they do not employ any bouncers, and any allegations about uncer- tified employees were a misunderstanding about a doorman checking identi- fication. “People don’t realize, I think, that it’s going to bring money to the city, too,” said Hennricks. “I think it’s going to be a good thing for the city.” Marin also felt that peo- ple would warm up to the establishment if they knew more about it. “I think that anybody that has an issue with us needs to come by,” said Marin. “We’ll take them on a tour and I believe I can change their mind and thought process — of what’s going on in their heads and the rumors that they’re hearing — just by coming and taking a look.” Though an ordinance is set to be drafted restricting Top of the Bowl’s proximi- ty to certain areas, a memo written by the city admin- istrator acknowledges that the ordinance would not be enforceable due to an Oregon Supreme Court ruling, making its passing purely symbolic. “Based on the memo from the attorney, I don’t feel that we can pass an or- dinance that would stand up to a court case if it was filed,” Dahl wrote in his memo to the city. Still, the controversy shows no sign of ebbing among concerned locals and the determination of Hennricks and Marin to forge ahead will undoubt- edly force the issue to the forefront of many Drain conversations for some time to come. SOUTH LANE COUNTY FIRE & RESCUE SAVE MONEY. SAVE LIVES. Chloe Maezes-Malmstedt Congratulations on a job well done! Morgan Vale Cynthia Wright Kennedy High School Nathan Cristofaro- Anderson Ground Ambulance Memberships $65 per year Ground Ambulance & Air Membership $124 per year Rotary Club of Cottage Grove Call 541-942-4493 for info. FOR EMERGENCY DIAL 911 Serving South Lane County.