As the Greensboro City Council ponders a curfew to supposedly help make downtown, a High Point shopping center will implement an 8 p.m. curfew this weekend for for anyone under 17.
Note that Blue Ridge Companies President Chris Dunbar says the curfew isn’t in response to any “major incidents” at the Palladium, but instead to concerns expressed by tenants and shoppers about the number of unsupervised youth at the shopping center. By contrast, Greensboro officials cite the need for a curfew based on “two incidents last summer when a club had a ‘teen night’ that led to fighting in a parking lot.”
Tonight’s G’boro council discussion will be interesting. N&R columnist Jeri Rowe (unposted) quotes council member Zack Matheny — the author of the proposals —- as having the necessary votes to pass his plan, which also includes a $5 fee to park in city parking decks and and an entertainment license that requires tougher security measures for businesses with a capacity of 100 or more people.
My biggest hope is Mayor Bill Knight will use his accountant’s mind and ask some hard questions about these reactionary measures.
