In the Midnight Hour
A Fairy Tale for Our Time
Spotlight On
by Clark Westfield
April 2012
Once upon a time…
We all know the story of Cinderella. A fairy godmother turns her into a princess so she can attend the prince’s ball. The deal was that she had to end the party at midnight. Well readers, we now have the modern fairy tale of not Cinderella, but Barrella, who is more like the fairy god-mayor. The decree remains the same. The party ends at midnight. Thus begins the tale of Point Pleasant Beach, a not-so-sleepy village along the coast of the Jersey Shore, which has passed an ordinance declaring that the bars will have to stop serving alcohol after 12:00AM. Maybe
Here is the story so far, in layman’s terms. The town is at odds with the nightclubs on the boardwalk, primarily Jenkinson’s and Martell’s Tiki Bar. Local residents are fed up with the young tourists, who according to the residents, display drunken behavior, foul-mouthed and abusive language, wanton acts of destruction and vandalism, and, oh yeah, they pee on their shrubs in the wee wee hours of the morning. So Mayor Barella and councilmembers drafted an ordinance that said the bars must stop serving alcohol at midnight. But wait…a proposition. What if the bar owners paid a fee for the extra services needed to handle this influx of rowdy revelers? Police, sanitation and logistical support funding in the amount of $800,000 over a 5 year period was offered up by attorney’s representing the bars, and although discussed at numerous town council meetings, an agreement could not be reached and so on May 15th, the town of Point Pleasant Beach will become the only town along the Jersey Shore that will stop serving liquor after midnight. Maybe.
If you are reading this after June 12th, things might very well have changed and the fee might have been accepted. Or increased. Or not. This is drama worthy of a New Jersey reality show that far surpasses The Real Housewives, Jerseylicious or even Jersey Shore. Which leads me to my next question and subsequent theory…
Why are we having this discussion in the first place???
Nightclubs have been open for decades along the shore. I know. I’m old enough to have played in bands from Sea Bright (Bob Shoo Bops) to Manasquan (The Other Side) to Seaside Heights (Cowtown) to a club called Mother’s After Midinight in Somers Point (Necho Allen). They served alcohol until dawn. Yes, there was rowdy and uncouth behavior at times but nothing the local police or club bouncers (ah, Mad Dog Brennan and the Squash Patrol at Mother’s) couldn’t handle. Why now? What has changed in the last few years? What has escalated the abhorrent attitude?
Two words – Snooki and Red Bull (OK, that’s three but you know what I’m going for here). I live here and have had drunks knocking at my door at three in the morning, looking for “Bill” (how sad that this person is probably now a Friend of Bill W’s). Somehow or other we got through it all, but things are different now. A dangerous combination of the antics of the Jersey Shore cast with the high intake of energy drinks has transformed the young partygoer and frat packers into nasty, disrespectful time bombs, just looking for an excuse to just go off on someone or something. You doubt me? Just go to one of the clubs and see for yourself.
It’s everything from the dress to the language to the willingness to get stupid drunk and punch somebody at the drop of a hat. And the boys are just as bad. Locals see this every night. Everyone agrees something has to be done. But what? Is shutting off booze after midnight the answer? That’s when these establishments make their most money. Let’s also not forget the people that work there. And the town itself. Is it shooting itself in the foot here? No other town along the Shore has adopted any similar stance on its businesses, not even Seaside, where Jersey Shore is filmed. Will the town lose revenue because people will just spend their entertainment dollars elsewhere? Or worse, will these people start partying in Point Beach, leave at midnight and drive to another town with no such restrictions?
I’m stumped on this one. Local residents and families should not have their summers ruined by inconsiderate tourists. Local businesses should not be prevented from making money, for themselves and their employees. And local government officials should not be impatient or arrogant or ignorant about the repercussions of their actions. And folks, we have not even touch on the town’s proposed parking plan.
Sound off on this one. Let us know what you think, whether you are a local or someone from another part of the state. We want to hear from you. Please. Before they turn this into another New Jersey reality show.
More to come…CW