Priests to continue push to clean up Schenectady

A jury in United States District Court in Albany reached a verdict that orders the city to pay $10,000 each to three plaintiffs: Anthony DeMaria Jr., manager of Goldfinger's Gentlemen's Club; and James and Annie Segrue, owners of the Toy Box. The plaintiffs had sought $16 million and offered to settle for $221,000, but Mayor Albert P. Jurczynski and Corporation Counsel Michael T. Brockbank rejected the settlement.

Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy had ruled earlier in the trial that the city had violated the constitutional rights of the plaintiffs by raiding their strip clubs.

Sees justice

"I think justice was done, if the law [against nude dancing] was deemed to be inappropriate," he said.

Father Isopo had supported Mayor Jurczynski in his efforts to close the city's strip joints and voiced his opinion to the city council during a public hearing at which he challenged its members to ban these establishments.

Zoning next

Although he has been an outspoken leader as the city has tried to close strip joints, Father Isopo has been somewhat disheartened "that there hasn't been more input from the religious community of Schenectady."

He believes that strip joints could be removed from Schenectady and other towns "if each community were to set the standard that this is wrong and it does not belong in a community where people are trying to live good lives and bring up their children in an atmosphere that doesn't have these elements around. Each individual person has to change in their own heart. They have to make the decision not to frequent these clubs, these bookstores."

Priest's efforts

"I wished it had been $3 instead of $30,000. All in all, I guess it wasn't too bad. I was gratified that they didn't get a real large settlement out of it," he said.

He wrote a letter to the city council this summer, urging its members to adopt an ordinance that would ban indecent exposure and public nudity, but he realizes that any legislation must be constitutional.

"We have to stay within the Constitution; on the other hand, we have to make the city a more desirable place to live," he said.

Reactions

What made this case interesting was that the city's actions were found to be unconstitutional, so the plaintiffs certainly appeared to have the upper hand as the trial continued.

"We were guilty before we went into court, and that's unfortunate," Father Urban said.

Sees choice

"I am always glad to see the court take a liberal view more than a restrictive view," he said. "I believe one of the strengths of this country is people are free to choose to do things, whether we like them or not, as long as it doesn't infringe on the rights of others."

He was pleased that the jury's verdict was for only $30,000, however, and supported the city's efforts to take a stand against the strip joints.

Religious effort

He believes the responsibility for maintaining high moral standards in Schenectady should be taken up not by political leaders but religious leaders.

"I think that the issue of morality needs to be in the hands of churches, synagogues and mosques," he said.

(09-03-98) [[In-content Ad]]