Sylva teen club closes quietly
A Sylva teen club that sparked controversy two months ago by disseminating a flyer inviting high school students to “come as wasted as you want” has closed its doors.
In December, concerned parents brought 500 signatures to a town board meeting demanding that it shut down Club Offspring –– a private club for teens that held dances on the weekends. The club’s owner, Nathan Lang, defended his operation as an alternative ministry aimed at attracting “at-risk” youth.
The town board determined that it had no cause to shut the club down in spite of the petitions, but Mayor Maurice Moody admonished Lang about the wording of his flyer.
Last week, Sylva town manager Adrienne Isenhower confirmed the club had closed of its own accord.
“It wasn’t because of anything initiated by the town,” Isenhower said. “I guess the business was failing, and they couldn’t pay the rent.”
Isenhower said she learned the club had closed because Sylva police had stopped noticing any activity during the club’s hours of operation.
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The club’s owner, Nathan Lang, used high-minded language to defend the club in the face of criticism from concerned parents.
“We see ourselves in the community not as a nuisance but as a place where teenagers can be who they are,” Lang said. “If anything, it’s a new doctrine attempt aimed at teenagers.”
Now the club has shut its doors, and Lang cannot be reached for comment.
