News & Events

Club Shutter
Sunday, May 23, 2010

OPENING — Among those cutting the ribbon for Club Shutter in Follansbee were, from left, chamber members Darlene Cortez and Carmel Esposito, co-owner Dave Secrist, Chamber President Tony Paesano, co-owner Lovie Zago, Lou Stein, executive director of Valley Ventures; and chamber member Tom Miller. -- Warren Scott

FOLLANSBEE - The owners of a new teen dance club said they hope to provide many hours of fun to area teens and pre-teens in a place parents can feel comfortable leaving their children.

Club Shutter opened this week on the second floor of the former Follansbee Eagles Lodge at 743 Main St. Ariana, a new restaurant operated by another owner, is set to open downstairs in the near future.

"My friend Dave Secrist and I have discussed starting a teen dance club in the Brooke-Hancock area for over a year now and with summer fast approaching, we decided the time was right," said Lovie Zago, who co-owns the new club with Secrist.

"It's very important that kids have a fun and safe place to be with their friends, where they can dance, listen to music and hang out," Zago said.

In addition to a spacious dance floor, the 5,000-square-foot club includes pool tables, video game machines and a concession stand.

Zago's son Michael, who has appeared at various venues as DJ Durago, will provide the music. The club also may feature area bands in the future.

It will be open for youth, ages 13 to 17, from 8 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays, with special hours for children in grades 4 through 6 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. each Saturday.

The club also will be available for private parties.

A local schoolteacher, Secrist said the idea for the club came in part because he had heard about students in their early teens attending a Pittsburgh dance club promoted as an under-21 venue and thought it would be nice to have club closer to home that caters to a less broad age group.

The pair are working to ensure the teens' safety through such measures as requiring patrons to wear a wristband after they pay the $3 admission, remove them when they leave and pay admission again if they want to re-enter, to discourage teens from loitering outside.

But Zago and Secrist said they also want the club to be a fun place for teens to go. They have strived not to be condescending to their target crowd.

With a nod to the red carpet appearances of Hollywood stars and the overall popularity of compact cameras, they have adopted a photography theme, with the club decorated with lamps and other equipment used by Secrist during his days as a photographer and backdrops painted by Zago's friend, Brenda McIntyre, who also created the logo.

A native of Louisiana, Zago came to the city a few years ago with John, her husband of 17 years and a Follansbee native.

A Navy veteran, she was entertainment director for the Pastime Restaurant, a fixture in Baton Rouge for more than 60 years, and general manager of a restaurant and nightclub in her hometown, Prairieville.

She also enjoys building motorcycles and has appeared on the LA Rider, a television show aired throughout her home state.

Zago said she has a personal reason for opening the club. Her 26-year-old daughter died a little over a year ago after struggling with drug abuse issues that began in her teen years.

Zago said she hopes the club will divert local teens from such influences.

"That's why I wanted to do this. I wanted to make sure other kids have a place to go that's safe," she said.

Lou Stein, executive director of Valley Ventures, an organization that assists new business owners like Zago and Secrist, said, "Club Shutter will be a great addition to the many fine businesses already located along Main Street and is a great fit into the new downtown revitalization currently taking place in Follansbee.

"I really admire the commitment and investment that Lovie and Dave are making, and I'm confident this facility will be a popular place for teens and their parents throughout the entire Upper Ohio Valley," he said.

Tony Paesano, president of the Follansbee Chamber of Commerce and the city's mayor, said, "Our kids have really needed a place of their own for a long time where they could go and just have fun in a safe environment. I know a lot of parents are going to appreciate having a safe and supervised place for their kids as well."

Paesano and other chamber members welcomed the new business with a ribbon-cutting ceremony this week.