The doors of the Shang-ri-la massage parlor will swing shut next Thursday by order of Zoning Officer Jack Lawrence who said it was a non-permitted use in a rural-residential zone. This, despite the fact that the business at 118 Plainfield-Stirling Rd., next to the Woodland School, has been operated so quietly that it has literally gone unnoticed by neighbors and public officials for years. It wasn't until last Monday that the Shang-ri-la was tossed into the public spotlight for the first time. That was the day that the six-week old local police force raided the house and charged two women with soliciting unlawful and indecent acts. Lawrence admitted that he had gone into the house twice this past weekend -- to give the owner an order to cease operations of the massage parlor within 10 days. Both times, he had a police escort; but no one answered the door either time. The 10-day order was then mailed and should have been received on Monday. What apparently raised more eyebrows in this town was the simple fact that the massage parlor existed at all. Its name is painted on the mailbox; it is advertised in the Yellow Pages; it has been advertised in local papers. Yet, few people were aware of the establishment. Charged by the police were... [two women, ages 53 and 30]. Courier-News, April 26, 1973. |