Leonard Hayhurst

Community Content Coordinator

COSHOCTON – Whether dueling protests by a Warsaw church and a New Castle strip club end after eight years is on the shoulders of Pastor Bill Dunfee.

Coshocton Law Director Bob Skelton issued a letter to Dunfee, of New Beginnings Ministries, and Foxhole North owner Thomas George on Wednesday asking them to cease and desist with their weekly protests.

The letter, co-singed by Coshocton County Prosecutor Jason Given and Coshocton County Sheriff Tim Rogers, stated the dispute gives the county a negative image and stretches local law enforcement.

As of noon Wednesday, Dunfee said he had not received the letter. The letter was read to him over the phone by a representative of The Tribune, but he said he wanted to read it and process it before making comment.

George also said he had not received the letter as of noon Wednesday and had the letter read to him as well.

George stated he has long said employees, family and friends of the Foxhole would stop protesting Sunday outside the church if members of the church would stop protesting Friday nights outside his business. If George doesn't see any protesters Friday night outside the Foxhole, then he promised none of his people would be at the church Sunday.

The latest incident from last Friday had Dunfee and Calvin Zastrow, of Kawkalin, Michigan, arrested for criminal trespassing at the Foxhole. Skelton, in a news release, said his office was dismissing the charges as plat maps from the 1800s make it unclear whether the area where the men were protesting was an unimproved village street or property owned by George.

Additionally, Dunfee had filed an assault complaint against George for shoving him repeatedly to push him from the edge of the club's gravel parking lot to the street. Skelton said his office would not be pursuing any charges on the matter.

"These protests are becoming a little more escalated, and we're just worried about violence breaking out," Skelton said. "The protests are becoming more personal and more problematic, so we felt the need to plead with both sides to at least stop for a while."

Skelton's letter states Coshocton County is rebounding from tough economic times and is competing to attract new jobs to the community. However, possible tourists and employers, along with the media, see the county defined by the dispute between the church and the strip club.

Skelton also said already strained law enforcement resources are extended even further because at least one deputy often has to respond to the protests. That takes away from them being able to respond to other more serious calls if they would arise, he said.

Skelton said he would hate to imagine someone being hurt or killed because a deputy was 30 minutes or more away from an emergency call by being in the far east portion of the county for the protests.

The letter said Skelton knows Dunfee and George believe in what they're doing and have the right to continue their fight. There's nothing legally he can do to stop the protests, but he hoped both would understand the potential consequences of their actions and desist for the good of the community.

George agrees the feud has given the county a black eye and realizes law enforcement involvement costs taxpayer money. However, he felt it was necessary to draw attention to what he believes is harassment by Dunfee and his congregation. In August, dancers from the Foxhole started going topless during their Sunday protests, which is legal according to the Ohio Revised Code.

"What I've done is an extreme measure, and I absolutely apologize to the community for it," George said. "It doesn't do the community at either end any good from what I can see."