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Editorial |
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No reason to complain Jan. 23, 2002 0 Nearly two years have passed and Lincolnton’s experience with mixed beverage permits is not quite what either the proponents or opponents forecast. We haven’t seen any more than the usual drunks in the streets, and so far, no topless dancing. On the other hand, we have yet to see a splash of big city restaurants and motels come into our city. The referendum that passed with 56 percent of the vote May 30, 2000 was a surprising reversal for Lincolnton, which soundly defeated a similar measure five years earlier. Voters felt the time had come to allow clubs and restaurants the option to sell alcoholic beverages. The vote was important because it did open the door for nice new restaurants and provided local proprietors an option to sell alcoholic beverages to their customers. The verdict is still out on the economic benefits it brought. There have been some problems. One of the early applicants, The Lincoln House, recently lost its permit to serve alcoholic beverages after a series of violations, including fights, disorderly conduct and gambling. Lincoln House owners Ray and Lisa Durham said last week their permit was unfairly revoked. They have hired an attorney to work on getting a new license. The Sagebrush Steakhouse & Saloon has been serving mixed beverages with very few incidents. We were impressed with their responsible stance last week when employees notified police after a customer drove away from the business intoxicated. While the county remains mostly “dry,” the Verdict Ridge Golf and Country Club won a long legal battle to serve mixed drinks. Developer Eddie Knox fought against ABC laws that granted clubs in some area the right to sell, while excluding others. This past spring legislation was approved giving the state’s 100 counties permission to sell alcohol. Both Westport and Cowans Ford country clubs also applied for the permits. No one expects any problems with these well-established, reputable operations. Alcohol will always be a problem for some members of our society, who will find their booze regardless of where its sale is permitted. Some businesses will handle their permit better than others, but we do have law enforcement agencies monitoring their actions. So far, we have no reason to complain about the passage of the 2000 referendum in Lincolnton.
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© 2001 Lincoln Times-News |
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