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East Texas Cities Pass Alcohol Initiatives
By KELLY GOOCH
Staff Writer
Troup, Alba, Athens and Mineola residents will soon be able to pick up beer and wine at local convenience and grocery stores.
On Saturday, voters in Alba, Mineola and Troup approved beer and wine sales for off-premise consumption. Mineola also approved legalizing mixed drink sales in restaurants, and Troup residents approved the sale of alcoholic beverages for off-premise consumption. Hawkins residents voted down beer and wine sales and the sale of mixed drinks in restaurants.
In Troup, complete results showed that 171 people, or 57 percent, voted for beer and wine sales, while 127 people, or 43 percent, voted against it. On the sale of alcoholic beverages, 166 people, or 56 percent, voted for it, while 130 people, or 44 percent, voted against it.
“I’m very excited,” said Butch Wootton, who applied for petitions on behalf of Troup Citizens for Progress, a group in favor of legalizing alcohol sales. “It’s the way it should be. They (residents) are the ones who put it back on (the ballot). They are the ones who are voting. It’s what they want.”
Paul Saylors, pastor of First Baptist Church in Troup, said before final results were in that he would be disappointed if the trend continued and the alcohol initiatives passed.
“I simply hope we can once again keep alcohol and its influence out of our community,” he said. “If that trend continues … I believe there will be a number of folks who will start working to have it repealed.”
Wootton, who lives in Tyler and owns property in Troup, has said residents wanted the issue back on the ballot, so he helped them get the required amount of petition signatures.
“It’s business to me. It’s about dollars,” he said last month, adding that he pays a lot of taxes in Troup and in no way wants to hurt the city.
He has said he believes “people who drink are going to drink,” and legalizing alcohol sales would mean Troup gets the revenue from it.
Saylors spoke out against the alcohol measures.
He said last month he doesn’t want alcohol sold in close proximity to youth because it could become a temptation. He said he also believes legalizing alcohol sales will provide a gateway to other businesses “that we don’t need.”
In Athens, complete results showed that 831 people, or 61 percent, voted for beer and wine sales while 541 people, or 39 percent, voted against it. On legalizing mixed drink sales in restaurants, 904 people, or 67 percent, voted for it, while 443 people, or 33 percent, voted against it.
“I think it’s great,” proponent Clint Hart said. “I was raised in Athens and went to Athens public schools, and I didn’t think I’d live long enough to see Athens move into the 21st century and pass beer and wine. Those against it will probably change their opinion once they see the tax revenue coming in.”
Hart, a member of Citizens for the Future of Athens, a group that supports legalizing alcohol sales, said Saturday he saw the initiative as a positive thing for the city.
“I was raised in Athens and graduated from Athens High School, and I always thought Athens has been behind curve (with this issue),” he said. “The major issue I saw was opportunity to have another source of revenue for Athens.”
He said places such as Malakoff and Gun Barrel City are getting a lot of sales tax from Athens, and he thought it was time the city had another avenue for sales tax to hopefully help avoid property tax increases.
He also said he believes people are a lot safer if they can buy alcohol at a local store and take it home rather than driving a far distance and consuming some of it when they drive home.
Ridge Tardy, an Athens City Council candidate, said Friday he believes alcohol sales will not bring in the huge revenue that proponents are predicting.
He said he also doesn’t think legalizing alcohol sales is good for someone trying to fight addiction.
In Mineola, complete but unofficial results showed 440 people, or 51 percent, voted for beer and wine sales while 419 people, or 49 percent, voted against it.
On legalizing mixed drink sales in restaurants, 441 people, or 52 percent, voted for it, while 406 people, or 48 percent, voted against it.
“We are thrilled,” real estate agent Pat Hamlett said. “It was very close, very emotional and it passed and we’re thrilled. We hope to do a lot of good things for our city now.”
Mark Neeley, pastor at First Baptist Church in Mineola, said he was disappointed in the results, but it was a close race.
Ms. Hamlett said Friday she wants to keep tax dollars in Mineola.
“It will maybe keep the city from having to raise our taxes and our water bills and meet our budget. It’s hard enough on all of us to make ends meet,” she said.
Ms. Hamlett said she also thinks legalizing alcohol sales will provide opportunity to bring more restaurants and more businesses to Mineola.
Neeley said he is opposed to alcohol sales on moral issues. As treasurer of Concerned Citizens, a group opposed to legalizing alcohol sales, he attended a rally crossed church denomination lines.
He said about four or five residents who struggle with alcohol spoke freely at the rally, saying that they came to Mineola because it was a good place to be.
“I know they say (alcohol sales) will bring economic development, but I don’t know what price you can put on a destroyed life,” he said.
Alcohol elections also were held in Hawkins and Alba.
In Hawkins, complete results showed that 67 people, or 34 percent, voted for beer and wine sales, while 133 people, or 67 percent, voted against it. On the sale of mixed drinks in restaurants, 72 people, or 36 percent, voted for it, while 129 people, or 64 percent, voted against it.
In Alba, complete results showed that 64 people, or 63 percent, voted for beer and wine sales while 37 people, or 37 percent, voted against it.
I know one thing: Tyler needs to get with the program and step into the 21st century. This is re-got-damn-diculous. Whats the point of having a place like BJ's Brewhouse if you gotta go through all this red tape just to have a drink? That said, I really, really like what they're doing with the Broadway Square Mall area.
I know one thing: Tyler needs to get with the program and step into the 21st century. This is re-got-damn-diculous. Whats the point of having a place like BJ's Brewhouse if you gotta go through all this red tape just to have a drink? That said, I really, really like what they're doing with the Broadway Square Mall area.
What red tape are you talking about?
Tyler did away with the Unicard a long time ago & you can buy Texas made wine right across the street from the mall, even drink it outside on the bench while watching the horrendous traffic on Broadway. Its been several years now.
You can also buy beer, liquor, & wine just 10 minutes north of downtown in Winona, which is also Smith County.
Jacksonville (Cherokee County) is wet now too.
Its often been said that Tyler is the wetest/dry city in all of Texas.
Tyler did away with the Unicard a long time ago & you can buy Texas made wine right across the street from the mall, even drink it outside on the bench while watching the horrendous traffic on Broadway. Its been several years now.
You can also buy beer, liquor, & wine just 10 minutes north of downtown in Winona, which is also Smith County.
Jacksonville (Cherokee County) is wet now too.
Its often been said that Tyler is the wetest/dry city in all of Texas.
I know about the winery across the street from the mall. Thats super, but if you go to private establishments/clubs you still have to have a "membership card" just to have a drink. Thats so juvenile. I know there are ways to tip toe around and drink. I personally used to make the 10 minute drive to Noonday to get my fix when I wanted to buy something to sip on, but Tyler is slow on the draw, for even still having this debate.
I know about the winery across the street from the mall. Thats super, but if you go to private establishments/clubs you still have to have a "membership card" just to have a drink. Thats so juvenile. I know there are ways to tip toe around and drink. I personally used to make the 10 minute drive to Noonday to get my fix when I wanted to buy something to sip on, but Tyler is slow on the draw, for even still having this debate.
I just got through telling you Tyler did away with the Unicard at least 8 years ago!!! No such imaginary "memership card" exists anymore, only in your head. Get with the program man.
I've lived in Tyler over 30 something years & you're trying to tell me otherwise?
Arlington, Irving, Frisco, & Plano must be slow on the draw too because you can't buy hard liquor in those cites either. Hell Irving voted AGAINST off premise consumption back in 2004. Hows that for being backwards & conservative?
Grand Prairie was trying to shut down all the strip clubs on the east side of 360 last I heard.
BTW I went to BJ's here in Tyler not but 2 weeks ago & ordered their premium brewed beer without flashing anything except my debit card to pay for the tab when I was done.
I don't know what Noonday you went to for your "alcohol fix", but it obviously wasn't the one in Texas I know. There are no alcohol sales in Noonday what so ever. Coffee City however is where the beer store are a good 8 miles down the road from Noonday.
Last edited by Metro Matt; 05-16-2011 at 10:28 PM..
I just got through telling you Tyler did away with the Unicard at least 8 years ago!!! No such imaginary "memership card" exists anymore. Get with the program man.
I've lived in Tyler over 30 something years & you're trying to tell me otherwise?
Im from Tyler, born and raised there for a very comparable amount of time; grew up in Tyler, and just came from there recently. I know from personal experience, the last time I tried to go to a privately owned club only a year or so ago, they still required a "membership card". Maybe that was an anomaly, but thats not to say it was nonexistent.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Metro Matt
Arlington, Irving, Frisco, & Plano must be slow on the draw too because you can't buy hard liquor in those cites either. Hell Irving voted AGAINST off premise consumption back in 2004. Hows that for being backwards & conservative?
Please dont project the negative connotation you may associate with being conservative onto my statement. I mentioned nothing about Tyler being conservative and backward. And even if I thought Tyler is conservative, that doesnt automatically make it backward. I dont care whether Tyler is conservative or not, I simply dont like the liquor laws.
And yes, Plano and Irving are slow on the draw if they are still debating these sorts of outdated liquor laws. point being? Is their status as suburbs of DFW supposed to elevate them to being some paradigmatic icons that are exempt from having a stagnant social environment?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Metro Matt
BTW I went to BJ's here in Tyler not but 2 weeks ago & ordered their premium brewed beer without flashing anything except my debit card to pay for the tab when I was done.
Is BJ's Brewhouse a privately owned club that serves hard liquor? I know I went to Buffalo Wild Wings on the other end of broadway a couple of weeks ago and it was very easy to order mixed drinks with nothing required, so Im not necessarily doubting that there is a changing tide in Tyler regarding alcohol sales. Just saying that up until very recently, it has been my experience that buying liquor in privately owned establishments was not a fluid process.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Metro Matt
I don't know what Noonday you went to for your "alcohol fix", but it obviously wasn't the one in Texas I know. There are no alcohol sales in Noonday what so ever. Coffee City however is where the beer store are a good 8 miles down the road from Noonday.
Let me clarify for you then, whichever township Kiloland and Fat Dog are in, thats where I went. Some call it the beginning of Frankston, some call it Noonday, some call it Coffee City. Whatever, spare me the pedantry bro.
The Unicard deal is a TABC enforced state law. So it's not up to Tyler to do away with it. If you're in a dry area, you must have a Unicard, but it doesn't have to be a separate document, it can just be associated with your drivers license. So I'm assuming the bartender just took your driver's license or wrote down the DL number when he looked at it. Otherwise, he was breaking (a rather stupid) state law, not a law that Tyler was ever in charge of.
Tyler has stayed remarkably clean in comparison to other cities its size like Beaumont and Waco. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with selling liquor in Smith County, but it may.
Smith County could have some very tough restrictions on liquor stores -- like keeping them a certain distance apart from each other and away from schools and churches. I think it would be a good source of tax revenue. People in Tyler drink. They just go outside the county and pay taxes there instead of in Smith County. It doesn't avoid temptation. It avoids significant tax revenues coming into the County.
Im from Tyler, born and raised there for a very comparable amount of time; grew up in Tyler, and just came from there recently. I know from personal experience, the last time I tried to go to a privately owned club only a year or so ago, they still required a "membership card". Maybe that was an anomaly, but thats not to say it was nonexistent.
Please dont project the negative connotation you may associate with being conservative onto my statement. I mentioned nothing about Tyler being conservative and backward. And even if I thought Tyler is conservative, that doesnt automatically make it backward. I dont care whether Tyler is conservative or not, I simply dont like the liquor laws.
And yes, Plano and Irving are slow on the draw if they are still debating these sorts of outdated liquor laws. point being? Is their status as suburbs of DFW supposed to elevate them to being some paradigmatic icons that are exempt from having a stagnant social environment?
Is BJ's Brewhouse a privately owned club that serves hard liquor? I know I went to Buffalo Wild Wings on the other end of broadway a couple of weeks ago and it was very easy to order mixed drinks with nothing required, so Im not necessarily doubting that there is a changing tide in Tyler regarding alcohol sales. Just saying that up until very recently, it has been my experience that buying liquor in privately owned establishments was not a fluid process.
Let me clarify for you then, whichever township Kiloland and Fat Dog are in, thats where I went. Some call it the beginning of Frankston, some call it Noonday, some call it Coffee City. Whatever, spare me the pedantry bro.
The city limits sign after you cross the long bridge over Lake Palestine to get to the liquor stores clearly states Coffee City/Henderson County. Not quite sure how you could get there & Noonday, 8 miles north confused if you lived in Tyler 30 years like me. Interesting...
Did you know there is a new Brookshires "Fresh" Market in Tyler off of Old Jacksonville Highway now where you can get hammered while shopping for your groceries? Yep, no "Membership cards" required there either & its considered a private entity. They even have bar tenders serving ice cold beer out on the patio which over looks the parking lot everyone enters through...wait, we could'n't be talking about the conservative/bible thumping/old Southern Baptist TYLER, TEXAS you thought you knew could we?!!!
Last edited by Metro Matt; 05-17-2011 at 12:22 PM..
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