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Sunday alcohol sales vote nears
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| JoAnn Pierce, with The Stockton House, pours a glass of red table wine Friday at the restaurant. Clayton voters will decide Sept. 18 whether spirits can be poured on Sundays at restaurants. |
By Jeremy Styron News Editor
For many in town, the glass is half full regarding Clayton's Sunday alcohol sales proposal. For others, the glass is as it should be: empty.
"I know a lot of people feel very strongly about it," said Ann Suich of Clayton about the issue. "I don't happen to feel that way."
She added that "having a glass of wine on Sunday" isn't a big deal.
Jackie Wilson of the Warwoman community was more adamantly opposed to alcohol sales on Sunday.
"I don't think it should go through," she said. "I'm a Christian, and I don't feel we should be selling liquor on God's day. There's too much liquor in the county to start with."
Clayton voters will head to the polls Sept. 18 during a special election on whether to allow licensed restaurants and lodges to pour alcohol, wine and beer on Sunday. The proposal says that eateries must earn 50 percent of their income from food sales, while motels, bed and breakfasts and hotels must bring in 50 percent of their income from room rentals.
Pat Bussiere, city election superintendent, said she was not sure what turnout would be among the estimated 1,115 registered voters in Clayton.
"We have no way of knowing, to be truthful," she said.
At Old Clayton Inn, which serves beer and wine in its restaurant, business would be stronger if the resolution passed, operational manager Falicia Tollison said. "I know that our restaurant business on Sunday is our busiest day, so I'd say it would really boost our sales."
Clayton would also reap some rewards with regard to increased tax revenues from Sunday sales, Tollison said. "I think it would help it. The town would benefit from that."
John Pierce, with The Stockton House, said the city would receive a 3 percent tax benefit per drink, while the state would earn 7 percent.
"Any revenue is worth having," he said.
Others, like Tom Grant, general manager of Kingwood Resort, had less at stake in the issue.
"To tell you the truth, I hadn't even thought about it," Grant said when asked for his viewpoint.
If the resolution was passed, it "wouldn't affect us at all," he added. "I think that's up to the people in Clayton. They ought to determine their own destiny. If it was a county thing, I would have an opinion."
Pierce addressed some concerns he had read in the newspaper about loud music and rowdy behavior, which are often social side effects of drinking in public places.
"I think it's up to the restaurants and the lounges to police themselves," he said. "I really don't see any of our restaurants and lounges here that have that trouble. I really don't think any of our restaurants and lounges have a bunch that's out of control."
James Lewis, owner of Café Sugo Italia, said he thought the resolution had a good chance of passing. He also acknowledged some common concerns residents might have about the pouring of drinks on Sunday.
"There's always going to be a certain amount of the community that belongs to various religious groups that are against drinking period," he said. "So, that's probably where there will be the greatest amount of difference."
Tollison, on the other hand, was less sure that it would get voters' seal of approval.
"We're in the Bible belt. You've got to be kidding," she quipped when asked if it had a good chance of passing. "There's going to be a lot of people opposed."
The absence of such a law in Clayton has been a possible road block for some tourists. Those coming to Clayton for the weekend typically come from areas where Sunday sales have already been instituted, Pierce said.
"I see Sunday consumption, without offending any of the churches, I see it as a positive because any tourist, they're use to having drinks on Sundays," Pierce added. "We're not looking for the party crowd. We're not trying to turn Clayton into Daytona Beach, but I think Sunday consumption would be a good thing."
He said some local residents even travel out of town in search of a casual drink.
"I know of several people on Sunday, probably twice a month, will ride to Helen to have a cold beer or a sandwich," he said. He added that having one drink didn't make someone an alcoholic.
"If they want to watch a football game and drink a beer, I see nothing wrong with that, and here again, we're not trying to turn Clayton into Daytona Beach," he said.
The passage of the resolution would lure chain restaurants to consider Clayton as a possible location, Lewis said. The absence of the law deters larger businesses.
"I think it's a sign that the county isn't really mature and in to the 21st century; 'cause when you look at the rest of the world out there, there's a huge amount or percentage that are open on Sunday and serve alcohol," he said.
Though the law would add tax revenue for Clayton, Wilson said if it did not pass, God would still provide.
"I feel like God's in control of things, and I think it's going to go the way" he sees fit.
"I know a lot of people feel very strongly about it," said Ann Suich of Clayton about the issue. "I don't happen to feel that way."
She added that "having a glass of wine on Sunday" isn't a big deal.
Jackie Wilson of the Warwoman community was more adamantly opposed to alcohol sales on Sunday.
"I don't think it should go through," she said. "I'm a Christian, and I don't feel we should be selling liquor on God's day. There's too much liquor in the county to start with."
Clayton voters will head to the polls Sept. 18 during a special election on whether to allow licensed restaurants and lodges to pour alcohol, wine and beer on Sunday. The proposal says that eateries must earn 50 percent of their income from food sales, while motels, bed and breakfasts and hotels must bring in 50 percent of their income from room rentals.
Pat Bussiere, city election superintendent, said she was not sure what turnout would be among the estimated 1,115 registered voters in Clayton.
"We have no way of knowing, to be truthful," she said.
At Old Clayton Inn, which serves beer and wine in its restaurant, business would be stronger if the resolution passed, operational manager Falicia Tollison said. "I know that our restaurant business on Sunday is our busiest day, so I'd say it would really boost our sales."
Clayton would also reap some rewards with regard to increased tax revenues from Sunday sales, Tollison said. "I think it would help it. The town would benefit from that."
John Pierce, with The Stockton House, said the city would receive a 3 percent tax benefit per drink, while the state would earn 7 percent.
"Any revenue is worth having," he said.
Others, like Tom Grant, general manager of Kingwood Resort, had less at stake in the issue.
"To tell you the truth, I hadn't even thought about it," Grant said when asked for his viewpoint.
If the resolution was passed, it "wouldn't affect us at all," he added. "I think that's up to the people in Clayton. They ought to determine their own destiny. If it was a county thing, I would have an opinion."
Pierce addressed some concerns he had read in the newspaper about loud music and rowdy behavior, which are often social side effects of drinking in public places.
"I think it's up to the restaurants and the lounges to police themselves," he said. "I really don't see any of our restaurants and lounges here that have that trouble. I really don't think any of our restaurants and lounges have a bunch that's out of control."
James Lewis, owner of Café Sugo Italia, said he thought the resolution had a good chance of passing. He also acknowledged some common concerns residents might have about the pouring of drinks on Sunday.
"There's always going to be a certain amount of the community that belongs to various religious groups that are against drinking period," he said. "So, that's probably where there will be the greatest amount of difference."
Tollison, on the other hand, was less sure that it would get voters' seal of approval.
"We're in the Bible belt. You've got to be kidding," she quipped when asked if it had a good chance of passing. "There's going to be a lot of people opposed."
The absence of such a law in Clayton has been a possible road block for some tourists. Those coming to Clayton for the weekend typically come from areas where Sunday sales have already been instituted, Pierce said.
"I see Sunday consumption, without offending any of the churches, I see it as a positive because any tourist, they're use to having drinks on Sundays," Pierce added. "We're not looking for the party crowd. We're not trying to turn Clayton into Daytona Beach, but I think Sunday consumption would be a good thing."
He said some local residents even travel out of town in search of a casual drink.
"I know of several people on Sunday, probably twice a month, will ride to Helen to have a cold beer or a sandwich," he said. He added that having one drink didn't make someone an alcoholic.
"If they want to watch a football game and drink a beer, I see nothing wrong with that, and here again, we're not trying to turn Clayton into Daytona Beach," he said.
The passage of the resolution would lure chain restaurants to consider Clayton as a possible location, Lewis said. The absence of the law deters larger businesses.
"I think it's a sign that the county isn't really mature and in to the 21st century; 'cause when you look at the rest of the world out there, there's a huge amount or percentage that are open on Sunday and serve alcohol," he said.
Though the law would add tax revenue for Clayton, Wilson said if it did not pass, God would still provide.
"I feel like God's in control of things, and I think it's going to go the way" he sees fit.
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