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The Kings Mountain Herald
August 21, 2008
CHERRYVILLE
From Page 2
development as REPAC and
others predicted.
“It’s a highly emotional
issue. My father was an alco-
holic. I've had to live with
it,” Hefner stated and added,
“It's brought a lot of
heartache. I don’t even think
the Chamber of Commerce
wanted that image.”
Hefner mentioned that the
two businesses (both private
bars), which did come,
haven't helped the persona
of Cherryville. According to
Hefner, there have been
greater incidents of DUIS.
“I think the key is responsi-
bility. It goes back to people
serving the alcohol and get-
ting behind the wheel of the
car,” Hefner stated.
Chief Woody Burgess
claims that the two bars
caused a stir for a short
amount of time, but it wasn’t
necessarily for drunkenness.
“They had live music out-
side. We went in and told
them they have to keep the
music down. We took care of
ite prey quick,” Burgess
said.
Although Hefner believes
that the mixed drink’s incep-
tion hasn't brought progress
and could deteriorate
Cherryville’s image, Randall
claims that the town is trying
to regain its local economy.
For example, when REPAC
presented LBTD as as a
means of business progres-
sion which would increase
restaurants’ interest, the
group made it clear action
wouldnt happen overnight.
Randall said that city council
members were aware of that.
“Having it in place alread
is the main point. We knew it
was going to take some time
because there are other
things we are trying to do,”
Randall said.
Progress at a price
“1 pai be Janey to
see if Cherryville is ha
with what ey have. I HT
people have the right to
express themselves,” Hefner
stated. He added, “You have
to have that process (of vot-
ing) and you have to live
with it (the decision). That
was their choice.”
What perhaps separates
Cherryville with their pass-
ing of LBTD, as reported by
Randall, is when a new
restaurant is interested in
serving alcohol then they
must buy the more expen-
sive fall mixed beverage
license. The full license is
required of all restaurants,
which wish to serve alcohol,
whether mixed beverages
are a part of the equation or
not.
“Milano’s (Italian
Restaurant) had to get a full
mixed beverage license.
There was a lot of controver-
sy over that because we
knew we might serve our-
selves out of a nice, little
pizza place that wants to
Sve just beer,” Randall stat-
ed.
What about crime rates?
As for crime rates Burgess
said, “We haven't seen any
increase in crime. DUIs - I'd
have to go back (and study).
I don’t think there's been
much of a change.”
“I don’t want to see peo le
get hurt. The commercial 5
name brand beers) looks
great, but I've never been in
that commercial,” Hefner
stated.
Kings Mountain is not
Cherryville
Although Cherryville has
and continues to go through
the same growing pains as
those felt by Kings
Mountain, the two munici-
palities have stark differ-
ences.
For one, KM is a town of
11,000 citizens compared to
Cherryville’s 5,800. ;
“Kings Mountain has an
asset Cherryville doesn’t
have (I-85 & Business 74).
Cherryville is not on an
interstate,” Hodgkins said.
“T would draw a distinc-
‘tion between Cherryville
and us. We are situated on 74
and I-85. Cherryville is nes-
tled back,” Collias said,
adding that KM is in a better
position location-wise for
more growth.
And, right now, Chris
Hollis with KM’s Citizens for
Progress said that the city’s
prime location is missing
something. “You've got
about 45,000 cars a day pass-
ing Exit 10-B and no reason
to take their foot off of the
gas,” Hollis said, about the
city not having any of the
larger, finer-scaled restau-
rants.
Collias said that liquor is
available in Kings Mountain
now at the ABC store, but it
isn’t available in a way that
would attract restaurants -
having the right to sell and
serve mixed beverages. She
added that for many of the
upscale restaurants alcohol
sales is an integral part of
their profits. en looking
for a new community they
probably won't decide to
come to a town, where prof-
its would be limited, she
said. ;
Quality of life without
mixed beverages
“1 would say our Mayor
has talked a great deal about
our quality of life. That qual-
ity of life can best be pre-
served by not having more
restaurants if they require
alcohol. It would not be wise
for the people of KM to be
led by surprise,” stated First
Baptist Church of KM Pastor
Chip Sloan.
“I'm totally against it,”
said Rev. John Heath, of East
Kings Mountain Church of
God, adding the the commu-
nity already has a big prob-
lem with alcohol.
He said that he’s seen
KM'’s alcohol problems esca-
late since Beer and Wine was
voted in, in the 80s. “There
has been a definite change,”
Heath said.
Sloan and Heath have both
experienced the heartaches
caused by alcohol-abuse in
and outside of the church. “I
think there's a greater
acceptance of drinking
today,” Heath said. “But you
won't have a problem if you
don’t mess with it.”
“1 don’t believe it will ben-
efit the people of KM,” Sloan
said. “The thief comes to
only kill, steal, destroy and
one of his primary themes is
alcohol!”
But there is at least one
idea the opposers and sup-
porters share: that the public
does have the right to vote.
LBTD
From Page 2
Aeoniding to that study,
“The annual direct impact of
a successful relatively
upscale restaurant is $4-5
million and approximately
30 full-time jobs and 55 part-
time positions. The conse-
quential annual indirect eco-
nomic impact of the wages
spent by the employees and
local purchases is an addi-
tional $2.4-2.6 million.”
Another study was con-
ducted by a NC Downtown
Association “Technical
Assistance Team” and. par-
tially financed bythe city last
year to help Mountaineer
artnership establish a strat-
egy plan for the revitaliza-
tion of downtown. This
study like the one in 2005
also recommends the city
approve mixed beverages.
ccording to the 2007
study, among full service
restaurants, including those
that serve alcoholic bever-
Rl
Suu nr
ages, consumer expenditures
within the 28086 zip code
accounted for about $15.3
million in 2006, although
retail sales in the same cate-
gory only accounted for $6.8
million. According to the
study, that means that about
$8.5 million is being spent by
Kings Mountain residents
outside of the 28086 zip code.
The study also showed that
towns (like Gastonia and
Shelby) 15 minutes outside
of the city, show retail sales
higher than consumer
expenditures in the category
by over $7.7 million.
In the category of “drink-
ing places - alcoholic bever-
ages”, consumers were esti-
mated to have spent $1.5 mil-
lion in 2006, all of which
were spent outside of the
28086 zip.
Collias said that she per-
sonally handed over copies
of these studies to the city
last week.
Not a new issue
Kings Mountain became a
chartered town on February
i ———— A _1dA wt n WB
pre
My
11, 1874. The council was set
to vote on “license” within
30 days.
The election was not held
on schedule, but when the
votes were tabulated, it was
13-0 against the sell of spiri-
tuous liquor within town
limits, according to Bonnie
Summers’ “Kings Mountain:
Her Background and
Beginning.” Even though the
first building in town was
said to have been a saloon,
the first ordinances were set
in place with strict punish-
ments to discourage drunk-
enness, among other things.
Now, 134 years later, the
issue of “spirituous liquor”
is debated again. In the 1980s
beer and wine was voted in
to ordinance. But it was
unknown as of press time,
whether or not the third leg
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to the issue of alcoholic bev-
erages was kept off of the
ballot to get the first two to
pass or if liquor was just for-
gotten.
Sr
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