WINONA LAKE - The idea that a restaurant or hotel in this quiet town may sell alcoholic beverages has jolted some town residents into action.

Two recent letters to the editor of the Times-Union have mentioned petitions circulating around town that oppose the sale of liquor in Winona Lake.

The sale of alcoholic beverages has been talked about as a possibility in the dining area of the refurbished hotel and in a lakeside restaurant that is still in the planning stages.

Both the hotel and the restaurant are part of a $7 million development and historic restoration under way in the town. The planned development, by Winona Restorations, is expected to attract thousands of visitors and tourists every year.

Brent Wilcoxson, president of Winona Restorations, said Friday that he has not been approached directly by remonstrators, but that he appreciates public opinion.

"Everyone's entitled to their opinion," he said. "We want to hear from people."

The sale of liquor in a town that once banned the taking of photographs on Sunday probably involves two issues, Pastor John Teevan of Grace Brethren Church said Friday.

"So much of what Winona Restorations is doing is restoring the past," Teevan said - a past that includes the Billy Sunday evangelical heritage and a prohibition on alcohol sales.

"Some people see it as thoroughly out of harmony with the past, which is being restored," Teevan said.

Another possible objection, he said, is technical: "When did Winona Lake ever choose to become a town where alcohol could be sold?

"It's an emotional issue but there's a legitimate core to it."

Wilcoxson said he thought liquor sales in Indiana were regulated by the state and that Winona Lake does not have the authority to regulate that independently.

"It was my understanding that at some point in time the town lost its self rule," he said. "The state controls the (Alcoholic Beverage Commission) and a municipality has no control over that."

Wilcoxson said town councils may make their wishes known to the ABC but that may be the limit of their authority.

Teevan said the petition is "not hysterical" and urges Winona Restorations to seriously consider the issue before taking permanent action.

Bonnie Newton, one of the letter writers, said Friday she plans to attend Tuesday's town council meeting and expects the subject to come up at the meeting. The Winona Lake town council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the community building. [[In-content Ad]]