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With the Kosciusko County Alcohol Beverage Commission set to deny Village Pantry's request for a new beer and wine dealer's permit, attorney Steven Hearn, representing Village Pantry, asked the board to continue the hearing for a month.
The continuation was granted and the board will rehear the petition Dec. 2 at 2 p.m.
Hearn described Village Pantry, 400 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw, as a convenience store that sells more than 3,000 products. They opened for business Oct. 27. They also sell gasoline, and the alcohol they want to sell will be warm.
"People normally don't drink warm beer," Hearn said, implying there would not be any drinking and driving. The convenience mart is also in an area where if there were violations, "everyone would know about it," he said.
Board president Darwin Call asked who would work the counters and sell the alcohol. Hearn said adults (18 and over) will be the only ones who will be allowed to sell alcohol and there never will be a time when someone at least 21 years old isn't in the store. There will be two or three people in the store at all times.
Board member Gordon Vanator said Marsh is on the same property and already sells alcohol and he said he didn't see why there needed to be two stores on the same property that both sell alcohol.
"I came on this board feeling we have a problem with young people (purchasing alcohol) ... we keep adding more facilities to make it easier (to buy)," he said.
Call said since he's been on the board, "I don't think we've ever approved (alcohol) sales where there's gasoline sales." He said he wouldn't vote to approve the permit.
Board members Howard Long and Vanator said they would not vote to approve the permit either. Long said the purchase of alcohol shouldn't be convenient and the convenience of buying alcohol is part of the problem nowadays. Vanator said the store's business will not be affected whether or not they sell alcohol.
In other business, the ABC approved the following permits:
• Retailer beer and wine renewal for Louie's Bar & Grill, Syracuse, and a Sunday sales retailer renewal.
• Beer and a Sunday sales retailer renewal for Gilliam Lanes, Warsaw.
• Beer and wine and Sunday sales retailer renewals for The Keg, Leesburg.
• Beer, wine and liquor dealer renewal for CVS Pharmacy, Syracuse and in North Webster.
• Beer, wine and liquor and Sunday sales retailer renewals for American Legion Post 49, Warsaw.
• Beer and wine retailer renewal for Cripplegate, Leesburg.
• Beer, wine and liquor dealer renewal for Milford Party Pack, Milford.
