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Is there room for one more establishment in Syracuse to sell alcohol beverages?
The Syracuse-Wawasee Ministerial Association doesn't think so.
Thursday, three Syracuse pastors, including Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Syracuse church Pastor Ralph McCoy, the president of the association, attended the Alcohol Beverage Commission meeting to protest Walter Young's petitions for new beer, wine and liquor and Sunday sales retailer permits. Young wants to sell alcohol at his business, Quackers, at 104 E. Pickwick Road, Syracuse.
The other Syracuse pastors present to protest the petition were Lauren McCune, Wawasee Heights Baptist Church, and Leroy Wise, Calvary United Methodist Church.
However, because 66 of 250 signatures on Young's petition were questionable, excise officer Patricia Fleck continued the hearing to the May 4 ABC meeting at 2 p.m. in the county courthouse.
For a new petitioner to receive a liquor license, Fleck said, the petitioner must gather 250 signatures of people in the community who want to see the business sell alcohol. On Young's petition, either the addresses of those who signed were not correct or some people signed twice.
"What those people did was mess up your application," Fleck told Young. She also told him the signatures had to include addresses, no post office boxes, and the signatures must be of people within Syracuse city limits.
McCoy presented Fleck with a signed statement from the ministerial association which opposes the application. The association, he said, represents nine area churches.
He asked Fleck what would be required to have a petition opposing Young's petition. Fleck said the petition should specify that it was a petition for the ABC and that the petition was directed against Young's alcohol permit request. The signatures must be of people who live within the corporate city limits and verified by the town clerk, she said.
Julie Hoffer, Milford, who is also opposed to the petition, asked if remonstrators got more signatures on a petition than Young did on his, if that would keep his license request from being approved.
"It's not just a matter of numbers," said ABC president Darwin Call, "it's the reason behind it. It can't be just because you don't want it."
Hoffer said there are already 17 establishments in Syracuse that sell alcohol.
In other business, automatic renewals included:
• Rex's Rendezvous, Warsaw, Sunday sales and beer, wine and liquor retailer permits.
• Stonehenge Golf Club, Pierceton, Sunday sales permit.
• Lucky's Tavern, North Webster, beer and wine retailer permit.
• Loyal Order of Moose 1423, Warsaw, beer, wine and liquor retailer permit.
• Wagon House Restaurant, Pierceton, beer and wine and Sunday sales retailer permits.
• Sportsman Bar, Syracuse, beer and wine retailer permit.
• Pizza 2 Pizzaria, North Webster, beer, wine and liquor and Sunday sales retailer permits.
• Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, Warsaw, beer, wine and liquor and Sunday sales retailer permits.
• Hacienda Mexican Restaurant, Warsaw, beer, wine and liquor and Sunday sales retailer permits.
ABC board members include Darwin Call, Kenneth Johnson, Gordon Vanator and an Indiana excise officer.
