More than 120 people filled the fire station in Maysville Monday night, with all but a handful opposed to a city council proposal for beer and wine to be sold in the small town on the Banks-Jackson county line.
Public hearings have now been held in all four districts in Maysville with the majority of residents attending being opposed to the sale of beer and wine in the town. The public hearing held this week was for the first reading of the ordinance. The council will vote on the issue at a called meeting set for 7 p.m. Monday at the public library.
One of those pushing for the ordinance said Monday night that she wouldn’t stop until she got a beer and wine license for a sports tavern she plans to open.
“We will not stop until we get the beer and wine,” said Debbie Atkins. “We will continue to work hard … and we will serve beer and wine in our sports tavern.”
But most of those who have attended meetings on the issue have been opposed.
Comments from some of the others who spoke in opposition include the following:
•Gladys Cochran: “I don’t see why Maysville has to change just because a few people think they can come in and change things.”
Maysville to vote Monday on beer/wine
•Trent Strickland: “I will work just as hard as Mrs. Atkins to see that this is defeated … If you go by the pleasure of the people, it will be denied.”
•Richard Presley: “Please consider the risk and liability to the town … The majority of the people have spoken a loud no that we don’t want alcohol in our town.”
•Bud Klugh: “The folks in Maysville don’t want beer and wine sold in Maysville. You (the council) have to lay aside your personal opinions and follow what the citizens of Maysville voted you in office to do.”
•John Lewallen: “I felt threatened tonight. When someone says they will not stop (until they can sale beer and wine), I take that as a threat.”
•Melody Stancil: “Allowing a pouring license will not revitalize the town … It is a misguided effort.”
•Richard Presley: “Please consider the risk and liability to the town … The majority of the people have spoken a loud no that we don’t want alcohol in our town.”
•Bud Klugh: “The folks in Maysville don’t want beer and wine sold in Maysville. You (the council) have to lay aside your personal opinions and follow what the citizens of Maysville voted you in office to do.”
•John Lewallen: “I felt threatened tonight. When someone says they will not stop (until they can sale beer and wine), I take that as a threat.”
•Melody Stancil: “Allowing a pouring license will not revitalize the town … It is a misguided effort.”
I keep hearing how the older generation needs to step aside for the younger one and let the times change. If the younger generation wants to live where there is alcohol sales let them move to Commerce,Athens,or Gainesville they ain't that far away. The old way has worked for so many years and the younger generation won't be happy until they have alcohol sales everywhere in Maysville including the Maysville Baptist Church? These people want it where they can go get drunk Saturday night and go to church Sunday morning and after church go eat lunch and throw back a few beers?
You are almost correct when you say that the Council has the final say. Actually the residents do. It is a little thing called Recall. If the elected officials are not representing a majority of the people they can be removed from office. Being involved is a very good thing. Not speaking up on issues that concern us has led to many things being stuffed down our throats. That everyone can speak their piece is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. I wonder that a town that covers an area of 3.6 sq miles would see the need to grant a license that the majority disagree with. The bottom line is still that we would like to believe that we live in a Democracy. In a Democracy the majority rules, period.
A recall was done in LITHONIA, Ga a year ago.
http://www.11alive.com/rss/rss_story.aspx?storyid=121814
Have you seen the ordinance?
http://www.cityofmaysvillega.org/doc/Ordinance.pdf
I to am a recovering alcoholic and yes I may have to put up with it when I go buy gas because most stations sell beer but I like going and sitting down and having a good meal without having to deal with the alcohol being sold. That's why I won't go to T-Bones,Outback, and Logans Road house. Ryans has just as good food as the others do and they don't sell alcohol and they say they won't and not to mention Ryans is alot cheaper than the ones that do sell alcohol?
If the Maysville Baptist Social club and there members would stop sticking there nose in everything then that town might prosper.
I don't agree with the sale of booze by the drink here ....I disagree more with all of you telling Mrs Akins to go elsewhere even more.
Please stop ramming your beliefs down everyones throat and let the city council look at this objectively.
Mrs. Akins is the one trying to force something down peoples's throats. It was her choice to trot her butt to Maysville to change it and try to do what she wants to do. I am the fourth generation of my family in Maysville. There are many other residents' families that have been here as long as my family has.
Mrs. Akins also walks around with the impression she is the only one who has ever invested a dime in Maysville. Every property tax paying home owner in Maysville also has a stake in Maysville and her proposed business will NOT make enough to cover expenses of enforcement, audit and various other items required if "pouring licenses" are allowed. I do not feel anyone should be asked to pay the freight of private industry at anytime.
Opening a business is just like any other investment you make. You should look into it first and test the waters way before. Mrs. Akins might have been better received if she would have come to Maysville trying to be a good neighbor and winning the trust and confidence of the citizens rather than threatening them and demanding her own way.
We live, hopefully, in a democracy not a dictatorship and by their speech and participation at hearings and meetings in this matter the majority of citizens of Maysville have demonstrated their desire to live as they have in the past without the presence of this type of venture in Maysville.
Maysville is a great example of an American small town. It has values. Hopefully, we can lead by example and show that alcohol can go the same way as cigarettes have. The freedom to do it is still there only where you can do it is restricted.
hahahahahahahahah
"Let me ask you What good can come from alcohol sales? NO GOOD I have never in the history of the world ever heard of 1 good thing coming from alcohol sales..."
You sir, madame or thing seem to just have a problem with alcohol, period. Are you one of the prevailing "religious" nuts or just a nut? Your above blanket statement shows a lack of objectivity for the facts.
Be that as it may, I do believe the people of Maysville have the right and duty to decide (and let their elected officials know) that they do not want alcohol by the drink in Maysville. And they have.
I live in Commerce and I am a Christian, and I remember when the vote came up for allowing alcohol by the drink. There were many "religious" nuts, aka self described Christians, who screamed and complained about how Commerce would suffer from drunk driving accidents, predicting moral decay would soon prevail, questioning whether or not members of the City Council were Christians, etc.
Fortunately, the nuts were in the minority. The people spoke, the ordinance passed, and now, three years later, Commerce did not descend to the fiery pit.
And did you know if you are a real Christian and you go in one of these places to eat even if you don't drink nothing you are still supporting the alcohol sales? Some of the money yougive them for your meal goes to pay for their alcohol License.
It's Christians like you that allowed them to remove prayer from
schools because you are so Open minded. It's time Christians took a stand for whats right against whats wrong.
I'm a former smoker but I think if someone wants to smoke it's ok because this is a free country.
Weak people shouldn't decide for others.