Owner seeks beer, wine sales

A Bethlehem property owner wants beer and wine sales at a grocery store in the growing but dry southwest corner of Alexander County.

[Britt Ruck]

There should be NO dry countys in this country. Why? Because people will DRIVE to another county to drink and then DRIVE home! I have also heard of days the liquor stores are closed but bars are open. Sunday mostly. A guy might want to sit down and have a few beers and watch the game. Store's closed? Off to the bars he goes and DRIVES home under the influence. People who vote for to keep their county dry are the same IDIOTS that think if we don't give our kids condoms, they won't have sex.

[Wanda OShields]

Britt Ruck wrote:

There should be NO dry countys in this country. Why? Because people will DRIVE to another county to drink and then DRIVE home! I have also heard of days the liquor stores are closed but bars are open. Sunday mostly. A guy might want to sit down and have a few beers and watch the game. Store's closed? Off to the bars he goes and DRIVES home under the influence. People who vote for to keep their county dry are the same IDIOTS that think if we don't give our kids condoms, they won't have sex.

Amen sister

[rjmolesa]

I grew up in Alexander County and know a few of the Commissioners there. I recently moved to North Wilkesboro, but would like to share the thoughts I had about it before I moved over two years ago.

The "dry" issue has always been one of faith and religion in our area and politicians saw it as a way to protect us from ourselves. Maybe it was harder to find alcohol in those days. These days however, as others have mentioned, it's easy enough to drive else where. So by protecting the irresponsible few, we're hurting the many. I'll explain.

This whole area is growing. Many people can manage the amount of alcohol they consume and will gladly go to the nearest location to purchase it. The more people that move here the more amenities they are going to require. By sending them elsewhere for their needs we're missing out on reinvesting in our community. The area has lost too many jobs to count. Young people are leaving and not returning. Many of the nicer restaurant chains won't even consider opening doors in a town they can't sell alcohol.

To me it's economics. The area needs growth and is ready for it. People are coming here for the beauty and weather. Let's welcome them in and make it an overall more comfortable life for them. All these opportunities ad up to jobs and income for residents and the county. If Alexander won't grease the wheels the wheels will seek to be greased else where.

Just my 2 cents and the opinion of a now outsider looking in.