JOSHUA TIME 601

MY FINAL STAT PAPER FOR MY PUBLIC AFFAIRS REPORTING

FROM MY BEST FRIEND, DJ "I'm thouroghly impressed joshua, great improvement. good job!"

BREAK IT DOWN
JOSHUA ROBINSON

As you go to Shiloh’s Roadhouse in London, you see signs of happy hour; some of the drinks served during happy hour are Margarita, Long Island Ice Tea, and Pina Coloda, appetizers are half off their regular price.

If you would had been in these restaurants two years ago you would not have seen any alcoholic drinks or happy hour signs.

What happened was in November 2004, London, voted to go limited wet; meaning one can buy alcohol by the drink in restaurants. Those restaurants in the city limits that are able to seat a 100 or more and derive at least 30 percent of their profit to serving food are allowed to serve alcohol by the drink.

There are currently seven restaurants that meet the criteria for serving alcohol; those restaurants are O’Malley’s, Shiloh’s, Eldorodo, Ruby Tuesday, Fiesta, and both Pizza Huts. O’Malley’s and Shiloh’s have bars in there restaurant.

If restaurants want to be licensed they obtain an applicant must first obtain local approval from Stewart Walker, London Alcoholic Beverage Control Administrator. The applicant then sends the application to the Frankfort Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control. If everything is in order, the ABC issues the state Limited Restaurant License; This according to Sam Crain, ABC of Frankfort, Ky. The more time goes by the more peoples views will change.

London is now a part of the wet out of 120 counties in Kentucky there are only 47 dry counties 83 are limited wet or moist or serve alcohol in restaurants. Corbin had gone limited wet in 2000 and restaurants started losing business in London.

Laurel County has been trying to go wet since 1970 and held a wet/dry election in August of 1971 and the vote was 375 wet/964 dry. There was also a vote in the 1994, and overwhelmingly vote was to stay dry. A more recent election was held on November 02, 2004 and the vote was 1,511 wet/1,415 dry. This has ended the dry spell by London and Laurel County.

The first vote to go wet was in 1971, the next vote twenty-three years later in 1994, and the change happened in 2004. Keep things fresh in people’s minds and change will happen.
After talking with Sgt. Derrick House of the London City Police Department, it was discovered that the bootleggers are the people who sold alcohol in London, and therefore, “London has never been dry,” stated House. “Now it’s just legal and enforceable.” The DUI and AI, which are “driving under the influence” and “alcohol intoxication,” have not gone up nor have they gone down in the last year.

The DUI convictions stayed steady in 2004 and 2005 at 579, however they went down by nearly 700 convictions in 2001. “There has been more complaints about drivers since the vote to go wet,” House stated. There are more arrests are made after 10 p.m., and more arrests are made at the first of the month and on holidays. Some days no arrests are made others there are as many as six or seven arrests made for DUI or AI.

House, who has worked as a sheriff, state police, and now works with the London City Police Department, has seen it all. He has about nine more years before he can retire. The sheriffs make more arrests because they cover a wider area, according to Sgt. House.

One preacher Terry Reed, opposed London going wet and did go to East Pittsburgh Pentecostal Church; “The city of London went wet and not the entire Laurel county,” stated Reed. Reed continued by saying, “Christians should have been out campaigning more against London going wet,” Read said. “Restaurants first then the stores are next to sell alcohol.” Reed remarked about his frustrations in his Sunday school class.

Last call is at midnight according to the manager at O’Malley’s; the police come in at 12:15 a.m. and make sure everything is put away and no one is still drinking. The reason for 12:15 a.m. is it takes about fifteen minutes to put everything away and lock up. If anyone is drinking or stuff is not put away after midnight a $10 thousand fine is given. This is only at O’Malley’s.

Other restaurants close at 10 p.m.: however, restaurants that have bars in them close at 1 a.m. “It is hard to believe London can serve alcoholic drinks now,” stated Mike Robinson, who goes out to eat at restaurants a lot.

For more information on wet/dry counties, check this link; http://www.abc.ky.gov/LISTWetDryCountiesinKentucky.htm

Joshua Robinson

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