Sunday, October 20, 2013

Pineville Goes Damp!

In the first alcohol referendum since 1981, the City of Pineville voters decided to allow restaurants to serve alcohol, and the voters spoke with a resounding volume.
That measure was a simple yes/no on whether to allow restaurants, and only restaurants, to sell alcoholic beverages. Previously, all alcohol sales were prohibited in the city.
The measure passed with 78.21 percent of the vote (1,849 votes, 515 against).
That simple measure was all that the voters were allowed to approve, but the nose of the camel is definitely under the tent.   Pineville isn't wet, but it's getting damp.

Pineville, LA is the largest incorportated area in the north part of Rapides Parish, and those wards are north of the Red River, which geographically divides the parish.  The demographics have changed in the north of Rapides parish since the early 1980s and I believe that the measure is long overdue.  The remaining parts of Wards 9, 10, and 11 are still dry, but I suspect that if the voters were given the opportunity to vote, the whole north of the river would go wet, totally wet, with both package sales, bars and lounges, and restaurant sales.  It's been 30 years since the voters were given a Yeah or Nay, and it might be time to revisit the proposition.

Let Freedom Ring.

2 comments:

Old NFO said...

I never thought I'd see that in my lifetime!!! :-)

Termite said...

Maybe now we can get an Applebee's or TGI Friday's on the north side of the river.

And wouldn't the foot of the Jackson/Main Street bridge, on the Pineville side behnd the glass shop, be a great place to put a resturant? Over looking the river, and downtown Alex?
Add a dock and walkway, with outside seating, and you could get boat traffic ala Tunk's fashion.