A small town on the East Coast has joined many other quaint neighborhoods in reversing their alcohol ban after more than a century of being booze free.
Haddon Heights, New Jersey, is nothing short of small-town charm, enriched with plenty of history and a close-knit community – it is entirely perfect.
The residents, however, recently voted for a major change – with a nearly two-to-one majority, voters passed a ballot initiative on Election Day to allow restaurants and bars to serve alcohol.
With no liquor stores, wine shops, bars and only select restaurants allowing diners to bring their own drinks, community members wanted to see change.
Mike Plonski, 47, has lived in the town for seven years. He told the New York Times that he voted for the change and said: ‘It would be cool to go on a date with my wife and just sit at the bar, and have a cocktail, and not have to drive there.’
Though he added that he didn’t want to see rowdy crowds gathering outside of bars in the early hours of the morning, or ‘a watering hole on every corner’, reported the outlet.
The town council and its mayor, Zachary Houck, will need to pass an ordinance to enact the ballot question’s results.
Many residents have expressed their support for the measure, including Mayor Houck, who proposed the referendum and said he indented to honor its results.
New Jersey, a state with many Protestant roots, has seen the number of dry counties decrease every year.
The residents of Haddon Heights, New Jersey, recently voted for a major change – with a nearly two-to-one majority, voters passed a ballot initiative on Election Day to allow restaurants and bars to serve alcohol
Mike Plonski, 47, has lived in the town for seven years and said that he voted for the change, adding: ‘It would be cool to go on a date with my wife and just sit at the bar, and have a cocktail, and not have to drive there’
Anthony’s Italian is one of the two oldest restaurants in the town to be in favor among residents to receive one of the new liquor licenses
In places such as Ocean City, it remains against the rules to drink in public and including in restaurants. Whereas other towns allow you to bring your own booze to restaurants or allowing the sale of locally made alcohol.
The change is one being seen across many other formerly dry counties and town across America. Such as in Kansas, where prohibition was the law until after World War II and only one dry county remains.
Some residents in the area have expressed fears that the change will affect the town’s close-knit community. Matt Konopka, who moved to the area nearly 40 years ago, dismissed these concerns.
The 68-year-old, who voted for the measure, added: ‘Progress is a good thing, and you can’t stop it. You have to adapt, and it’s not going to kill anything. It’s not going to change the nature of the town.’
The concept of adapting is also shared among some of the town’s small business owners, such as local florist Vic Turkot.
Turkot believes the measure holds an opportunity for the town to maintain its small- town character.
‘If we didn’t change, we’d still be living in caves,’ said the 71-year-old, who pointed out the town used to have enough foot traffic to keep their small businesses afloat – now, you could ‘take a nap on the sidewalk.’
New Jersey bases the allowance for liquor licenses for each town on the size of the population. With Haddon Heights’ population of 7,500, the town would be granted two bars or restaurants the license.
The change is one being seen across many other formerly dry counties and town across America. Such as in Kansas, where prohibition was the law until after World War II and only one dry county remains
New Jersey bases the allowance for liquor licenses for each town on the size of the population. With Haddon Heights’ population of 7,500, the town would be granted two bars or restaurants the license
28-year-old Annie Pyle also shares similar concerns. Pyle had grown up in a dry town not too far from Haddon Heights and sees no reason to fix something that isn’t broken. ‘I just don’t feel like anything needs to change,’ she said. ‘It’s tradition’
Even the possibility of just two licenses seem to concern some residents for how their quaint neighborhood will be affected.
Bill Lange, 76, told the outlet: ‘I’m opposed to it. I think it’s going to bring a lot of changes. It’s like the domino; One falls and then another and another.’
28-year-old Annie Pyle also shares similar concerns. Pyle had grown up in a dry town not too far from Haddon Heights and sees no reason to fix something that isn’t broken.
‘I just don’t feel like anything needs to change,’ she said. ‘It’s tradition.’
It is still a question of what businesses would get the licenses, and one that residents have opted to address when the time comes.
Many have suggested that Kunkel’s steakhouse and seafood restaurant and Anthony’s white tablecloth Italian, the two oldest restaurants in town, are most deserving if they want them.
‘We would never want anything bad to happen to this town, said Plonski. ‘But I think that if we had a bar, it would be OK.’
