Paintsville to vote wet/dry

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June 7, 2009

By TIM PRESTON - The Independent The Daily Independent Sun Jun 07, 2009, 11:42 PM EDT

PAINTSVILLE — Voters in Paintsville have a long history of rejecting plans for the sale of alcohol in the Johnson County seat, although pro-forces are hoping a quieter approach may swing Tuesday’s election in their favor.

People who support the sale of alcohol in the city are united in their front to keep the issue from again dividing the opinions of residents and businesses. With memories of a narrow 70-vote margin of defeat during the last wet/dry vote, those opposed to the idea are encouraging registered voters to cast their ballots Tuesday.

“Very definitely I am against it. For moral reasons, I don’t agree with it,” said Wilnah Dixon, a member of the Citizens of Paintsville Against Alcohol group.

Dixon, a downtown property owner who has lived in Paintsville for 40 years, said she believes alcohol would work against recent revitalization efforts that have attracted new business into the district. While many say alcohol sales would help the city’s economic development plans, Dixon said she hasn’t seen any proof of that.

“I have personally called some of the restaurants that were mentioned in an early fliers. They said Paintsville doesn’t have the population and they are not interested in coming to Paintsville,” Dixon said, adding neighboring Floyd and Magoffin counties haven’t benefited from alcohol sales. “Have you been to Salyersville recently?”

Dixon said Floyd County’s two most popular restaurants do not offer alcohol, and three restaurants that relied on alcohol sales have since gone out of business.

The anti-alcohol group has several hundred “taking an active part,” Dixon said, with the support of many others. The group had its final rally last week with a near capacity crowd at the Paintsville Recreation Center, she said, and the group’s commitment was boosted by an address from Johnson County Sheriff Bill Witten, who shared alcohol-related statistics gathered during his time in office.

Noting the narrow defeat of the last proposal to make Paintsville “wet,” Dixon said people opposed to the idea are making a coordinated effort to cast their votes Tuesday.

“This time we hope it’s more,” she said. “All we can do, like a good politician, is work the phones and go door to door.”

Approximately 1,600 Paintsville residents will be able to vote in six precincts during Tuesday’s wet/dry election.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2651.

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