BELLEFONTE — Voters in one Greenup County precinct on Tuesday approved the legal sale of alcoholic beverages at the Bellefonte Country Club.
The tally in the special referendum was 93 in favor, 53 against, Greenup County Clerk Pat Hieneman said.
The special election only involved voters in the Bellefonte precinct. Voting took place at Bellefonte Community Presbyterian Church, which is the precinct’s normal polling place.
“We’re happy that it passed. We think it’s going to be good for the community and good for our club,” said Beverly Baldridge, the country club’s general manager.
Liquor has been served openly for years at the private golf, tennis and swimming club. However, the club was barred by law from selling alcohol, forcing it to adopt a “BYOB” policy for its members. Many members kept their own personal supplies of liquor in storage at the establishment.
Legal alcohol sales at the club are expected to have little overall impact on the amount of liquor consumed at the club, or on the community as a whole. However, Baldridge said one benefit they will have is that the liquor sold at the club will be taxed, and that revenue will stay in the community.
Baldridge said it was her understanding that the 604-member club would have to wait 60 days before applying for its liquor license.
The country club submitted a petition with enough signatures on it to force a wet-dry referendum to Hieneman’s office in late September. The precinct has 715 registered voters, 535 of whom voted in last year’s presidential election. That meant organizers needed at least 134 signatures to trigger the vote.
The petition had 141 signatures, according to Hieneman.
The club sought the referendum under the 2000 law that enables golf courses in counties where residents have voted in whole or in part to repeal prohibition to petition for local option elections. The “in whole or in part” provision was satisfied in November 2008 when Russell residents approved the so-called “moist” law, which allows limited alcohol sales at certain restaurants.
Following Tuesday’s election, the country club will join Russell as the only two places in Greenup County where alcohol can be bought and sold legally. However, no establishments in Russell have obtained liquor licenses.
Tuesday’s election was Greenup County’s second special vote in a year that was supposed to have been election-free. In August, residents went to the polls for a special election to fill the vacant 18th District state Senate seat.
However, county officials said the Bellefonte wet-dry vote would be far less costly than the Senate election because it involved only one precinct.
Local News
Related Photos
-
Kevin Goldy
-
Kevin Goldy
Discussion
Voters approve country club alcohol sales
Bellefonte only precinct involved in special election
- Local News
-
-
Putnam restoration gets additional $50K
The Putnam Stadium Restoration Foundation got a $50,000 boost from The Woodlands Foundation.
-
Kentucky schools get waiver on No Child Left Behind
Kentucky and nine other states received waivers Thursday from the federal No Child Left Behind Act, in exchange for putting their own improved accountability systems in place.
-
Sweet harmony
Many women all over the world travel miles every week, just to sing with a barbershop chorus.
-
Bankruptcy filings: 2/10/12
Bankruptcy filings in the Eastern District of U.S. Bankruptcy Court include the following:
-
Russell Independent School District
A new gym floor at Russell High School will cost somewhere between $71,000 and $107,000, school board members learned Thursday.
-
Workers reject contract offer
Hourly workers at Marathon Petroleum’s Catlettsburg refinery on Wednesday rejected a contract offer from the company.
-
UW campaign tops $780,000
While the economy of this region continues to struggle, the people of northeastern Kentucky again proved this is a caring and giving area by easily surpassing the ambitious $750,000 for the 2011 campaign of the United Way of Northeast Kentucky.
-
LRC plans to appeal judge’s ruling
The leadership of the General Assembly announced Thursday it plans to appeal Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd’s ruling that the legislature’s plan to re-draw state legislative boundaries is unconstitutional.
-
School personnel pleased to be in ‘unprecedented’ territory with snow days
Mid-February usually is the time when school administrators start worrying about how many days they will have to tack on to the end of the year to make up for the ones missed because of snow.
-
Opposition to planned sewer extension
The Boyd County Fiscal Court could be removing $60,000 in grant money after complaints about the sewer project it would have funded.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Putnam restoration gets additional $50K
Denver's Largest-Ever Drug Bust Nets Dozens
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Expert: Removing LA School's Staff 'Appropriate'
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
LA School Reopens Amid Sex Abuse Scandal
$25B Settlement Reached Over Foreclosure Abuses
Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
