Arkansas Blog

The progressives are winning. The so-called "Committee to Protect Our Vote" is a sham and is about defunct and Central Baptist has little or no impact these days in Conway. The restaurants offering drinks have done a responsible job.

I'm telling ya, Conway's new-found wetness has been oh so sweet. (I especially love sipping my 'public' liquor on a Sunday...yum!) The same handful of country-club drinking hypocrites have been leading the Faulkner County prohibition nonsense ever since I've lived here (20 years). And, they are now choking on their own self-righteous bile while the rest of us enjoy our booze and them not being in our restaurant lines (opponents keep declaring they won't eat where liquor is served; but with all the new licenses their eating choices are limited and ours are many ha).

(hmm...is 'handful' singular or plural?)

Yep...the-teetotaler-religious-whiners are out full cork. Their angle...this is a dry county and restaurants are not private clubs, let's VOTE--WET or--DRY.

And lets not forget, it's Lu Hardin who made this Conway's problem. He spearheaded the legislation to move the petition requirement to 38%.

I actually heard the director of the Conway Development Corp say it was a central Arkansas's (note appropriate apostrophe) cabal that kept Conway dry. We in LR/NLR didn't want competition from other eateries.

Like I can't go to a freakin' Outback anywhere in the generic hemisphere.

I mentioned the Hardin thing and he stammered around.

Warrick you're entering white flight territory. Beware. Hopefully, they won't make you move to Conway.

That's the most boring, generic place on earth.

Sounds like our neighboring Benton County where rumor held for years that Ms. Helen (of Walmart fame) was opposed to alky sales. Now it's private clubs every other corner. But if you mention dry-wet votes Siloam Springs, famous for John Brown holyrolls, sings the blues. I knew when that little Oriental resturant opened in Rogers in '92 with a 'private room" at the back there was more drinking going on than green tea.

It's culture clash or shock whatever. It's nice to see more of Ark catching up to the 20th century.
Next thing you know they will want parks, and other urban stuff so there goes the neighborhood.
_

Along the same line, there's been an interesting story out of a Jonesboro private club this week.

(Mind you, I got the story second-hand from my sister, who saw it on Jonesboro TV, so I can't guarantee her accuracy on the facts.)

There's a private club in Jonesboro called Julio's. I think it's an up-scale (for Jonesboro) Mexican restaurant with an alcohol license. I've been meaning to go there, but couldn't find it in the phone book, perhaps because I was looking in the H section for Hulio.

Over the weekend there was a shooting in the parking lot behind Julio's. The Jonesboro Police Chief, not a fan of private clubs, said, "this is what you get when you have these private clubs selling alcohol."

Julio's owner was furious, nearly ballistic, since he says the shooting had nothing to do with alcohol being served to diners in the restaurant.

The next day the restaurant owner was arrested for running a city police car off the road, apparently in a case of road rage more appropriately called private club owner rage.

At last report the restaurant owner has stopped speaking English and will only speak Spanish. Stay tuned...

i remember when i moved from ft smith to little rock and i couldn't buy groceries on sunday we were shocked i say shocked. the things people do in the name of the lord. little rock finally got right with their laws and now i can get fat with manna and likkered up both on sunday. it was a lot of years ago but less than 35. conway and rogers keep your dobber up as my old football coach used to say and these things will pass.

"keep your dobber up as my
old football coach used to say...
Posted by: zonker"

Huh! Thanks zonker. My late dad used to say things like, "The parents sure have their dobber down on the basketball coach," meaning something like they're had it with the coach and are out to get him fired.

I wonder what a dobber is, and about the origin of the term. Probably from the old country. We've been in Randolph County since 1802, but my dad was full of such sayings that can be traced back to Ireland and Scotland.

Arkanblogger,

It's probably as foolish for me to post angry as it is for you to post ignorant... but here goes.

It's not speculation that NLR/LR business interests have worked to keep alcohol in any form out of Faulkner Co. It's been acknowledged by all parties involved. It's partly why we have negotiated what I feel is a good way to meet our restaurant desires. (private clubs)

Re: white flight. I don't know a single person or family who fled here to escape crime, traffic, minorities or anything else . We have a 13% african-american population. The national average. As far as race is concerned we are no more or less white than average.

It's really demographics other than race where we stand out. Our education levels- over 36% of our adults have at least a bachelor's degree (3rd in the state). Our age - median 26.8, that's pretty young (3rd in the state) If you want to be really shallow we could talk about family income, its the highest in the state.

I think these demographics of choice and lifestyle (not race) are as good as they are because people move here for jobs or they stay after college. That's just two of the reasons our city is growing. Which, by definition, means it is attractive.

I'm sorry to respond in a heated manner, but there is no reason for some anonymous poster to ridicule the town I live and work, in and for.

I personally feel that LR/NLR is a tremendous asset to Conway. I spend a ton of time there and without it's proximity, cultural amenities, airport, capitol, great neighborhoods, etc., Conway would be half the town that it is.

There's just no reason for you to bag on a great town and partner by anyone's standards. We are doing the best we can.

Arkanblogger, if you're white and ever think of flying here. Don't. We don't like "those" kind of people.

Jamie Gates

"...If you want to be really shallow we could talk about family income, its the highest in the state."

I'm not doubting your stats, but where did that data come from?

I've not been a big fan of much of Tab Townsell's (our mayor) politics; but I will give him credit for trying to bring us into the 21st century by working to bring liquor to our restaurants. (And thus helping to bring some nice restaurants to the city.) These last few years have been the first time I've been willing to settle for a Conway restaurant for something like an anniversary/birthday dinner. (I want the WHOLE package.) Now if Mike's Place can just work on its consistency...

As for Lu Hardin...he's a typical good-ole-Huck appointee. Yuck, in other words.

The board of CBC has given me a great idea! I think every city in Arkansas needs to issue a ban on another damn church opening it's doors!

I cain't hardly get to my favorite bar for getting run'd over when some church lets out. The suckers don't pay taxes. They grow and destroy fine old neighborhoods.

When you catch their employees sexing your young kids they declare bankruptcy. And they're always bitching about something they don't like.

Any ole bar or private club generates more taxes for Arkansas than about any other kind of business going. Not to mention the taxes raked in by 6 buck a pack cigarettes sold and enjoyed on premise.

Plus most of those churches love Bush, Fox News, the War for Oil, and hate the Dixie Chicks. The last 7 years has shown that giving power to that bunch is more dangerous than 3 for 1 drinks nights and Happy Hours.

Let's figure out where the true evil is hiding and quit beatin around the Bush! Do I hear an amen?

I know Julio and have never seen him get angry at anything. I am betting the shooting had nothing to do with the restaurant and everything to do with the Jonesboro police.

You see, in Jonesboro, it is more politically expedient for the police to spend all their time harassing club and restaurant owners with periodic "raids," than to actually patrol the downtown area, where the restaurant in question is located.

I'd like to see more info on the alleged road rage incident.

Ban alcohol from your household, if you must (and if you really think you can). You have no right to ban it from your neighbors, any more than you can enjoin their wives to wear long denim skirts and never cut their hair or use makeup.

(Does a long denim skirt remind anyone besides me of a burka?)

Get over it, Rnuts. You should be grateful that you aren't prosecuted for oppressing your women. Let's drink to that.

Oh my.....I know a few CBC alumni. Hate to break it to their trustees, but they are known to take a snort or two. And while some churches may look down on those of us who responsibly enjoy an alcoholic beverage, some will not.

"The law is a ass." -- Mr. Bumble in Dickens' "Oliver Twist."

It's the law that Faulkner and Benton and Craighead counties are dry counties.

Granted, all of these counties historically had country clubs where the hoity-toity could enjoy themselves with a glass of wine or a single malt while the hoi-polloi had to rely on bootleggers. My point is that dry counties should be totally dry. No exceptions for country clubbers or anyone else. If the people want to change it, let them vote to change it.

The alcohol laws in Arkansas is a ass.

"I'd like to see more info on
the alleged road rage incident.
Posted by: www.arkstar.blogspot.com"

Here's a couple of links with info...

...on the shooting
http://www.jonesborosun.com/archived_story.php?ID=26305

...on Julio's arrest
http://www.jonesborosun.com/archived_story.php?ID=26315

"My point is that dry counties should be totally dry. No exceptions for country clubbers or anyone else"

I think that was tried once back in the 60s, in Russelville if memory serves me correctly. It created quite a stink. Got legislation passed to keep sheriffs out of country clubs. They haven't been back. I think some county officials were at the club drinking it up and doing a hand or two of poker.
Cato, where the hell are you. Recall it?

When will Arkansas join the rest of the country and just proclaim that the state is wet?
It is crazy to force people to drive a hundred miles to get a case of beer.

Re: Russellville back then (RHS 1963). I remember my dad telling me he'd stood on the courthouse steps with the sherrif, who'd pointed out, from that vantage point, a number of places where alcohol could be had without being bothered.

I think the implication was that my dad's business was not close enough (or generous enough?) for the sherrif to keep an eye on. End of that discussion.

Rereading, that should have been "sheriff".

Considering I have spent about as many years living in all three scenarios in AR. Dry- Dry on Sunday - and in Carroll Cty, wet 7 days a week. I can say I drink less here. Folks in Dry counties stock up, way up. Folks make special trips and swig down an extra or three at Sunday service only liquor. Folks take their time and don't worry about it when it's always around. Of course it's a generalization but I would wager right now there are more drunks in the dry counties than the wettest in the state.

BTW, DBI AMEN brother.
It's about competition for dollars on Sunday and just control, by god.

(enter a few choice words here)

One of the nicer liquor stores in NLR used to be a Pentecostal Church. I'll bet its paying a lot more taxes than the church ever did. Now that's my kind of urban renewal!

I'm going to venture out on a limb here, but Julio Diaz's alleged comments in the officer/road rage situation, including "Y'all are just messing with me" seem "off" given what I assume is his background. Or do Hispanic club owners speak like that in Jonesboro?

PEACE, a ministerial alliance group in Conway is hosting a public forum on this issue on Sunday, March 11 from 2 - 4. Senator Gilbert Baker has been asked to speak (no word if he's confirmed). Should be interesting if divergent sides collide.

I agree that if a county is legally dry then it should be legally dry -no private clubs, etc. Why should some adult citizens be able to purchase alcohol and not face a fine while other adult citizens face the wrath of the law if they buy alcohol? Inequalities and injustices have instigated more revolutions than anything else in history.

Benton County is "dry" and has 110 private clubs? Close 'em down and Benton County will vote wet in an instant. And while I'm on my soap box; the revenues collected on alcohol by wet counties should be distributed only to wet counties. Dry counties should receive none of those revenues. That will get them to thinking.

"Mississippi will vote dry as long as the voters can stagger to the polls."
---Will Rogers

Talk is cheap. You guys keep talking about the right to drink, but do you ever do anything to change things legally? Do you know that it is not legal to buy a bottle of wine anywhere in the U.S. and carry it back into Ark. with you? And it is illegal to have it shipped to you? Those are Ark. laws. And until people actually make their elected officials answer to them, things aren't going to change. Those guys/gals in L.R. get money for campaigns from the high-rollin wholesalers and retail liquor dealers to maintain the status quo. And the do-gooders haven't realized that they are being used. A liquor store on the wet side of the county line will pay to defeat a wet/dry election in a neighboring county. Who wants to share that alcohol revenue? And as far as private clubs go,... the state loves the money from those permits, and loves the taxes on the alcohol even more. The point is, none of these people want to outlaw sales. They just want to control who sells it. Its the game.

"...And until people actually make their elected officials answer to them, things aren't going to change." by: Suzy

Dumb Laws in Arkansas

The Arkansas River can rise no higher than to the Main Street bridge in Little Rock.

A law provides that school teachers who bob their hair will not get a raise.

A man can legally beat his wife, but not more than once a month.

Oral sex is considered to be sodomy.

Alligators may not be kept in bathtubs.

http://www.dumblaws.com/laws/united-states/arkansas/