Boone voters

pass mixed

drink vote

By Scott Nicholson

Post Your Comments

Boone voters overwhelmingly tipped up the electoral glass Tuesday, approving mixed-drink sales within the town limits by a tally of 1,106-408.

Early voting poured in 704 votes with 520 of those in favor of the measure which had already passed to the referendum stage by way of a town council vote.

Skip Sinanian, chairman of the ABC Task Force that launched the referendum effort in a March meeting of the Boone Town Council, said, "I feel pretty confident that we made the right decision about pushing this referendum through and feel good that the town council was open to it and I feel real good about the outcome."

He said he was surprised by the margin of victory but expected a higher turnout.

Sinanian, owner of the Boone Saloon, said it would take a couple of weeks to get licenses secured and the first mixed drinks to be poured for customers. He said the task force had mobilized voters through ads and phone calls.

"We worked hard and we had a lot of volunteers, and we had ads all over the place," he said.

Leigh Jacobs, owner of Art Walk in Boone, was outside the elections office sporting an image of martini glass on her shirt.

"We are so glad we could be one of the many in the area that have it and we're just thrilled, thrilled, thrilled this has passed and we can see some development in the downtown area."

Jacobs said even though her business won't sell drinks, she and other business owners will benefit.

"We've got Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, West Jefferson, all the towns that surround us that have restaurants with liquor by the drink. I personally know so many people who don't come into town to eat because they do want a drink."

"It's a great thing and I do believe the town is going to prosper," she said. "I think you look at all the surrounding towns and there's not crime. It's a resort area and people just want to go have a cocktail."

Jeff Templeton, who formed the ABC Group to oppose liquor by the drink, had no comment on the outcome.