Arkansas Liquor Stores Join Churches To Save Dry Counties - Bloomberg

Hudson, Guthrie finally reach Series | The Journal Gazette

Deprez and Millie Hogue 2014-10-27T04:01:00Z Email Print Save A sign in the parking lot of Pig Trail Liquor reads Our beer is cold as your exs heart! in Ozark, Arkansas, on Oct. 15, 2014. The bar manager Elizabeth Taylor says a ballot initiative to legalize alcohol statewide would siphon 10 percent of sales. Photograph: Millie Hogue/Bloomberg Close A sign in the parking lot of Pig Trail Liquor reads Our beer is cold as your exs... Read More Close Open A sign in the parking lot of Pig Trail Liquor reads Our beer is cold as your exs heart! in Ozark, Arkansas, on Oct. 15, 2014. The bar manager Elizabeth Taylor says a ballot initiative to legalize alcohol statewide would siphon 10 percent of sales. Photograph: Millie Hogue/Bloomberg Arkansas liquor stores have allied with religious leaders to fight statewide legalization of alcohol sales. The stores in wet counties dont want to lose customers. The churches dont want to lose souls. A ballot issue next week asks voters whether to amend their constitution to permit sales of intoxicating liquors in all 75 counties, up from about half. Passage would further erode the shrinking swath of America, mostly in the South, clinging to vestiges of Prohibition even as cultural attitudes and waning religious influence have killed it off elsewhere. If successful, Arkansas would join states and municipalities trading in looser vice laws for tax revenue and economic activity. Colorado and Washington this year began taxing legal sales of marijuana, while New Jersey is fighting in federal court to allow betting on professional sports at racetracks and struggling Atlantic City casinos. If people can get alcohol right there in their home town, theyre not going to drive here anymore, said Elizabeth Taylor , a manager at Pig Trail Liquor in Ozark, in a wet county surrounded by dry ones in northwest Arkansas. Its just common sense. Let Arkansas Decide , spearheading the initiative, says passage would keep local dollars in their communities, attract business and cut down on gasoline use, pollution and impaired driving. Contributions have come from out-of-state convenience-and grocery-store chains as far away as Iowa . A post on the groups Facebook page features a band transmitting the message with the Dry County Blues . Old Bootlegger How I wish I had somewhere to go/To wet my lips on a fifth of Old Crow/Instead Im sittin here in this dried-up town/They even shut the old bootlegger down, John T. Parks sings to the strumming of a banjo and guitar. If I had a bottle Id be feeling just fine/The dry county blues they get you down every time/And there aint no cure except to drink em away/I sure hope I get paid today. Dry America has been dying for decades. Action has been at the local level, with some towns in Mississippi and Kentucky relaxing temperance laws as recently as last month. Since 2004, Texans have voted in 712 local elections to legalize or expand alcohol sales, approving 79 percent, said John Hatch of Texas Petition Strategies, a consultant for municipalities trying to go wet. Government: Out The measure in Arkansas is unique in that it could determine the status of the entire state. Passage would force its 37 dry counties, which forbid the retail sale and manufacture of alcoholic beverages, though often with exceptions for private clubs, to allow it. The law would take effect in July. Steve Schmidt, senior vice president at the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association, said he couldnt recall another such statewide vote in his 20-year career. On a recent afternoon at the Speak Easy in Ozark, Roy Williams , 49, straddled a barstool and said he planned to vote for the measure. He said the government shouldnt decide where he can buy booze. Their job is to protect us, Williams, a truck driver, said as he tightened his grip on a sweating can of Coors Lite. I dont want the government messing with me. Citizens for Local Rights , the opposition group funded by alcohol retailers seeking to preserve their competitive advantage, argues the measure would lead to beer joints and honky tonks right next to our grade schools and churches, according to its website. Porn, Casinos Larry Page , a Southern Baptist pastor and director of the Arkansas Faith and Ethics Council, which traces its roots to the Anti-Saloon League of Arkansas in 1899, said the initiative is about more than just the dangers of alcohol. Were not saying, Hey, instead of voting the whole state wet, lets vote the whole state dry, he said. Were just saying, Let people locally continue to make the decision. Its not the first time political issues have made for strange bedfellows, Page said, recalling when his group joined with feminists to oppose pornography and cooperated with Mississippi casinos to fight gambling in Arkansas. The end of Prohibition in the U.S., which banned the manufacture, sale or transportation of alcohol from 1920 through 1933, let states decide the legality of alcohol sales within their borders. While many retained their bans for decades, teetotalers have been on the losing end ever since, said David J. Hanson, professor emeritus of sociology at the State University of New York at Potsdam. I would bet there will come a time when virtually all counties will be wet, said Hanson, who studied drinking patterns and problems for more than 40 years. Parched Landscape Most jurisdictions with booze bans still on the books are clustered in Arkansas and neighboring states, including Mississippi, Kentucky and Tennessee . Nationwide data on the precise number can be misleading: some counties that are dry are home to cities and towns that arent, for instance, while definitions of dry can vary by state to include liquor but not beer. One argument for loosening restrictions is that studies show higher rates of binge drinking and related traffic deaths in places with stricter alcohol laws. Still, emphasizing economics is the way to woo voters, said Hatch of Texas Petition Strategies. Nationwide, the alcohol industry employs 3.9 million workers and generated $21 billion in state and local revenue in 2010, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. Drinking Buddy A Suffolk University/USA Today poll last month found that 45 percent of likely Arkansas voters said they backed the measure, 40 percent said they were opposed and 14 percent were undecided. The survey of 500 likely voters, conducted by telephone Sept. 20-23, had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. Back at Pig Trail Liquor, where a sign in the parking lot promises Our beer is cold as your exs heart!, Taylor estimated that statewide legalization would siphon off 10 percent of sales. Well, goodbye now, she called out to a departing customer whod just driven an hour to buy rum and Coke. If this thing passes, I guess we wont see you again. To contact the reporter on this story: Esme E. Deprez in Santa Barbara , California at edeprez@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Stephen Merelman at smerelman@bloomberg.net Jeffrey Taylor, Pete Young Press spacebar to pause and continue. Press esc to stop.



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Hillsborough County Fair enjoys busy first weekend | TBO.com, The Tampa Tribune and The Tampa Times

Viola and Mike Sholar, at roughly seven weeks old, Brew is already establishing its roots in the Raleigh area by bringing together quality products from around the region and highlighting them in one venue. For us, we liked the idea of acting as a gallery for coffee, beer and people. We do that through a lot of different ways, like rotating art on a monthly basis, Viola said. Its just another way of highlighting some great people in our area. We [dont] try to reinvent the wheel because theres just so much good stuff already in our area. We just get to highlight it and say, This is whats great about Raleigh. Viola and Sholar have carefully cultivated Brew since its inception to be a strong establishment that reaches a high standard of quality. Excellence is the goal for all aspects of how the coffee bar operates. Whatever standard youre being measured against, it should meet or exceed whatever the best is out there, Sholar said. Viola continued to explain what standard they hold their establishment to: Its like if you would be disappointed in any way if you got that, dont serve it because it needs to be just as good, if not better, than what you would want served in front of you. From their days running the Raleigh Coffee Club, a weekly coffee subscription for people to try a bunch of different coffee beans, Viola and Sholar forged relationships with coffee roasters in the area. We were getting coffee directly from coffee roasters, and we were meeting people on street corners and giving bags of coffee. It was weird; we essentially turned into a weekly roaster coffee subscription, Viola said. Youd get to taste coffee from all around the Triangle. It was really cool and that really allowed us the opportunity to meet a lot of local roasters and to get to know a lot of the coffee shops in the area and see how they were producing coffee. Viola and Sholar soon realized they needed to expand their business after the Raleigh Coffee Club became too large to handle. They both fell in love with the idea of opening their own coffee shop. For us, we wanted to create a space that would combine the things that we love; which was always coffee, beer and people. We wanted a place where all of those can come together and thrive and live in harmony, Viola said. I love coffee, I love beer, and the greatest conversations and relationships I have in my life tend to happen around those things. So we wanted to create a space that would make that happen. What if we made a coffee and beer bar? We were like, Yeah we can do that. Who says we cant? The duo quickly accomplished their goal within a year-and-a-half thanks to loans, help from friends and donations from patrons on Kickstarter. They raised $10,000 in two weeks and were blown away by the generosity of people in the community. Kickstarter patrons stop by to see their establishment all the time, according to Viola and Sholar. Even if wed never gotten a dollar from it, just to have people feel invested and feel connected to [the Brew] is worth the time and effort, Sholar said. By featuring beer from regional breweries and coffee from roasters within the Triangle, the Brew is able to showcase all of what the Triangle has to offer its Raleigh residents. Because our goal is to feature the best the Triangle has to offer in coffee and beer, we also feature an additional guest roaster on a rotating monthly basis, Viola said. Right now we have Torch Coffee Roasters out of East Raleigh. In November, well have somebody else and that will always be rotating to highlight what other great coffee we have in the area. Its the Raleigh Coffee Club all over again! Sholar added. With beer from select establishments on draft, Brew implements a sort of tap-takeover to highlight a different brewery from the Triangle every month. Right now, they are featuring Raleigh Brewing Company and will feature Fortnight Brewing Company out of Cary next month. We try to stick with some smaller microbreweries that arent getting a lot of attention and some newer people to have on draft where they might not be on draft at some of the bigger places, Viola said. Brew continues to draw in customers thanks to the way the owners carefully present themselves, their products, and their business both in the shop and on social media. Brew has pages for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Yelp and Foursquare. Thats all our advertising; we dont do any traditional advertising. Its all word-of-mouth or social media-generated, Sholar said. According to Viola, social media holds them to a higher standard because everything is documented. Social medias been huge for us. Especially when were on bar and I tell Mike, Listen, do you want somebody to take a picture of that? Because if not, dont send it because chances are they will, Viola said.



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Oklahoma church: Come drink beer and worship God | abc11.com

Hudson, Guthrie finally reach Series Josh Dubow | Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO In the middle of a champagne-and-beer-soaked clubhouse after the San Francisco Giants won the NL Championship Series, Tim Hudson was given the chance to speak to his team. The message was as simple as Hudsons approach on the mound: World Series, baby! After 16 years, 214 regular-season wins and seven failed trips to the postseason, Hudson has finally made it to baseballs biggest stage at age 39. Hudson is set to take the mound tonight for the Giants when they return home to face Jeremy Guthrie and the Royals in Game 3 of the World Series after a two-game split in Kansas City. Its almost a sense of relief that its finally here, that what Ive hoped and dreamed for throughout my career is finally here, and theres not going to be anybody on the field thats more ready than I am tomorrow night, Hudson said Thursday. Hudsons brilliant career began on the other side of San Francisco Bay as he helped Oakland make four straight trips to the postseason that ended with Game 5 losses in the division series. Hudson got back to the playoffs with Atlanta, losing in the division series in 2005 to Houston and 2010 to San Francisco. The Braves made it again last year when Hudson was hurt but lost again in the division series. After signing a $23 million, two-year contract this offseason with San Francisco, Hudson finally got to experience postseason success. You often wonder, is it ever going to happen? Obviously, last year the way my season ended with my ankle injury, things looked a little bleak there for a few moments, Hudson said. But Im just really lucky. Hudson got no-decisions in his first two postseason starts, allowing five runs in 13 2/3 innings against Washington and St. Louis. The limited work of late has paid dividends. Hudson looks much fresher than he did in September when he went 0-4 with an 8.72 ERA in five starts to end the season while dealing with a bum hip. He finished the season with a 9-13 record for his first losing campaign ever. Guthrie had a long wait just to get to the playoffs. He made his first postseason appearance at age 35 when he allowed one run in five innings of a no-decision against Baltimore in Game 3 of the ALCS. That start is Guthries only outing the past four weeks; he did not pitch in the division series sweep against the Angels. So Guthrie has done his best to stay sharp with side work instead of pitching in games. He said he learned at Stanford the importance of going deep into games something that was most evident when he went 13 innings to beat Cal-State Fullerton in the NCAA tournament his final year there. Four days before the draft, Scott Boras, my agent, or adviser at that time, was there, and I dont think he was anticipating or hoping for 13 innings that close to the draft, Guthrie said. But it was 147 pitches. Again, it was a reflection of competing to the end, its yours to win, and watching kind of the pitchers pitch by pitch, and seeing how theyre doing versus kind of letting the number dictate when they were going to be taken out. With a stellar bullpen led by Greg Holland, Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis behind him in Kansas City, Guthrie knows he wont be asked to go that deep on a team that has had only one starter pitch into the seventh this postseason. Thats been the result, but were out there trying to get as deep as we can, Guthrie said. For us to win a game without having to throw all three of our relievers at the back end, Kelvin, and Wade, and Greg, will only give our team a better chance to win throughout the series.



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5 can't-miss Tanzania experiences - CNN.com

Eastside Christian church is inviting everyone for some suds and songs Sunday with their 'Beer and Hymns' event, reports KOKI in Tulsa. Church officials say it's an outreach event to discuss the future of the Christian church. "Everybody's welcome," said Michael Riggs with the church. "No questions are banned. No holds barred. Just come and respect each other's opinions, and just have a good honest conversation about God while having a few beers at the same time." But before you think the Father's house will become a frat house, they say they're keeping it family friendly. They will be checking IDs and limiting the drinking to three beers per person.



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Brew Coffee Bar celebrates Raleigh coffee, beer and art - Technician: Features

Massive Mount Kilimanjaro just adds to its allure. The Indian Ocean laps Tanzania's eastern edge between Kenya and Mozambique, and the "spice island" of Zanzibar is 22 miles off the mainland. Tanzania's sprawling plains are sparsely populated, by people, at least. About half the world's dwindling lion population lives in East Africa, estimates indicate . But they wear tutus in cartoons! 'Even the toilet has a nice view' Zanzibar street food's 'insane variety' Here are five ways to experience Tanzania's splendor. Instagram: Following Bourdain around the world Roam the Ngorongoro Crater Sometimes called "Africa's Garden of Eden," some 25,000 large animals live in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area , which stretches across 3,200 square miles of the southeastern Serengeti Plains adjacent to Serengeti National Park. The 12-mile-wide Ngorongoro Crater is the area's crown jewel. The largest unbroken caldera in the world, it is thought to have formed after an active volcano collapsed about 2.5 million years ago. Well over a million wildebeest pass through the area during the annual Great Migration, one of the planet's most remarkable natural spectacles. From December to March each year, wildebeest, zebras and other animals gather near Lake Ndutu on the edge of the conservation area. From there they move north, eventually ending up in the Northern Serengeti and Kenya's Maasai Mara in the fall. Beyond the huge wildebeest herds, black rhinos, leopards, gazelles and birds thrive here -- as does that most powerful crowd-pleaser, the lion. 'Parts Unknown': 14 things to know about Paraguay Get to know the lions You're bound to be on the lookout for lions in the Serengeti and their conservation deserves a special mention. The tawny lion prides dominating the Ndutu area of the southeastern Serengeti are not your "Lion King" variety of big fuzzy kittens. These giant creatures are respected among locals because of their history of asserting dominance when challenged by aggressive hunters. In an attempt to discourage the trend of stalking and killing lions in the Amboseli Ecosystem, conservation organization Lion Guardians recruits young Maasai warriors to instead protect the regal creatures. By naming the lions and developing relationships by tracking them, members of the guardian program recognize that animals like local lioness Selenkay can live in peace with their human neighbors. Safaris throughout the vast Serengeti give visitors the rare opportunity to see these majestic cats in their native territory. The Ndutu Safari Lodge features 34 cottages with porches facing Lake Ndutu. Learn about Maasai culture For the Maasai, one of the last warrior tribes in the world, cattle are integral to day-to-day life. Besides providing sustenance in the form of milk, and sometimes meat and blood, cows are also currency in the region. The tribes move with their livestock across northern Tanzania and southern Kenya, constructing villages as they go. The settlements generally consist of a ring fence that encloses a group of families, their herds and a collection of mud and dung houses. Where livestock gathers, so do big cats hunting for meals. Relations between the Maasai and the lions that lure tourists by the truckload are tense but evolving. The Maasai are formidable opponents strengthened by a nearly 100% protein diet. A staple is amasi, a lumpy, yogurt-like drink made from fermented milk. Sample the Spice Islands The semi-autonomous islands off the coast of Tanzania exhibit the rich and varied influences that arrived on their shores. On the island of Zanzibar, African, Arab, Indian and European flavors emerge in the cuisine, the homes, the people and the famous carved doors. Today, 99% of the population is Muslim, compared with about a third of the mainland population. Tourism has replaced the spice and slave trades that shaped the island's history, and delicious street food is part of the local island experience. Every night in Stone Town's Forodhani Gardens, vendors set up stalls selling seafood snacks and the famous Zanzibar pizza. Zanzibar pizza is revered as one of the most delicious foods in the region. With toppings ranging from fresh meats to juicy mango, the crepe-like pizza carries its flavorful toppings on the inside almost akin to a burrito. Unlike traditional pizza crust, Zanzibar's variety has the texture of a pancake. And who doesn't love pancakes? The various carts are piled with fresh seafood skewers, African doughnuts called "mandazi" and fried breads. To wash down all the yumminess, try some honey beer or a mixture of sugar cane water, ginger and lime juice. Nearby Pemba Island, also part of the Zanzibar Archipelago, offers a quieter, unspoiled experience.



Souce http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/23/travel/bourdain-tanzania-five-things/index.html

There are two different options on the table. Proposition one will allow stores to sell beer and wine in Precinct 2. Proposition two will allow the sale of alcohol and mixed drinks. The owner of Crawdad's off of Highway 62 petitioned to get the propositions on the ballot, and hopes they pass. There's something missing from the shelves and cooler at Crawdad's: beer and wine. "We lose a lot of sales because of beer," said store manager Laura Collins. Collins says, if Proposition One passes, Crawdad's will be able to sell beer and wine. "We have at least 5 to 10 people a day, 'do y'all sell beer?' And if we say no they turn around and walk out," said Collins. "So, I feel like since we're the only American store in town that we'd get a lot of the business if we did have beer." Collins says customers looking for beer and wine go across the street. "Because the line is like right across the street," said Collins. On the other side of the street Market Basket can sell beer and wine, since it's not in Precinct 2. Proposition One would allow Crawdad's and other stores in Precinct 2 to do the same. "I am excited, because I know a lot of people that buy beer. So, we're going to get a lot of the usual business in the evenings that we don't usually get when they get off work," said Collins. Bret Tibbets shops at Crawdad's and plans to vote yes. "I think it would be a great idea, there's no reason that they shouldn't be able to," said Tibbets. "You go across the street, they can buy alcohol. You go down the road, they can buy alcohol. it's just this one section that can't. It would be better for the economy, better for the stores, generate more revenue for them, and more revenue for precinct 2." Collins hopes it passes. "Because a lot of the usuals, the town people want it. I believe it will. You have your some that don't want it to pass, the older people, but I think it will," said Collins. If it does, she knows just where to put the beer. "Probably in the back," said Collins, pointing to the back of the drink cooler. "It would probably take at least four doors." Proposition one on the ballot in Orange County Precinct 2 is not to be confused with the state-wide proposition one, which is related to state highway funds. Orange County voters deciding if beer, wine, alcohol to be sold in their precinct Related Stories



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Orange County voters deciding if beer, wine, alcohol to be sold in their precinct - KBTV-TV FOX 4 Beaumont - Top Stories

This year, the fair expanded to two weekends. The bean bag arched high in a rainbow trajectory and glanced off the front of a can, bouncing it backward. David raised his hand in triumph as father Philip Harbaugh and sister Katie, 8, watched. The Harbaughs were among hundreds of people at the 21st annual Hillsborough County Fair early Sunday afternoon. The Harbaugh children, each of whom won a stuffed toy, seemed to enjoy themselves. We were on our way to church, and it was such a beautiful morning, so I figured, Why not go to the fair?, Philip Harbaugh said. I didnt tell them we were coming, I just surprised them with it. They were pretty happy. The first weekend of the fair began Thursday and ended Sunday. It resumes Thursday, when gates open at 5 p.m., and ends Sunday. The Harbaughs traveled about 20 minutes from Riverview to attend the fair for the first time. Well probably come back again, Philip Harbaugh said. I like that there arent many people. On a day when temperatures reached the mid-80s, the aroma of fried food was carried across the fairgrounds on a light breeze. Cindy Lister of Seffner was another first-timer at the fair Sunday. She relaxed in the shade of a merry-go-round with 18-month-old grandson, Dimetri, who was in a stroller. Listers husband, Paul Calendine, was in another part of the fairgrounds with granddaughter, Kennedi, 5. For the longest time, I didnt even know this was out here, Lister said. We got here at noon today and well probably stay a couple of hours. Its nice, well definitely come again next year. Around the fairgrounds, vendors peddled hats, hoodies and T-shirts. Kelly Morris, owner of The Simple Life Outfitters, cheerfully greeted people at his space near the midway. Its been a great crowd since Thursday, Morris said. Last night, my wife was here, so I had here watch (the merchandise) while I went and watched the Battle of the Bands. Ive done this fair for quite a few years. Attendance seems like its up this year. A lot of its probably because of the (lowering) gas prices. Inside the fairs new, 20,000-square-foot building, Maryhelen Zopfi, a master gardener volunteer with the Hillsborough Extension Service, encouraged fairgoers to vote in the Extension Services recycled art contest. Recycled works included butterflies made of saw blades, horse heads made from auto parts, penguins made of water bottles and a flying monkey built with various metals. Its a great improvement, Zopfi said of the new building. We were in little tents or trailers before. Relaxing in the shade of a cotton candy vendor were perhaps the visitors who traveled farthest. Hershel and Sue Rakes, of Logan, Utah, 85 miles northeast of Salt Lake City, said they were visiting family in Seffner, where they said another grand baby was expected. We wanted the flavor of a country fair, Sue Rakes said, adding that she was impressed with the Hillsborough fair. The couple said they enjoyed cheese steaks and would probably be at the fair a few hours. It appears to be so well-managed, Sue Rakes said. The rest rooms were clean and all of the animals seem well cared-for. Located east of Brandon, the fair is at 215 Sydney Washer Road, just north of State Road 60. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for kindergarten through 12th-grade students and $4 for adults 60 and over. Parking is free. Information can be found at hillsboroughcountyfair.com. gfox@tampatrib.com



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