Tuesday, August 27, 5:44 p.m. Central Daylight Time. I’m sitting in the parking lot of Town & Country in Sparta. My cell phone rings.
“Hello?”
“Is this Johnny Rooster?”
“The one and only.”
“This is Debra Brewster. My husband Bill and I have the idea for the business (7502 State Highway 14, Sparta MO, the former Senior’s Place across from the old bank). You won’t believe what just happened.”
I listen as she excitedly explains how Sparta Mayor Misty Holt had just called. “She asked us to reapply for our liquor license!”
Wowsers! That’s big news, especially since the city turned down their liquor license request at a recent city alderman meeting. Alderman Jarrett Iorg tried to shut down the request on a technicality. However, the Christian County Trumpet got wind of it and cried, “foul” because property lines aren’t used to measure distance from preschools and churches…building to building is the official way to do that, and the building with a liquor license idea is far enough from the preschool not to be an issue.
Click here to read the back story.
“The mayor said because of your article, and the discussion on Facebook, she wants us to reapply for our license,” Debra told me.
Never doubt the power of the free press, the independent voice for the people, your very own CCT!
On the Facebook Page “Sparta MO Residents UNCENSORED” the post from the CCT got more than 35 comments, and a thousand views. Many comments were supportive of the business idea involving entertainment and a brewery.
Preschool owner in favor of the business
Stefanie Luder, owner of the preschool that Iorg used to measure from the business building to keep them from getting liquor license, is among the Facebook commenters in favor of the liquor license. “As owner of the preschool,” she stated on Facebook, “it should pass. Sparta needs more businesses and an evening/night venue absolutely will not affect my preschool.”
She added, “I feel bad they bought it and put a lot of money into it for it to be denied.”
Heavy investment must now be recouped
The Brewsters put a ton of money into improving the stage and kitchen, new flooring, etc. The place looks amazing!
Debra said she and Bill will lose thousands of dollars in reapplying for their liquor license, approving another food truck hook up, and all the paperwork necessary. “We undid it all after we got turned down; but we’ll do it all over again; at least we know how to get it done,” she told the CCT.
Mayor’s take on it
“The way it was first explained at the city meeting was that it would be only a bar,” Mayor Holt told the CCT. “We learned that because they could offer food service as well, that they should reapply for their license.”
Holt said she was in favor of the license all along, regardless, and did not agree with Alderman Iorg, but the mayor’s vote only counts to break a tie. Iorg had convinced other aldermen to vote with him.
Jim Campbell is the one alderman voting against Iorg and the other two. “I was in favor of it all along,” he told the CCT.
Jeb Buschman and newcomer Angie Losh are the other aldermen.
Other comments on a different Facebook Page, “Sparta MO neighborhood” cheered Iorg on for protecting citizens from “drunk drivers”.
I am completely ignorant of such things but isn’t there some way to have the Sparta Board revisit the topic of their liquor license and just accept it this time?
I know I’ll get laughed at for being so ignorant on this topic but those people just need to get over it. No one knows everything on every topic…and that includes them. (Shrug)