Man, you’ve got to love the Early Voting system! Rather than fight the lines on Election Day, I was able to swing in during my lunch hour last week and registered my ballot within 5 minutes.
I thought it worth sharing some of my choices here, as Twitter & Facebook aren’t really great platforms for opening up such a discussion. As long as folks keep the commentary respectful, there’s much more room here to flesh out thoughts rather than fight the confines of a 140-character message.
This year, voters can decide on a referendum to allow packaged liquor sales here in Nolensville, basically allowing the creation of a wine & liquor store to serve our small but growing town. Right now, if you want to grab a bottle of wine you’ve got a 15-minute drive to the east, west or north to find the nearest store. So why not let that business stay here in Nolensville?
Drinking Wine in Spello (Photo credit: tomkellyphoto)
In what was the easiest decision to make on my ballot, I cast an emphatic YES on this one. It’s not like I’m a big drinker (I might have one or two drinks a month these days), but to my mind there are only two common arguments against this measure, neither of which hold water:
1 – Small Town Character
Some folks want to preserve the old-fashioned, small-town feel of Nolensville, and see a wine/liquor store as a step towards turning this into just another suburb. To that I’d say that growth is coming regardless of whether we have such a store, and the important thing is that such growth is managed in a way that preserves Nolensville’s character.
Towards that end, the major developments on that front were the design standards (PDF) put in place under Mayor Beth Lothers, and the recent extension of the Metro sewer system through the old historic section of town, allowing for the properties there to be properly served and maintained, rather than decline into decay.
2 – Demon Alcohol
Others will undoubtedly object to what is seen as an endorsement of alcohol consumption here in town, but that’s a perfect example of “if you don’t like it, don’t do it”. Some will express concern about an increase in drunk driving, but a much more productive step in that direction would be to attack things like Tennessee’s absurd open container law (only the driver is not allowed to possess an open container of alcohol in a car, so if you get pulled over, just pass your drink!) or the prevalence of gas stations which have tubs of ice and single beers ready for sale right next to the counter as you pay for gas.
Those instances are a far cry from being able to pick up a bottle of cabernet on the way home from work.
Hoist a Glass For Your Town!
As Nolensville’s population continues to grow, it’s important that we do our best to provide business opportunities so that residents can both spend and work locally. It’s a virtuous cycle in which residential and commercial growth can complement each other, and opening a nice, high quality wine & liquor store will be a tremendous boost to our community.
Next stop, getting wine in grocery stores! But hey, we’ve got to get a real grocery store back in town, first. A Trader Joe’s would sure look nice around here…
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I've been writing online since the mid-90's for a variety of blogs & websites, and now I'm sharing tips on blogging, website & search engine optimization, and how to use social networks to benefit your business or organization. Feel free to email me at dirkhoag@gmail.com with your comments or suggestions.
