One of South Jersey's dwindling number of 'dry' towns is considering whether to license restaurant liquor sales.
So far, the public discussion in Haddon Heights has been as congenial as the Camden County borough itself. About 60 people attended a special borough council hearing Tuesday, but most of those who spoke seemed more concerned about the licensing process than the prospect of breaking with an 81-year-old tradition.
Not so the aptly named, gentlemanly teetotaler Jerry Drinkwater, 74, who urged the council not to allow liquor sales, period. "We already have a B.Y.O.B. system in town...and I think that''s as far as we ought to go," the retired salesman said. "There's plenty of liquor around in other towns."
Haddon Heights has been dry since Prohibition, which ended with the passage of the 21st amendment in 1933. The borough never officially enacted a ban on alcohol sales, so it could allow them by resolution of the governing body.
With a population of 8,000, Haddon Heights would qualify for two restaurant licenses. Licensing of stores or bars is not contemplated, according to borough officials.
Tuesday's meeting was over in less than a half hour, and left some residents and businesspeople scratching their heads. "I'm leaving with as many questions as I came in with," said Brett Harrison, who with his wife, Ethel, owns the Village Cheese Shop, on Station Avenue.
"We heard from 10 residents," Mayor Ed Forte said. "Was that the pulse of the town? It's hard to say."
Forte added that he would like to schedule another public discussion.
--KEVIN RIORDAN