20080102

Vineyard area won't be dry much longer

Aquinnah, MA, more commonly known as the Martha's Vineyard community of Gay Head despite its 1998 name change, has been known for more than a century as a tourist haven that allows no alcoholic beverages to be sold.

That should change now that Gov. Deval Patrick has signed a home rule petition submitted by town selectmen to grant beer and wine licenses to restaurants that seat 15 or more people. Unless a whole lot of people change their minds.

A 132-79 vote at the town meeting held in May supported the plan, and it then was passed by the state legislature. Now a required second vote will be held to put the new law into effect.

Only two establishments, the Outermost Inn and the Aquinnah Restaurant, are large enough to quality for the exemption.


ON THE WEB
• Martha's Vineyard
Aquinnah/Gay Head
Dukes County, MA
Dowd's Guides

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Right after college, I spent the summer working at a restaurant in one of the two “wet” towns on Martha’s Vineyard (Elizabethtown) and had to suffer through the religiously inspired “Blue Laws.”

We would finish work on Saturday night and run across the street to the local watering hole and order several drinks, which had to be chugged down because the glasses had to be off the table at midnight sharp, Sunday.

Made this heathen chomp at the bit and was hardly conducive to meeting the ladies.

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