Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Voters will decide on Nov. 6, but what do you think now?
On Nov. 6, Needham voters will decide whether to lift the town's status as a mostly dry town—a position the community has maintained, more or less, since before the days of Prohibition. The question on Needham's Nov. 6 special election ballot asks: Shall the licensing authority in the town of Needham be authorized to grant licenses for both the sale of all alcoholic beverages in packages not to be drunk on the premises and the sale of wine and malt beverages in packages not to be drunk on the premises? Voters will decide: Yes or no. If the ballot question passes, Needham selectmen would have authorization to issue up to six licenses for the retail sale of beer, wine and liquor in town. After 2018, the board could issue up to eight licenses…
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Selectmen voted to bring the issue before Needham voters at the Presidential Election on Nov. 6, contingent upon the legislature's approval.
Needham voters could be deciding as early as this November whether to allow wine and beer to be sold at local shops. The Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 on Tuesday, July 10 to place the issue on the Nov. 6 Presidential Election ballot, contingent upon timely approval of the town's petition to the State Legislature. The home rule petition was approved by a two-thirds vote at Needham’s 2012 Annual Town Meeting on Wednesday, May 9 and forwarded to the State Legislature for review. If approved by the legislature, and then at the local ballot box, the measure would allow selectmen to issue up to six licenses for retail sale of wine, beer or all alcohol in Needham, with two additional licenses, for a maximum of eight, allowed by 2018. Selectmen …
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Needham Town Hall
1471 Highland Ave, Needham, MA
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Thursday, May 10, 2012
Town Meeting voted 158-59 in favor of petitioning the state legislature to authorize a local ballot question on whether to allow the sale of wine, beer and alcohol in Needham.
All Needham voters will have the chance to weigh in on the subject of allowing retail alcohol sales in Needham. Though the state legislature must first approve the town’s home rule petition seeking the right to place a question on the ballot, it is likely the issue will come up at a local election in the next year or so following a vote of Town Meeting Wednesday night. After about an hour of discussion in the second night of Needham’s 2012 Annual Town Meeting, held in the James Hugh Powers Hall on Wednesday, May 9, Town Meeting members put it to a vote, with 158 in favor of the measure and 59 against—enough of the required two-thirds approval needed to pass. Some Town Meeting members and residents voiced strong opposition to the article, …
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Needham Town Hall
1471 Highland Ave, Needham, MA
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Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Town Meeting voters will consider whether Needham should lift its dry status; selectmen support the measure 4-1.
Tonight, Town Meeting will take up the issue of whether to allow the sale of alcohol in Needham—bringing to a vote a discussion that has been going on since last summer. The home rule petition is the first step toward lifting Needham’s dry status—if approved by Town Meeting and by the state, the issue will come before voters as a ballot question. On Tuesday, May 8, selectmen voted 4-1 in favor of the article, with Selectman John Bulian the only nay vote. Bulian listed many reasons for his decision, including the view that allowing alcohol to be sold at retail stores in Needham would change the culture of the town, even if just a little. “Is this going to make a big difference in the town? Probably not. Is it going to change the town—is it …
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Needham Town Hall
1471 Highland Ave, Needham, MA
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Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Residents are invited to share their opinions on whether Needham should allow stores to sell alcohol for off-premises consumption.
The Needham Board of Selectmen will hold a public hearing on a proposal to allow the retail sale of alcohol in Needham tonight, Tuesday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Powers Hall on the second floor of Needham Town Hall. The proposal would authorize the town to issue up to six licenses for alcoholic beverages or just beer and wine. In 2018, the maximum that may be issued will increase by two additional licenses. The town would never be able to issue more than six full licenses for sale of all alcoholic beverages. The hearing will also include discussion of licensing regulations related to the retail sale of alcohol in Needham that may be issued by the Board of Selectmen as the licensing authority. The home rule petition will appear as an …
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Needham Town Hall
1471 Highland Ave, Needham, MA
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Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Selectmen debated Tuesday whether to hold a public hearing on the new article language before Town Meeting votes on a home rule petition; new article would allow up to eight licenses
Needham selectmen argued Tuesday over whether they should hold another public hearing on the retail sale of alcohol before the May 7 annual Town Meeting after agreeing to final language of an article that would allow for a total of eight all-alcohol and package store licenses in the next five years. Board chairman Moe Handel said he felt there would be plenty of opportunities for public input throughout the process, as the Town Meeting article would only serve to submit a home rule petition to the state legislature and voters would still need to consider a referendum at an upcoming election. But others on the board, including Selectman John Bulian, felt that residents should be given a chance to weigh in on the specific language of the …
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Needham Town Hall
1471 Highland Ave, Needham, MA
/articles/alcohol-sales-article-set-for-may-7-town-meeting
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Thursday, January 26, 2012
The board continued its discussion on Jan. 24 of whether to lift Needham's dry status.
Selectmen took a first look at four local options Town Meeting members could choose to place on the ballot as they consider a possibility of removing Needham’s dry status and allowing wine, beer and liquor to be sold in retail shops. A placeholder article has been set on the May 7 annual Town Meeting warrant, although selectmen said Tuesday there is still much research to be done and discussions to be had. Currently, Needham allows alcohol to be served in restaurants with more than 100 seats, and one-day special liquor licenses are available for events. However, stores are not allowed to sell alcohol for consumption at home. At their Tuesday, Jan. 24 meeting, selectmen reviewed four possible home rule petitions that could change that. The …
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Needham Town Hall
1471 Highland Ave, Needham, MA
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Wednesday, December 21, 2011
The Board of Selectmen have asked the town manager and town counsel to draw up a draft home rule petition outlining the rules of allowing retail alcohol sales in Needham.
The Needham Board of Selectmen agreed to continue exploring an option to allow retail alcohol sales in Needham, directing the town manager and town counsel Tuesday night to draft a sample petition and a detailed procedure the town would follow to pursue the change. Though selectmen were not convinced the move would be good or bad for the town, they did feel that the decision should be left up to Needham voters and said it was the board’s responsibility to lead by providing all the necessary information prior to a public vote. The board discussion on Tuesday, Dec. 20 was a follow-up to a well-attended public hearing on Dec. 6, where 20 residents spoke against removing Needham’s “dry” status, 13 spoke in favor of the change and two said they…
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Needham Town Hall
1471 Highland Ave, Needham, MA
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2004019
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Maria the Potato
8:30 am on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
I cannot believe that there is really a place in the Western world that is so backward when it comes to alcohol consumption. What about freedom of choice? more ›