Boardman voters approve liquor sales for 3, reject 2

Requests voted down cannot reappear on the ballot for four years.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Three township businesses got the nod from voters to sell alcohol, but two others received a much drier response from residents in their precincts in Tuesday's primary election.
Boardman is typically considered a dry community, but individual site-specific permits may be issued if approved by residents in that precinct. There are more than 50 liquor permits in the township's 52 precincts.
Creekside Beverage Center and Cafe Napoli, both on Boardman-Canfield Road, and West Glen Italian Eatery on Glenwood Avenue can now sell alcohol during the week and Sunday.
A permit for the former Putt Putt building on South Avenue and a request by owners of the Ice Zone on McClurg Road were defeated
Mahoning County Board of Elections representatives said Four Wheels on South Avenue and Chalet Premier on Boardman-Canfield Road did not make the ballot because they lacked enough signatures on their filing petitions. A filing for the X-Press Stop Center on Lockwood Boulevard was never made.
Owners of Four Wheels said they will likely try to place the issue on the ballot in November. Owners of businesses where voters turned down a request for a liquor license cannot place another request on the ballot for four years.
What's planned
Bob Hawthorne, manager of the Ice Zone, has said that company's request for a liquor license was in connection with the start of a minor league, professional hockey team for 16- to 20-year-olds and figure skating in the very near future.
Hawthorne contends that with or without a liquor license, the company intends to bring the minor league game here. The other 16 teams in the league, however, offer alcohol sales to patrons at games.
Some township officials say, with the growth of commercial business in the area, liquor permit request may be something that residents can expect to see more of in the future, but the power of the vote will be the deciding factor.