New Wilmington remains dry

A liquor referendum in Grove City passed.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Voters overwhelmingly decided they do not want liquor served in New Wilmington.
By a 3-to-1 margin, a referendum allowing liquor to be served in this tiny community on the Lawrence/Mercer county line was rejected.
A similar liquor referendum in Grove City, Mercer County, passed with 802 in favor and 727 opposed.
In both communities the liquor proponents claimed the ability to serve liquor was about community revitalization.
New Wilmington's cause was led by Jay Behm, owner of the now-closed Tavern on the Square. Behm said he had a liquor license purchased in escrow if the referendum passed.
He said without the ability to serve liquor, it's unlikely the restaurant would be viable and would most likely be sold for another use.
Tied to revitalization
Steve Steigerwald was the leader in the Grove City referendum. He had no interest in opening a restaurant, but said allowing liquor to be served in the borough would help in the downtown revitalization, which includes a multimillion-dollar streetscape program.
His hope was that the Penn Grove Hotel, once home to a premier restaurant, would reopen if liquor could be served. He said it's unlikely that a bar would open in the borough if the referendum passed.
Voters in Grove City in 1995 passed a referendum to allow liquor to be sold at private veterans clubs. Three are currently in operation.