Historical June–July 2002 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Dear fellow residents, The Community Council opposed the renewal of the liquor license at the Courtesy Country Store (5901 Delmar @ Hamilton; see the background summary below), but at the protest hearing on April 12 we fell short of sufficient signatures on the petitions.
However, the excise commissioner then took testimony from several residents on Enright, representatives of the Council, the Housing Corporation, Ald. Clay, residents of our neighborhood and Delmar business owners.
The Council just received a copy of the decision by excise commissioner Robert Kraiberg, and he has placed essentially the same restrictions on the Country Store as he placed on the Sur Save store on the opposite corner last year (summarized): • No single sales of beer / malt liquor products … patrons must buy units of 3 cans or more. • No distilled spirits or wine in units of less than 750 ml (no pints or smaller) • No intoxicating beer or liquor sales after 10 p.m. (Mon-Sun) • Licensee will conduct a daily litter patrol around the store on Delmar, Hamilton & the alley behind the store. • Licensee will provide licensed, uniformed security officer to patrol the premises from 4-10 p.m. (Mon-Sun) Similar restrictions (and additional efforts by the owners) led to a major reduction in the nuisances coming liquor sales at Sur Save, and should have a similar effect at/around/near the Country Store.
If even with these, major problems related to sales of alcoholic beverages at the County Store persist, there will be another opportunity to protest its liquor license renewal next year.
I would like to convey thanks on behalf of the Council and the neighborhood: to those of you who worked on getting the signatures forcing the hearing, as well as those who provided the compelling testimony offered on April 12. Yes! Daniel Schesch President, Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council scheschd @worldnet . att. net 314/726-1891 http://stlouis.missouri.org/ski nkerdebaliviere/ BACKGROUND A year ago, the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood had four stores with full liquor licenses on Delmar, from DeBaliviere to Skinker.
The sales from these stores, especially of single-serve beers, and small bottles of wine and liquor, were a direct cause of people hanging out near the stores, at Washington and Rosedale, Delmar and Hamilton, and directly south in Lucier Park, drinking and making residents feel unsafe in those areas. Residents, adults and children, had stopped using Lucier Park because of this. Two stores have closed.
A third store, Sure Say (Pete’s Market) at Delmar & Hamilton, which has been/is used by many residents for groceries, accepted several restrictions on its operation (as above), after a protest petition against granting the new owners a liquor license was successful in forcing a hearing last year.
The Courtesy Country Store, the subject of the hearing April 12, had benefited from the restrictions on liquor sales at Sure Say and the closure of the other stores.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, June–July 2002.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2002_06.pdf, printed page(s) 6; PDF page(s) 6.
