Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Senior Centers Get Booze Licenses
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
May 1, 2014 at 3:35 am #611191
bluke01MemberThe folks at the West Seattle Senior Center say they will “benefit” by a new Washington law allowing senior centers to sell beer, wine, and liquor. I hope they are right, but I have my doubts. I am sure they will make more money, so that is indeed a benefit. But isn’t the senior center supposed to be setting a certain tone for our community? As an adult child of an alcoholic, I have struggled my entire life with the effects of alcohol. It saddens me to hear this news.
May 1, 2014 at 5:09 am #807832
homedkParticipantI can appreciate your point of view, since I have seen how alcoholism can ruin lives. However, the senior center shouldn’t have to “set a tone” for the community any more than any other business or organization. It bothers me to see all the assumptions that people have about “seniors” — that somehow they are different and should be treated differently than the general adult population. As someone who enjoys wine, it saddens me to see that so many of the senior facilities follow this rule. FWIW, 20 or 30 years from now, I will still probably enjoy a glass of wine…but if I’m in a senior facility…good luck with that.
May 1, 2014 at 5:58 am #807833
singularnameParticipantJust getting the disrespect I do based on my age at 50 tells me I’m going to be one pissed-off 70-year-old if I make it that far (statistics say I won’t). I hate the taste and effects of alcohol–maybe 2 drinks a year–but I’m hoping to pick it up around 58 to dull the outrage. … On another thought, given the nightmare it was to get my grandfather’s license taken away, it could work as a good tradeoff–“give me your license and your keys, and here’s the open bar.”
May 1, 2014 at 6:33 am #807834
JanSParticipantI am 67…and I drink responsibly. Just because we have an adult beverage every now and then does not mean we are all alcoholics. I’m sorry about the OP’s relative(s), but that should not dictate what everyone else in the world does. We don’t ban in restaurants, etc…why a senior center? I think we can handle it, mostly, and I’m sure the servers there will be responsible about serving.
May 1, 2014 at 7:10 am #807835
trickycooljParticipantI think it’s great! Why shouldn’t a senior enjoy a glass of their favorite when socializing just like I do by stopping at beer junction with friends? My grandpa really enjoys having a half glass of wine or beer when we all visit for the holidays. He knows he has to keep it to the social half glass due to his medications but otherwise enjoys himself. I also wouldn’t have reservations when my dad, now sober for well over 10 years, is a senior either. He still goes to meetings and is very strong at resisting any offers, even as a born and raised German where drinking is the culture. It’s no different than us having dinner together at the matador. He even read the tequila menu because it really is impressive drinker or not!
May 1, 2014 at 2:46 pm #807836
TanDLParticipantLive and let live, I say. I doubt there will be a major crime wave resulting from drunken seniors reveling at all hours or rampant alcoholism. Good for the senior centers!
May 1, 2014 at 5:02 pm #807837
UrbanFabulousParticipantI don’t really think serving alcohol responsibly sets any kind of tone for the community- good, bad or otherwise.
May 1, 2014 at 5:22 pm #807838
skeeterParticipantI’m curious now – is the license a retail license for the sales of, say, a six pack of beer in the gift shop? Or a license to pour and serve beer/wine in the dining hall with a meal? I’m not really against either. I’m just curious what we are talking about.
May 1, 2014 at 6:25 pm #807839
metrognomeParticipanthere’s the info from the Liquor Control Board fact sheet:
A senior center license is created [by SB5310 eff. June 12, 2014].
• The license permits a senior center to sell spirits by the glass, beer and wine at retail for on-premises consumption.
• The annual fee is $720.
• The license is only available to nonprofit organizations whose primary service is providing recreational and social activities for seniors on the licensed premises (senior center).
• Alcohol servers under the license must obtain a mandatory alcohol server training permit.
• In order to qualify for the license, the senior center applicant must:
 – be a nonprofit organized under Washington law;
 – be open at times set by the LCB; and
 – offer limited food service as required by the LCB.
https://www.liq.wa.gov/publications/Leg_FactSheets/2014_factsheets/SB-5310-Senior-Center-License.pdf
May 1, 2014 at 6:31 pm #807840
WSBKeymasterJust jumping in because this caught my eye on a quick cruise through the admin end looking for spam. We covered this two years ago and I’m surprised to hear it’s still not settled:
Liquor licenses for senior centers? West Seattle-backed bill
And FWIW I am the child of alcoholics (Dad drank his liver to fatal shreds at 44), and pretty much avoid the stuff because for six years I’ve been sleep-deprived enough that one drink would send me face-down into the keyboard.
ANYWAY:
*Senior centers are NOT just for seniors
*The Senior Center of West Seattle (which for disclosure’s sake I should note is an off-and-on WSB sponsor) is a venue for activities that serve many ages
*It’s also a nonprofit and needs $ to stay afloat (see the story linked above)
*One EXTREMELY popular not-just-for-seniors event it hosts, with booze (I guess on the temp licenses, still), is the monthly Rainbow Bingo
Just a few datapoints.
Here’s info about the bill itself – it’s for by-the-glass, on-premises.
http://www.washingtonvotes.org/2013-HB-1063
-Tracy
May 1, 2014 at 7:49 pm #807841
metrognomeParticipantNonprofits were already allowed to hold up to 12 events per year where alcohol was served; there is a $60 license fee per event day and a 45 day lead to get approval. The changes merely allow senior centers to hold more than 12 events by buying an annual license at 12 times the $60 daily fee ($720) and meeting the other requirements.
Nonprofits that aren’t senior centers can still have up to 12 events per year as before.
May 1, 2014 at 8:37 pm #807842
Alki WarriorParticipantLet me know when the Senior Center starts selling booze. I’ll go and support them. I like hanging around those old timers Some good stories to listen to by them. Especially when they get tipsy.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.