The town of Bridgewater will once again consider partially reversing its alcohol ban in the coming weeks, a move that would strip its status as the last dry town in Connecticut.
On Election Day, voters will check "yes" or "no" on a ballot to determine whether to permit alcohol sales in local restaurants and cafes, town officials said. Liquor stores are still not an option.
A "yes" vote would allow restaurants located in the sleepy town of 1,700 to sell alcohol between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday, according to the town.
It would also allow for the sale of alochol from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on New Year's Eve.
Town leaders said the vote results from two local restaurants' requests to serve liquor.
Residents are divided on the issue. Some believe alcohol sales will "revitalize" the town, while others are concerned about the prospect of reckless behavior and car accidents, according to officials.
The question first arose last winter when Bridgewater faced the prospect of losing its only school and began searching for a way to breathe life back into the community.
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Although the vote was originally scheduled for February, it was postponed in order to reexamine and comply with old "blue laws."
