Group claims 30,224 signatures; 5 days left

SYS beer, wine drive at 80% of goal
           
     HOLLAND, MI (Aug. 7, 2008) – Louis G. Hallacy, the Say Yes to Sunday (SYS)’s webmaster, adjusted the group’s on-line thermometer Thursday afternoon, pushing the mercury past the 30,000 mark for the first time in the group’s seven week reform campaign.
      It signals the local hospitality group’s drive is nearing its goal of collecting 38,000 valid petition signatures by Tuesday at 4 pm, the deadline for making the November election ballot. The petitions seek the repeal of Ottawa County’s Sunday beer and wine sales ban, the last such prohibition in the state.
     “It’ crunch time and we’re headed in the right direction,” exclaimed Jim Kaminiski, a member of the SYS committee and general manager of Modern Beverage.
      SYS needs the 38,000 signatures to allow place the repeal question before November election voters. An ordinance adopted in 1981 permits Sunday sales of distilled spirits (hard liquor) by the glass.
       “We will have petition gatherers at many places in the county over the weekend,” Kaminiski announced, “but if we don’t find those who want to sign, they can find us by visiting one of our more than 84 signing locations,” he added.
     The locations are listed on the SYS website www.sayyestosunday.com.
     SYS plans to field petition gatherers at downtown sidewalk sales here, Coopersville’s Summerfest tomorrow and Saturday, a civil war re-enactment here, and a number of other sites.  Repeal of the current Sunday beer and wine ban was last presented to voters in 1976 and was rejected 55-45%.

View Mayor Al MeGeehans Proclamation

Mayor McGeehan's proclamation