Published: May 25, 2007 10:16 am      

Wine sales approved for Shipshewana inn

SHIPSHEWANA, Ind. — Those residents with roots in Shipshewana history, culture and values may begin circling May 23 on their calendars in black ink.

That’s because the state approved a permit on Wednesday for the Country Inn and Suites of Shipshewana to begin purchasing wine from a Goshen winery for resale to the public, according to Dr. Janelle Ashby of the LaGrange County Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

“Shipshewana is no longer dry,” Ashby announced to council members at Thursday’s regular council meeting.

Local resident Ken Mishler added that wine would be sold by the hotel, located on North Ind. 5, for both on-premise and off-premise consumption. Council members directed the town attorney to draft a letter of opposition and send it to the three members of the Indiana Alcoholic Beverage Commission

Mishler, Ashby and council members were upset about the proposition of the first liquor license in Shipshewana history. What made the news sting even more was the fact that the town had no input into the process and could do nothing to prevent the action.

An Indiana state law allows sale of the wine, as long as the hotel sells less than 500,000 gallons per year and meets an inspection, which Country Inn and Suites did on Wednesday.

“(The state) did not consider the desire of certain communities to stay dry (when the law was approved),” Mishler said.

Councilman Jerry Rice said, “This gets my blood pressure up‚” and added that he wanted the council to complain to the state.

Following the meeting, Ashby marked the precedent by saying, “Someone from

outside (Shipshewana) is imposing their values on us.”

The news comes on the heels of the council and citizens successfully deterring within the last month the Gas America service station, located on South Ind. 5, from completing the application process for a dealer liquor permit to sell alcohol in Shipshewana.

However, because that station would have sold more than 500,000 gallons of liquor per year, it would have had to apply to the county’s alcoholic beverage commission. Country Inn and Suites, on the other hand, did not.

Scott McDowell of Goshen has owns Wine Cellars Supply of 211 S. Main St., Goshen, which will supply Country Inn and Suites. Wine will be sold, as well as free samples handed out, from 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays at the hotel, Ashby said.

Charles Daub owns the hotel and Alex Federow manages it, Ashby said Thursday.

Ashby said that the most effective strategy for council members, officials and Shipshewana residents to fight the sale of wine at the hotel would be to contact the three-member Indiana Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the state legislators for Shipshewana.

LaGrange-area resident Dale Sturtz sits on the state commission, and David Heath is chairman. They can both be reached, Ashby said, by calling (317) 232-2430.

State Rep. David Wolkins and state Sen. Robert Meeks represent Shipshewana in the state Legislature.

Several years ago, about 100 residents and council members also prevented another business in town from securing an alcohol permit. Council vice president Chris Yoder said last month that she was against granting a license to Gas America, because the Amish culture is opposed to consumption of alcohol and “it doesn’t fit our community.”