The state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board has approved a liquor license transfer from Bethel Native Corporation's Bethel Spirits to the Sea Lion Corporation’s Caribou Traders Liquor.
Members of the ABC Board said that they’ll be watching the situation, but they approved the transfer. The Board came to Bethel last summer, and heard plenty of concerns from local residents about alcohol. At that meeting, the Board decided not to renew Alaska Commercial’s Quick Stop Liquor store, citing mismanagement.
Despite those concerns, the town voted to stay wet in the October municipal elections and the Bethel City Council, which had opposed the AC renewal, did not protest the transfer of Bethel Spirits' license to Caribou Traders.
While asking the Board to grant the transfer, BNC President Ana Hoffman requested that Bethel businesses be treated fairly, “like all other businesses operating legally and statutorily throughout Alaska.”
“It takes courage to empower people; as a community we have asked for empowerment. The results of the recent local option vote show that we want to continue to maintain legal sales of all types. Certainly there are concerns about problems related to alcohol abuse, but we know that those problems exist in every community and every family; substance abuse is truly a global concern,” Hoffman said. “I believe the best way to combat the cycle of alcohol abuse is to have the courage to confront, educate, and better regulate this commodity in our community by having consistent governance.”
To avoid another AC Quick Stop scenario, ABC Board members urged Caribou Traders to stay involved and engaged with the community of Bethel. The store will open in the same location as Bethel Spirits, a building already owned by Sea Lion. ABC Board member Robert Evans of Nome said that while he was in Bethel, he had a look at the facility.
“Very clean operation; I didn’t see any public inebriates hanging out. I think the community of Bethel was okay with this licensee,” said Evans.
But Evans wanted to caution the new licensee.
“We’re looking at this transfer very closely, and we’ll be probably, you know, anything comes up we’re gonna look at it even closer,” Evans said.
By deadline Monday evening, Caribou Traders had not returned multiple requests to find out when they plan to open and whether or not they’ll sell hard liquor, or only beer and wine as Bethel Spirits did.
