Letter to the Editor: We Are Caretakers of Our Past

Oh my, Paul Burton suggests that serving alcohol in Ephraim will open up opportunity to have “fine dining” in the village. For that “opportunity,” our village is being asked to give up a very important aspect of its heritage, a part of our culture established by our Moravian founders 163 years ago. Apparently, fine dining does not exist in Ephraim and will not until alcoholic beverages are served. But we are not exactly underserved. Last I looked there were two fine dining establishments just on the edge of Ephraim serving wine, beer and liquor.

He also suggests that, on occasion, tourists visiting one of our apparently not so “fine” restaurants will walk out when finding neither wine nor beer are served. Incidentally, most “fine dining” restaurants also serve mixed drinks, which the referendum does not address. My wife and I over the last 50 years have left many restaurants because they were either too dark or too bright, too warm or too cold, lack ambiance, but more often because of loud music. We have never left a restaurant because we could not get our hands on an alcoholic drink.

We don’t own our history. We are only caretakers of our past which we can either pass on to future generations or destroy.

Tony Beadell

Ephraim, Wis.