Debra writes in…

Lost Thursday afternoon, 01.06.11, in Avondale Estates/Clarkston/Scottdale area. 15lbs, female, Chihuahua mix, black/tan/white, spayed, microchipped. No collar. Answers to the name Stella. Very sweet. She has a sister named Gracie at home who is very sad and missing her. Please if you have seen her or have her, please call 404.229.4931 or 678.576.3523. She is VERY LOVED and VERY MISSED. Thank you very much.

In case you missed it, a conversation surrounding a potential brewery in Decatur next year quickly turned to a conversation about the possible sale and legality of “growlers” in the State of Georgia.  Scott pointed out a recent post on Atlanta Beer Master that noted a potential loophole in the State’s law that make growlers legal if permitted by local governments.

After perusing the city’s code for a bit, I asked City Manager Peggy Merriss what I thought was a relatively easy question: are growlers currently illegal in the City of Decatur.   Of course, there’s nothing simple about liquor laws.

The short answer is maybe. We define package as a “bottle, can, keg, barrel or other original consumer container as labeled and provided by the manufacturer for single unit sale.” So to the extent the “growler” is not capped and closed before retail sale, then it would not be able to be sold in the City of Decatur.

However, we also have a provision that states, “No retailer shall purchase any alcoholic beverage from any person other than a wholesaler licensed under this chapter.”

So if a retailer for consumption off premises wanted to sell “growlers”, they might be able to do so as long as they purchase those through a wholesaler and not directly from a manufacturer and they are labeled as a unit for individual sale.

It is definitely something we would have to go over with the City Attorney should such a situation present itself.

This sounds like potentially good news and perhaps bad news.

Let’s recap FM Fats original comment that got this ball rolling:  “I was just thinking how nice it would be if Ale Yeah! could sell growlers of Twain’s beers and Wild Heaven beers. Whole Foods is now selling growlers. Maybe soon.”

Assuming the Whole Foods growlers referenced above are sold through a wholesaler, it sounds like these growlers may already be allowed for sale in Decatur, though the city commission would have to verify this with the city attorney   However, based on the City Manager’s explanation, selling Twain’s beer at Ale Yeah! would not be legal, unless it was sold to Ale Yeah! by a wholesaler.

But before we go asking the commission to do anything, I just want to confirm that there’s actual interest out there from both retailers and customers for wholesale growlers.

During the recent K-3 redistricting discussions, the City Schools of Decatur told parents of current-year 2nd graders, who would be moved to another elementary school under the final redistricting plan, that they would be able to request a “waiver” for the coming school year so their kids could complete their K-3 education at their current school.

According to Superintendent Phyllis Edwards’ note to the School Board for next week’s meeting, 25 parents requested waivers during the specified time-frame, which will require a trailer at both Oakhurst and Winnona Park Elementary Schools to accommodate enrollments in the 2011-2012 school year.

Here are the total enrollments at each of Decatur’s elementary schools next year, according to the Superintendent’s note…

• Clairemont – 316
• Oakhurst – 328
• Winnona Park – 320
• Glennwood – 226

Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local and/or community issues not discussed here in the past week.

Comments close on Monday.

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This week’s Free-For-All Friday is brought to you by: Kick in the Fit, offering a free month of boot camp (morning or evening) to one Decatur Metro reader. www.kickinthefit.com

To enter, just send an email with the subject line “Decatur Metro Giveaway” to info@kickinthefit.com. Make sure to include your name and address in the email. Kick in the Fit will pick the winner at random on Monday morning.