Thanks to a bottle club that wasn't, voters in three Washington County communities next month will decide the future of bottle clubs in their towns. Officials in Cecil, McDonald and North Strabane all have opted to include a referendum in the May 20 primary election asking residents if they favor the prohibition of the operation of bottle clubs there. Unlike a bar or tavern, bottle clubs do not have liquor licenses. Alcohol isn't sold, but patrons pay a cover charge and are allowed to consume alcohol that the club provides. Cecil officials say their referendum stems from problems with an alleged bottle club in the Muse section of the township. "We at least made the effort to put the question to the voters," said Cecil supervisors' Chairman Tom Casciola. "I would imagine the people brought it to the forefront because of the trouble there." Cecil police investigated what they believed was a bottle club after receiving complaints last summer. Undercover police entered Mr. Z's, a former pizzeria owned by Muse resident Richard Zelinsky, and tried to buy alcohol, said Zelinsky's attorney, Steven Wolf. The officers then were asked to pay a cover charge. They paid, asked for a drink and were served glasses of beer, Wolf said. Police charged Zelinsky with violating the state liquor code by selling alcohol without a license. Mr. Z's closed, and the case went to court. Wolf argued that Mr. Z's was not a bottle club, but had a "bring your own bottle" policy. He also argued that the prosecution could not prove the alcohol belonged to or was furnished by club employees. The courts agreed, and dismissed the charges against Zelinsky earlier this year. That didn't stop Cecil supervisors from passing a resolution calling for the referendum in February, or other communities from following suit. "It brought it to a head and helped us to get a referendum on the ballot," said Cecil police Chief John Pushak. "Whether we got the conviction out of it wasn't important." Zelinsky couldn't be reached for comment, but Pushak said the club still is closed while Zelinsky tries to secure a liquor license. "He did close the business and he is trying to become legitimate," he said. "That's basically what we wanted out of this." Both North Strabane and McDonald also passed resolutions in February to get the referendum on the ballot. North Strabane supervisors Chairman Brian Spicer said that while no bottle clubs currently operate in the township, supervisors want voters to have a chance to prevent problems in the future. "I thought it was a good idea to make a policy before we had a problem," Spicer said. "With the possibility of slots coming in, maybe bottle clubs would be a ripple effect of the slots. We wanted to be better-prepared." Like Spicer, McDonald council President Marilou Ritchie said the borough has no bottle clubs -- and council wants to keep it that way. "We wanted to hit it before it hit us," she said. "Sometimes in these things you can be a day late and a dollar short."

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