Midland Park May 1, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 5 A Midland Park restaurant will soon start selling New Jersey wine under a special state license to promote state vineyards. Rosario’s Restaurant in the Wortendyke section of town, is receiving a special outlet license to sell bottled wines from Unionville Vineyards in Ringoes, NJ. The restaurant does not have an Alcoholic Beverage Control retail or consumption license issued by the municipality and thus encourages patrons to bring their own alcoholic beverages. This practice will still continue under the outlet license, according to restaurant manager Oggi Echevaria. Midland Park Borough officials indicated at a recent meeting they had no objection to the issuance of the outlet license. They had to weigh in as a prerequisite for the license approval, which is issued by the state. Unaware that such a license existed, council members BYOB restaurant gets state wine outlet license expressed concern that the outlet license could ultimately be converted into a regular retail/consumption license, that it could be transferred to other establishments, or that there could be a proliferation of such licenses within the town. Borough Clerk/Administrator Addie Hanna said she had checked out the council’s reservations with the ABC and determined that the special license cannot become a retail/consumption license and that it is issued to a particular establishment by name and location, so no transfer can occur. She did say, however, that there is no limit to the number of retail licenses that can be issued within a town if the establishments meet the state’s criteria. Hanna said the borough has no control over the special license. She said she was told the only objections that could potentially ban the issuance of a license would be if the establishment had had problems in the past, such as fighting or arrests. According to Echevaria, full bottles of the wine will be sold for take out or for consumption on premises. No wine may be sold by the glass. About 15 varieties will be in stock in the restaurant’s wine cellar, including chardonnay, cabernet, merlot, pinot grigio and pinot noire. Prices will range from $16 to $60 a bottle, he said. “We’re just an outlet for the vineyard,” he said. Each vineyard may have 15 outlets throughout the state. Echevaria said he got the idea for the outlet license from another restaurant in the area that has it. He picked Unionville Vineyards, he said, because its wines are considered the best in New Jersey, and are recommended by Robert Parker. He said the vineyard’s chardonnay won Wine of the Year honors in Europe in 2012. “We’re from New Jersey, so why not sell New Jersey wine. It’s a fantastic wine,” Echevaria said. A Linwood Avenue resident asked the Midland Park Mayor and Council last week to search out ways of controlling the deer population in the borough. Tim Thomas, who said he is an avid gardener, told the governing body he has spent hundreds of dollars trying to keep the animals from feasting on his flowers and shrubs, Resident wants town to address deer population to no avail. He said last week he had 11 deer on his yard at one time. Thomas said at dusk several animals seemingly coming from the woods behind the Church of the Nativity, cross Park Avenue and presumably make their way to the Wildlife Center in Wyckoff. “You’re taking your life in your hands if you drive down Park. I’m surprised there haven’t been any accidents,” Thomas said. Councilwoman Nancy Peet agreed that the animals are not only a danger to motorists, but they are also a potential health hazard, because they harbor ticks which can carry Lyme disease. “What if we had a rat problem? We’d address it,” Thomas said. “We need to be smarter than the deer.” He asked if there is an ordinance against feeding wild animals, because one of his neighbors has an extremely large feeder which the deer use. Borough Clerk/Administrator Addie Hanna said ordinances only address feeding wild animals on public property. She also suggested protecting plants and shrubs (but not the garden) by spraying them with a mixture of water, milk and pepper spray. Peet suggested contacting other neighboring towns, which are probably experiencing similar problems, and seeing if something could be done collaboratively to address the situation. Mayor Patrick “Bud” O’Hagan said he would bring up the subject at the monthly Northwest Bergen Mayors meeting this week.