Montgomery County Bar Owners Alliance initiates safety program in time for holiday party season

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas -- The holiday party season starts this weekend and continues through the New Year’s weekend. The Montgomery County Bar Owners Alliance has acted quickly in initiating a program to protect the community.

At a press conference on December 6, at the Grand Palace in Spring, the MCBOA addressed the community’s concern over the this year’s drunk driving fatalities, the recent arrests of local bartenders caught over-serving patrons, and detailed their grassroots project to safeguard the community this holiday season.

The Montgomery County Bar Owners Alliance was formed in July 2012, to promote alcohol responsibility, and also as a community outreach effort for business owners to positively impact the community, patrons, employees and businesses.

“The events of this year was a wake-up call,” said Casey Loughridge, General Manager of Papa’s Ice House. “Six bar owners came together for the safety of the community, and formed the Alliance. We want the community to be comfortable knowing that they can go out and have a good time, and get home safely to their families and their kids.”

The Montgomery County Bar Owners formed an alliance with resources such as Milstead's Last Call Program, Alert Cab, Walt Inc. Shuttle and The Woodlands Transportation Cab Service for customers to have a safe round trip to area social sites. New to the program is Yellow Cab which is being partially subsidized by Anheuser Busch.

“It’s important to us that you arrive and return alive,” said Amy Milstead, President of Milstead Automotive, Chairman of the Towing and Storage Association, and a member of the MCBOA. “We want the customers to be safe, but we want the community to be safe too.”

Warren Diepraam, Assistant District Attorney’s office, was on hand to address those in attendance. His message was sobering, for lack of a better word. The statistics presented revealed that Montgomery County is the deadliest county in Texas for intoxication manslaughter cases, which have increased 80 percent in one year. Driving while intoxicated incidents are up 30%.

“I commend the effort to assist the law enforcement agencies in reversing the trend,” said Diepraam. “We’re already seeing a decrease in manslaughter charges.”

Mother Against Drunk Driving was present as well. Lori Stevens, Take the Wheel Program Specialist, spoke on behalf of MADD in support of the alliance and its initiative.

“We ask that people make a plan ahead of time, to use the services of Milstead’s Last Call, Walt Inc. Shuttle, and the other services,” said Stevens. “We also want you to know that we have a victim’s unit, and ask that if you know someone who has been victimized by a drunk driving incident, to get in contact with us.”

In closing, Loughridge of Papa’s, addressed the MCBOA, the media, and interested parties, one last time.

“We’re here for everybody. We want this to be a safer community. Our slogan is ‘Community, responsibility, we care’,” said Loughridge.

For information on Walt Inc. Shuttle Service view the link below.

For more information about the MCBOA contact Casey Loughridge at Papa’s Ice House, Neil Heller, General Manager of Rookies Sports Bar & Grill, or Marty Wilgers, Corporate Secretary of Exit 73 Bar & Grill.