It was not a shouting match or a finger-pointing battle during the village board meeting Monday, but there were a couple of attendees who left scratching their heads at the possibility of allowing additional liquor licenses in grocery stores.

During Morton mayor Norm Durflinger's July 10 state-of-the-village speech, he said he would be recommending allowing wine and liquor sales in grocery stores in Morton. In addition, he said he would recommend allowing liquor stores to sell snack products.

Local liquor store owners arrived at the village board meeting Monday night to hear what the board had to say about adding liquor licenses.

Ashish Patel, the new owner of Yogi's Super Liquors, 321 S. Main, presented several questions to the village board, wanting to know if there were any studies about the effect of allowing liquor licenses in grocery stores. He also wanted to know how additional liquor licenses are going to improve Morton.

Durflinger listened along with the rest of the board as Patel spoke. Durflinger said he spoke with Patel prior to the meeting.

Durflinger said discussion on liquor licenses will not begin for another two weeks, adding no action will be taken in that time.

Patel, who has owned Yogi's for about four months, was not the only new liquor store owner present at the village board meeting.

Nick and Bernice Feerasta, who took over The Liquor Station about 16 months ago, also attended and had the same questions after the board meeting.

"Right now, it's kind of premature," Nick said, adding not much is known about why the village wants to add liquor licenses to grocery stores.

He said he is surprised by the idea, however, as the village looks to draw outsiders downtown.

One of the reasons he is surprised, he said, is he believes the liquor stores downtown draw customers to the various businesses on Main Street, particularly those staying in hotels.

"That's one of the unique things about Main Street business," he added.

"I'm never afraid of competition," Feerasta added. "But, (the village) had an obligation to let us know."

When the Feerastas purchased The Liquor Station, there was no talk of additional liquor licenses for grocery stores, he said. He said he would have expected to hear something regarding the situation if the village knew it was looking in that direction.

Patel agreed — when he purchased Yogi's about four months ago, he said he heard rumors about liquor licenses in grocery stores, but never heard anything official until he read the newspaper last week.

Now that the village is looking in that direction, Patel is wondering why.

"Do we need more liquor license?" he asked. "Have there been any studies?"

Patel has been in the liquor store business for five years and said his operations have never been cited for underage sale of alcohol to minors. He said the village might experience more problems with underage drinking if they decide to allow wine and liquor sales in grocery stores.

Feerasta said he is also curious why the village wants to allow snack food sales in liquor stores.

It gives underagers a reason to visit the stores, perhaps enticing them to try and purchase liquor, he said.

"That makes no sense," he added.