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Dillingham's Willow Tree Inn liquor license up for renewal

Isabelle Ross/KDLG

The Dillingham City Council is giving the go-ahead for the renewal of the Willow Tree Inn’s liquor license, contingent on the inn paying off the rest of its taxes.

The Dillingham bar closed earlier this year. Citing unpaid bills and taxes, in April the city council voted to protest the renewal of the bar’s liquor license after the state Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office received the renewal application in February. The State Alcohol Beverage Control Board upheld the city's protest in June, but the Willow Tree paid most of what it owed within the 30-day suspension period, which ended July 19.

At last week’s council meeting, Mike Keenan spoke on behalf of the Willow Tree Inn. He requested that the council revoke their protest of the license renewal so that the ABC to take up the issue.

Councilmember Aksel Buholm said supporting the renewal is an opportunity to help Dillingham’s economy.

“It’s a small business," he said. "I know in the past we’ve said that we don’t make much money off liquor sales, but right now every penny counts for revenue. Do we need to help our small business community? Sure. Is it a liquor license? It is something that is not the best, I mean, it’s not a new store or anything like that, it’s a liquor license, and there are bad things that come with it. Still, it is a small business, and it will have my support.”

Taxes and utility bills were not the only concerns raised at the meeting. Councilmember Chris Maines pointed to the social implications of reopening a second bar in town.

“This issue is twofold, really. It’s one thing to say we’re going to withdraw our protest, we’ll see if this liquor license gets reissued. Then we’re going to have two bars in Dillingham again. But does Dillingham need two bars? So, it’s not just a simple issue,” said Maines. 

Despite those concerns, the council voted unanimously in favor of retracting their protest of the renewal of the Willow Tree Inn’s liquor license. The ABC will review the application to renew the license at its board meeting next week.

Contact the author at isabelle@kdlg.org or 907-842-5281.

Izzy Ross is the news director at KDLG, the NPR member station in Dillingham. She reports, edits, and hosts stories from around the Bristol Bay region, and collaborates with other radio stations across the state.