Mineola Sales Tax Up 12.1%

The sales tax figures for August are in and the city of Mineola increased it’s monthly sales tax collection by $12,810. This equates to better than a 12% increase over August of last year. These figures are disseminated from the State Comptroller’s office and are issued 45 days after the actual collection period, which is why we get August’s figures in October.

This is at least partially attributable to the decision of the voters of Mineola to allow the sale of beer and wine in the town. On a related note, October 8th, 2011 was the Mineola Gypsy Market. This year’s Gypsy Market was the first ever event in downtown Mineola that offered beer for sale. All TABC and local laws and ordinances were followed and not one single alcohol-related event was reported during the Gypsy Market.

DUI and other alcohol-related crimes in the city of Mineola remain on a decline over comparable periods in 2010.

Truffula Tree wins the 2011 Mineola Gypsy Market Battle of the Bands

Truffula Tree from Tyler won the Mineola Gypsy Market 2011 Battle of the Bands on Saturday, October 8th. Eight bands competed, but in the end it was Truffula Tree that took home the $2000 first prize.

The Mineola Gypsy Market is produced by a committee of local residents who started out four years ago, seeking to create a unique event in Mineola. The Battle of the Bands was a new addition, compared previous Gypsy Market events. The community embraced this concept and it was a hit.

The event was sponsored by Budweiser and this was the first time in history that beer was legally served at an event on the streets of downtown Mineola. The local VFW post served the Budweiser and retained 100% of the profits from beer sales. Thousands of people attended the event and not one single problem, alcohol-related or not, was reported.

The Mineola Gypsy Market would like to thank the people of Mineola for embracing this event and making it a smashing success.

The sales tax allocation figures for July have been published by the State Comptroller’s Office.

In July, 2011, Mineola received $125,667 in sales tax proceeds from the state, compared to $105,571 in July of 2010, a monetary increase of $20,096 for the city of Mineola.

This is, no doubt, largely attributable to the delivery of beer and wine to local stores in late June and early July.

This is more money that can be spent on roads, emergency services and other necessary maintenance and upkeep of our town.

In a phone conversation with David Stevenson, Mineola City Administrator, it was confirmed that during this period the city saw no increase in alcohol-related crimes or arrests.

The state of Texas collects sales tax and distributes it back to municipalities. This process takes place over a 30-40 day period, making the September sales tax posting reflect actual taxes collected in July.

2011 vs. 2010 Sales Tax Collection for Mineola, Texas

The Mineola Gypsy Market has announced the ten bands that will compete for the $2000 cash first prize in the Mineola Gypsy Market Battle of the Bands on October 8th, 2011.

The bands, in the order they will appear, are:

1. Wesley Pruitt Band
2. Gypsy Rebel
3. Shelby Pace
4. Truffula Tree
5. Last Call Outlaws
6. Dazed
7. Backroad Bandits
8. Ramoth-Gilead and His Affiliads
9. Archimedes, Watch Out!
10. Thomas Wade and the Busriders

One of these bands will walk away with the $2000 first prize on October 8th. For full details regarding the Battle of the Bands as well as the Mineola Gypsy Market in general, please visit MineolaGypsyMarket.com.

I was told not to compare the movie and the play when it comes to “Bus Stop”, which is being performed at Lindale Community Theater this weekend. The play debuted in 1955. It’s a “slice of life” drama with plenty of comedic moments. It moves quickly and will take you on an emotion-filled journey through the lives of the characters.

In their second season, LCT doing a summer drama is somewhat of a departure from “the norm” in the world of community theater. Tim Mitchiner and his cast and crew really did a nice job on this show. It will stimulate several of your senses.

The play ran last weekend and broke attendance records at LCT. It opens back up Friday, July 15th at 7:30 and runs Saturday night at 7:30 and Sunday at 2 PM.

A tense moment between the characters of Bo and Cherrie in William Inge's "Bus Stop" at Lindale Community Theater.

Reservations can be made by calling 903-638-0402.

Tickets are $10.

Local bands have until July 31st to enter the Battle of the Bands event at the Mineola Gypsy Market Music & Arts Festival.

The winner will walk away that day with $2000 in cash winnings. Ten bands will compete in the event to be held on Saturday, October 8, 2011.

Interested parties can download and print all necessary entry forms and read the complete rules at the Gypsy Market web site.

The Mineola Gypsy Market is produced in conjunction with the City of Mineola. This is the 4th event in a 3 year period. This event is now an annual event that takes place in October.

Admission is always free to the Gypsy Market and there is always ample free and close parking.

It promises to be a day of good music, fun, games and lots of activity for the kids and ALWAYS plenty to eat and drink.

Again, the deadline for bands to enter the Battle of the Bands is July 31st, so get to the Gypsy Market web site and get your entry forms now and get entered so you can win the $2000 cash first prize.

Battle of the Bands in Mineola. $2000 Cash First Prize!

Pat Wood (left) and Pat Hamlett (right) pose with the first alcohol sold in Mineola since prohibition.

History was made in Mineola on June 29, 2011 when the first alcohol was sold since the inception of prohibition on June 30, 1919. Hamlett was the chair of the committee responsible for getting the alcohol propositions of the May 2011 ballot.

Stores in Mineola may now sell beer and wine on a packaged, off-premise consumption basis. Restaurants may have a full bar as long as they meet the requirement that 51% or more of their total sales are derived from food sales.

Many other East Texas towns are realizing the additional sales tax dollars associated with alcohol sales. Recently, the town of Alba, Texas also enacted similar laws. Emory enacted beer and wine sales two years ago and public records show additional tax revenue to be $80,000+.

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June 28, 2011 is the day that beer arrived in Mineola and, of course, Mineola Buzz brings you the story first.

Pat Hamlett bought the first beer, a six-pack of Miller Lite, at Brookshire’s this morning.

James Dear is 94, sharp as a tack and knows just about everything there is to know about Mineola.

In this chat, we discussed his career at the Select Theater, events of the town, local music, his work with the Meredith Foundation, gunfights, bootlegging, Bonnie & Clyde and much more.

This video is 1 1/2 hours, so watch it on your own time, but it is good stuff. Mr. Dear is not only lucid, but sharp as a tack when it comes to this town and the events of the last hundred years or so.

Enjoy!

James Dear tells a story about Mineola.

I had a chat with Shiloh Alexander of Haute Stuff Boutique. In the time that this shop has been open, it seems to have taken Mineola by storm. Shiloh has many useful nuggets of information for the upstart business owner. In our chat, I asked her about some of her ingredients for success.

If you don’t know Shiloh, stop by Haute Stuff Boutique and say hello.

Haute Stuff Boutique

206 W Broad
Mineola, TX 75773

(903) 569-5646

Wed – Fri: 10 AM – 6 PM
Sat: 10 AM – 4 PM

Books mentioned in this interview:

The 6-1-2011 edition of the Mineola Monitor is worth the 50 cents it costs just to read Kenneth Teo’s letter to the editor.

Please pardon my cynical nature, but how much more dramatic can a letter be? Really? May 14, 2011 is the saddest day in Mineola’s history? Even sadder than school officials going to jail for improper relations with students? Really?

Oh, one more thing, Mr. Teo. That dark cloud you refer to in your letter, that is more commonly known as nighttime. The sun came up on May 15th and it has every day since. We even made it through the end of the world that was supposed to happen on May 21.

Want to see sad? What happened to Joplin, Missouri is sad. What happened to Tuscaloosa, Alabama is sad. With all due respect, what happened in Mineola on May 14th, sir, is progress!