SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — Township Supervisor John Hines said supporters of an alcohol referendum that passed Tuesday should be careful what they wish for, because they just might get it.

"Occasionally in life, you have disappointments," Hines said. "But I won't invest a lot of time or energy focusing on the past. Instead, I look forward to the future."

Voters decided on two referendums to allow both malt brewed beverages and liquor licenses in the township. The vote was close, but, according to Regis Young, director of the Butler County Bureau of Elections, 50 absentee ballots pushed the referendum forward.

In a total including the absentee ballots, the malt brewed license referendum came in at 239 voting yes and 225 voting no, while the liquor license referendum came in with 237 votes yes and 231 votes against it.

Hines said he wants residents in the township to know why this referendum was passed.

"I think it would be very important for the community to know that Slippery Rock township voters at the polls voted to deny both referendums, but nevertheless, the efforts of the college professor that supported it as well as the college student absentee ballots are what pushed it over to deny what the Slippery Rock residents voted for," Hines said.

Itzi Meztli, a Slippery Rock University professor who helped to organize absentee ballot drives during the last week of the semester, said he sees the referendum's victory as a positive.

"I think that this is a good showing for the entire Slippery Rock community," Meztli said. "We know that a major resource here is the university, and we have 8,000 students and when parents come in, I think they should have nice restaurants to sit down and eat at and this will encourage economic development."

Meztli said everyone in the township will benefit from the change.

"We had a lot of community support and we are just ecstatic," Meztli said. "We think this is a win-win for the entire SR community."

With Tuesday's vote alone, the referendum would have been stopped with 189 votes yes for malt brewed, and 220 against. For Tuesday's votes on liquor licenses, 187 voted for it while 226 voted against it.

Slippery Rock borough had the same two referendums on the ballot in 2001. They passed, allowing alcohol-related businesses to open. Ginger Hill Tavern and North Country Brewing Company opened, while B&J's Coney Island expanded to include a bar after the referendums were passed.