Dupalo and Goliath

Monday, Nov. 17, 2008 | 2:08 a.m.

When Wal-Mart applied for a liquor license for its store at 201 N. Nellis Blvd., area resident Martin Dean Dupalo objected.

Dupalo, a UNLV political science instructor who lives in the area, said he was concerned about the number of drunken driving collisions and other alcohol-related incidents in the area.

Dupalo, who has been active in the community for years and ran for the School Board two years ago, wrote a letter to the Las Vegas Planning Commission outlining his concerns. The commission, however, approved Wal-Mart’s plan unanimously. The plan then went to the City Council, where it was expected to pass when it came up on the agenda this month.

Pressing his concerns at City Hall, Dupalo says he was met with resistance. He says he was told that Wal-Mart is powerful and not worth opposing.

But Dupalo would not give up. He argued that there was an “over-saturation” of places to buy liquor in the neighborhood. As Sam Skolnik reported Nov. 10 in the Las Vegas Sun, Dupalo counted 85 places to buy alcohol within a 1.5-mile radius of Stewart Avenue and Nellis Boulevard, the corner Wal-Mart is on.

He took pictures of 34 sites where DUI crashes caused property damage and sent them to the City Council. He called the scenes “the scars of my neighborhood.” Metro Police say they regularly run special patrols and checkpoints in the area to combat drunken driving.

When it came time for the issue to go before the City Council, Dupalo and two neighbors spoke against Wal-Mart’s plan. The Wal-Mart attorney argued for it. Both Dupalo and the attorney were surprised when the City Council voted unanimously to deny the liquor license.

Wal-Mart’s attorney didn’t know how to explain the backlash against the company’s plan, but it’s simple, really.

A citizen did his homework, got involved and stood up for his beliefs. The elected leaders listened and made the right choice. That’s how a democracy is supposed to work.