[Doglips]

Row erupts over planned 'Betty Ford Liquor' store
06 November 2002

An international furore is threatening to erupt around a planned Wanaka bottle store to be named 'Betty Ford Liquor'.


The store has not opened yet but Betty Ford herself has apparently been informed, and locally, there is already talk of placards and boycotts.

The name is a play on the Betty Ford Centre in California, one of the best-known American alcohol and drug treatment facilities that was established and named by a former USA first lady, Elizabeth Bloomer Ford.

Betty Ford Liquor is owned by Arrowtown businessman Al Spary, who with his brother, Ferg, owns several unconventionally named businesses, including Queenstown's Beaver Liquor, Barup, Fergberger and Cow Lane Liquor.

Cow Lane Liquor has been selling t-shirts with Betty Ford Clinic printed on the front, and Cow Lane Liquor on the back.

The proposed name has angered John Beattie, the Wanaka-based chairman of Queen Mary Hospital Ltd, New Zealand's largest private dependency treatment provider, who said the attempt at humour was well wide of the mark and could backfire on Mr Spary.

"I, for one, won't be darkening their doorstep if they go ahead with the name. It's denigrating a great name.

"To make light of such a serious issue is in bad taste and irresponsible.

"It's also not legally permissible and they could spend a lot of money defending that name."

He has e-mailed Betty Ford Centre chief executive John Schwarzlose and is waiting to hear what action, if any, the California clinic will take.

"I understand the information has been put before Betty Ford herself."

The only comment Mr Spary would make yesterday was: "What's wrong with being open about alcohol?"

However, Wanaka Community Board chairman Bill Gordon was more forthright: "Mr Spary and his business and a name like that are not wanted in Wanaka."

Mr Gordon said everyone he had spoken with thought the name was in bad taste, and a group of women wanted to picket the shop when it opens