Westminster College students who signed a petition to place a liquor referendum on the May primary election ballot already have gotten somethiing for their efforts: wage tax forms from New Wilmington.

The borough mailed the forms last week to 70 students who are registered to vote in the borough and have declared it their primary residence. The students signed a petition that will, for the first time in half a century, call on borough residents to vote to change the municipality's liquor status from dry to wet.

New Wilmington Mayor Wendell Wagner, who is opposed to the referendum, said that the letters are not meant as retribution for the students' activism.

"We would send a wage tax form to anyone who moves into the borough, who establishes New Wilmington as their home of record," Wagner explained. "It's just the natural thing to do.

"But, I am totally opposed to it (the liquor referendum). I think it would totally change the character of New Wilmington. I can visualize The Tavern having a liquor license to serve a bottle of wine. But these young people want a bar, which I think will just create multiple problems."

According to the borough's wage tax receiver Linda Foy, the wage tax filing forms, which are for wages earned in 2002, are to be completed and returned to her by April 15. If individuals do not return the forms, then the borough would be forced to pursue other means, she said, including involving District Justice James A. Reed. As of late last week, Foy had received only one form.

The students won't have as much time to complete their forms as the rest of the borough's residents, who received theirs in late December or early January.

Westminster senior Krissy Edmonds spearheaded the drive for a liquor referendum because she did not want to see students of legal age continue to drive out of New Wilmington to drink and then have to drive back.