Alcohol violators to meet Swampscott Selectmen

SWAMPSCOTT-The Selectmen have asked eight local business owners to answer to citations received for selling alcohol to minors.The owners of Fiory’s Variety on Burrill Street, Uno’s Chicago Grill, C&L Package Store, Gourmet Garden, Thai Thani, Hawthorne by the Sea, Café Paradiso and Red Rock Bistro have been asked to appear at Tuesday’s Selectmen meeting.All eight businesses were caught selling alcohol to minors in a recent sting operation conducted by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (ABCC) and the police department. According to police, a minor was sent into the 11 establishments in town that serve and/or sell alcohol on Feb. 8 and the eight businesses sold alcohol to the minor without asking for identification.The Board of Selectmen is the licensing authority in town and issues liquor licenses. It also has the power to fine businesses, issue suspensions or revoke licenses. Selectman Marc Paster said the Board of Selectmen does not have a set policy in place for reprimanding the businesses that sell alcohol to minors.?It is important we put a policy in place to deal with this,” he said. “As a Board we are going need to develop a set policy for the future.”Paster said he hopes the businesses cited would use this as a learning experience.?For first time offenders I don’t expect we would hand out fines or suspensions,” he said. “But we should take some action on businesses with previous offenses.”This is at least the second offense for Fiory’s Variety. In November 2004, Fiory’s Variety was cited for selling alcohol to minors in a sting conducted by the police department.Ironically, in January, just a couple of weeks before the sting operation, the police department publicly announced it would be conducting compliance checks in connection with the ABCC.The Investigative Division of the ABCC, with assistance of local police, has conducted sting operations throughout the state since 1994 in an attempt to stem sales to minors. The sting operations target both liquor stores and establishments that serve alcohol.