Marblehead eatery to serve 2-day liquor license penalty

MARBLEHEAD – The liquor license at the Hurricane Restaurant will be suspended for two days this month.After a 15-minute hearing Wednesday evening, with Town Counsel Jeffrey Shribman in charge, selectmen determined that the restaurant overserved an unidentified patron Nov. 9.Owner Peter McMahon and manager Zachary Norton admitted that the man taken into protective custody by Patrolman Michael Daigle was at the bar that evening and was served two cocktails, but contended that he was not overserved. Daigle noticed the man because he fell down on Atlantic Avenue.Police Sgt. Donald Decker’s report indicated that he went to the Hurricane after the man was in custody and was told that the man had been there and was served, and the bartender said when the man left he made sure that the man was not driving a car.McMahon expressed disappointment that he was not made aware of the incident until stories appeared in local newspapers two weeks laterm and that because the customer was not arrested he was unable to question him publicly. He also said he would have liked to see blood test results on the man to see if drugs or medication could have caused his condition."I’m at a loss," he said, pointing out that this was the first overserving incident in the Hurricane’s two-and-a-half years in business."This man was clearly intoxicated and overserved," said Selectman Harry Christensen. Based on what he said was the Hurricane’s reputation for making sure patrons were not overserved, Christensen made a motion to issue a letter of reprimand for the first offense. The motion failed 3-1, after Selectman Judy Jacobi opposed it on the grounds that police had evidence to support their claims.Jacobi’s motion to suspend the license on Monday and Tuesday passed 3-1, with the support of Selectmen Chairman Jackie Belf-Becker and Selectman James Nye.McMahon then told the board that he had a party booked for one of the nights and asked if they could postpone the punishment until January, since December is a busy month.Board members rescinded the original dates and allowed McMahon to agree to two back-to-back days in January for the suspension.