State to review market’s ownership status

Hearing continued with no decision on reinstatement of liquor license

By Owen Boss

GARDNER — The Liquor License Commission voted to continue the decision to reinstate the liquor license to the owner of the store formerly known as EZ Mart on Tuesday, because officials said they want to hear the results of a review the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission is conducting regarding the ownership of the store. At the previous meeting, a lawyer representing the owner suggested that the license be reinstated because the state commission had reviewed the case and they felt the original revocation was based mostly on hearsay. However, city commission members continued the finding in September because they said there was too much confusion regarding who owned the store and who the reinstated license was actually being issued to. Malaiperumal Sundaramurthy, the husband of the woman listed in city records as the store’s manager, had referred to himself as the owner at an earlier meeting in May. Since that meeting, his wife, Shanthy Sundaramurthy has appeared and represented herself as the owner, which officials on the board said caused some confusion. According to Sgt. Guy Bibeau, after the last meeting he pulled together what information he could on the store and past ownership and sent a letter to the state’s commission asking for a full review of the business. “He said his wife ran the place and I personally don’t believe that, so we are checking it out,” said Sgt. Bibeau. “We sent them our paperwork because there was so much confusion at the last meeting and she said she is going to be looking into their paperwork from day one to see if he signed anything. And they will take it from there.” Following Sgt. Bibeau before the commission was Ms. Sundaramurthy who said she was upset that she had to attend so many meetings regarding the store’s ability to sell alcohol. “I have so much work to do and I don’t want to come to meeting after meeting to hear you argue over this,” said Ms. Sundaramurthy. “I am the owner, I have a manager working in the store for me, are you going to give me (a) liquor license or not? That is all I want to know.” The owner of Anthony’s Liquor Mart, James Kraskouskas, spoke at the meeting in favor of revoking the license, and said several signs recently posted on the building suggested that the ownership had changed. “They posted signs all over the place that says the store is under new management. That clearly implies that it is under new ownership,” said Mr. Kraskouskas. “They didn’t have a Lottery license before and now they do. I want to know what entity is getting that license today when they were unable to do so before.” Also appearing before the commission was the president of the Gardner High School’s chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions, who said the store had become a popular place for high school students to buy alcohol and showed members of the commission that school had selected the EZ Mart as their “favorite store” in the previous year’s yearbook. “I know this doesn’t prove anything,” she said. “But I think it sends a clear message.” A final decision is expected to be made at the commission’s next meeting in November. oboss@thegardnernews.com

Appeared on Page 1 on 10/15/2008 (Vol. 206 No. 244)