Store’s liquor license in limbo

Commission continues hearing on former EZ Mart, citing lack of info

By Owen Boss

GARDNER — The Liquor License Commission voted to continue the decision to reinstate the liquor license to the owner of the former EZ Mart Tuesday, because officials said they weren’t presented enough background information about the store’s current management. The store, located at 56 Union Square, recently changed its name from EZ Mart to Daily Needs, and commission Chairman Thomas Carroll said he needed more specific information before he could make a decision. “We can’t seem to get a clear picture of what is going on down there,” said Mr. Carroll. “I want to know who is actually operating that place, whether it is the same corporation or a different corporation, I want to know who is the manager, because we don’t know what is going on and I am not comfortable issuing a license.” A lawyer representing the owner offered the board a petition signed by several hundred residents asking for the reinstatement of the liquor license and a letter from the Alcohol and Beverage Commission in Boston stating that they felt the license should be reinstated because the revocation was based mostly on hearsay. Sgt. Guy Bibeau, who adamantly fought to revoke the owner’s liquor license after a store employee was arrested for selling alcohol to minors, said he wanted to know what would happen if the location was in fact under new management. “I was wondering if they get their license back — I am under the assumption that the business has been sold, from what I have been told,” said Sgt. Bibeau. “There is a new guy already in there from what I understand.” In response, the lawyer representing the owner said he did not know who was managing the location because he was only hired to work with the appeal. Speaking out against the reinstatement of the license was owner of Anthony’s Liquor Mart, James Kraskouskas, who said the owner depended on selling to minors to keep the business afloat. “We have a case here where there was so much blatant selling of alcohol to minors that the Gardner Police Department had to do an investigation,” said Mr. Kraskouskas. “When there are circumstances where these convenience stores get into financial difficulty as apparently this one is — because they don’t have enough money to put gas in their gas pumps and the lottery won’t give them a Lottery license. This is a blatant violation of the most sacred part of the alcohol beverage law which is the prevention of the sale or delivery to minors and they completely ignored it.” Mr. Kraskouskas said he agreed with the license commission’s previous decision and was disappointed he was unable to attend the meeting with the Alcohol and Beverage Commission in Boston. “I think the action of the board in the beginning was very appropriate and long overdue,” said Mr. Kraskouskas. According to the lawyer representing the owner, the store has not changed ownership, but has a new manager who recently purchased the food left in the inventory and is leasing both the store and the equipment inside. A decision is expected to be made at the commission’s next meeting in October. oboss@thegardnernews.com

Appeared on Page 1 on 9/10/2008 (Vol. 206 No. 214)