ADAMS -- Selectmen strongly upheld the town's alcohol policies at a meeting Wednesday night, hitting one business with a 20-day license suspension and sending back an application from a second to alter its liquor license.
John Dudek, general manager of Mount Greylock's Bascom Lodge, the business cited, attended the open hearing held at Town Hall to explain the violation.
On Monday, June 11, Massachusetts State Police and Adams Police Department visited the site to investigate alleged violations of liquor law, because the business had yet to renew its license this year. Police reports say a patron with a bottle of wine in the restaurant claimed to have bought the alcohol from the business -- leading police to confirm a violation had occurred.
At the meeting, Dudek attributed the violations to difficulty dealing with the state building inspector charged with clearing the restaurant for sales. He said numerous attempts were made by email and phone, including one scheduled inspection that was later canceled. In the meantime, pre-scheduled events and weddings where patrons expecting to be allowed alcohol were forthcoming on the calendar.
"The problem was that the lodge was caught between two difficult situations," Dudek said. "Our license, under normal circumstances, should have been renewed already."
According to reports, Dudek opted to serve patrons, and subsequently, violations were reported and then followed
Selectmen approached the matter very seriously. Initially, a $100 fine and two day suspension was proposed, but the suspension was ultimately upped to 20 days.
"I don't like people blatantly disobeying the law," Selectman Michael Ouellette said. "I think it's wrong. On the other hand, I don't want to do anything that's going to hurt that business up on the mountain; I think it's great."
The suspension includes time served, since the restaurant's liquor license has, in effect, been suspended since the violation. With all the necessary approvals now having been gathered from the state building inspector and the town Fire Chief, the earliest the license can be activated is July 3.
The request to alter a liquor license came from Commercial Street's Haflinger Haus, asking that the business' liquor license be altered to include outdoor alcohol service.
Due to lack of specificity, Selectman Arthur Harrington called the application "totally inadequate" by the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission standards.
"I'd ask [the applicants] to comply with the guidelines," Harrington said. "I support the idea, but give us something we can approve."
In other business, Adams-Cheshire Regional School District Superintendent Alfred Skrocki attended the meeting to update the town on the school building project at Hoosac Valley High School. Skrocki said four of the building's six major sections are complete, with the other two both over 85 percent complete.
"We basically have a new building from above the ceiling to below the floor," Skrocki said. "I feel very strongly that it's going to serve the community for the next 50 years."
Tours of the space for local officials and public departments, state authorities, parents and students are being planned for August.
To reach Phil Demers, email
pdemers@thetranscript.com.
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