News

Liquor authority busy in Greene, Columbia

By Jim Planck

GREENE/COLUMBIA COUNTIES — The New York State Liquor Authority (SLA), the regulatory arm of the state’s Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, meets twice a month in NYC to review matters that come before it, and licenses in Greene and Columbia counties are no exception to the massive volume of cases that it handles at each session.

Since the start of 2008, the SLA has thus far levied a total of $33,000 in civil penalties against parties in Columbia and Greene, as well as initiating $3,000 in surety bond claims, revoking two licenses, and canceling one.

The difference between a revoked license and a canceled one is that while both terminate the liquor license, the revocation also carries with it a two-year prohibition of applying for another one, while the cancellation does not carry that ban.

Civil penalties are monetary fines levied against the license holder, while surety bond claims are applied against a bond which a license holder has to obtain in order to get a license.

Surety bonds typically guarantee that sufficient money will be available to the state should a business’ financial obligation to the government outlive the business, or if it is otherwise unable to pay the obligation.

One such example was at the SLA’s Aug. 6 meeting, in which the Authority instituted a $1,000 bond claim against Firehouse Tavern of Catskill, Inc., the license holder for the former Firehouse Tavern on Main Street, in Catskill.

Closed for more than a year, the Firehouse’s license was also formally canceled by the SLA at that meeting.

Two civil penalties were also levied that same day, one against a license holder in Greene County and another for one in Columbia.

They were, respectively, a $4,500 penalty against Candelite OMT of Catskill, Inc., the license holder for Candelite OMT, on Route 32, in the Town of Catskill, and a $2,500 penalty against Anthony J. Marro Jr., the license holder doing business as Big T’s Bar & Grill, on Route 9G in Germantown.

The previous month, at its July 9 meeting, the SLA levied a $2,500 civil penalty against Friar Tuck Inn of the Catskills, on Route 32 in the Town of Catskill.

Also in the Town of Catskill, the Catskill Golf Club, Inc., doing business as The Fairways Restaurant, on Brooks Lane, had a $2,000 civil penalty levied against it back on the Authority’s April 30 meeting.

At that same meeting, Dats Moose Head Tavern, Inc., doing business as Dats Moose Head Tavern, in Hudson, had a $2,500 civil penalty levied against it.

Additionally, a $1,000 bond claim was also instituted against Stewarts Village Inn, Inc., the license holder for the Copake Inn, in Copake, which was accompanied by a revocation of the license.

However, the SLA disciplinary records of penalties imposed also show an exact duplicate of that action being taken only one month earlier, at its March 5 meeting, but which was also accompanied by a civil penalty of $10,000.

Also at that March meeting, Drake Petroleum Co., Inc., the license holder doing business as the Germantown Xtra Mart, on Route 9G in Germantown, had a $4,000 civil penalty levied against it.

Two actions taken at the SLA’s April 16 meeting complete the Authority’s actions in the Twin Counties since the beginning of the year. No actions were taken in either Columbia or Greene during the months of January and February.

A $6,000 civil penalty was levied against Pramukh Food Mart, Inc., doing business as the Mobil Convenience Store, at 505 Fairview Ave., in Hudson, at the April 16 meeting, as well as a $1,500 civil penalty against Sophia’s Pizza of Greenville, Inc., the license holder for Sophia’s Pizza & Grill, at Bryant’s Country Square, Route 32, in Greenville.

The next meeting of the State Liquor Authority is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 20. There are currently no Greene or Columbia license holders listed on the agenda.

The SLA meets in NYC, but their meetings are streamed over the Internet and are also archived in their entirety for subsequent public viewing at will.

For more information on the State Liquor Authority, its meetings and actions, call the office of the Authority’s Secretary in Albany at (518) 402-4394, or visit www.abc.state.ny.us.

To reach reporter Jim Planck, call 518-943-2100, ext. 3324, or e-mail jplanck@thedailymail.net.

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