As Braintree Renews Liquor Licenses, Officials Encourage Safe Drinking Practices
By Joseph Markman
Braintree Patch
BRAINTREE, MA – In the midst of both the holiday and annual alcohol license renewal seasons, Braintree officials Tuesday sought to spread a message of responsible drinking to residents and business owners.
The Board of License Commissioners voted unanimously, with Fire Chief Kevin Murphy absent, to approve one-year renewals for every business and organization holding an alcohol license in Braintree, contingent on any necessary paperwork or payments being made to the town.
Three license holders still owe taxes, Licensing Coordinator Annette McLaughlin said.
As of Tuesday’s renewal process, 30 restaurants, one hotel and six clubs held all-alcohol licenses, six establishments held wine & malt common victualler licenses, six held all-alcohol package goods store licenses, three held wine & malt package goods store licenses, and two held veterans organizations licenses.
If establishments fail to submit payments or documentation for the license, they will not receive the 2013 renewal. Businesses with outstanding alcohol violation or inactivity issues may still be called before the board for potential action against their licenses despite the renewal, Chair Joe Powers said.
Powers also said that in concert with Mayor Joseph Sullivan and Town Solicitor Carolyn Murray, he “strongly encourages” license holders to seek police details during the upcoming holidays to deal with crowd control.
When businesses serving alcohol in Braintree pick up their licenses this month, they are also being asked to participate in the HERO Campaign, which encourages liquor-serving establishments to encourage designated drivers.
Participants hang a poster promoting the campaign, provide wristbands to designated drivers so that they cannot order alcohol and give them free soft drinks.
“It’s a way of enticing people to assign a designated driver before they go out for the night,” Police Chief Russell Jenkins said. “It’s a great idea and I would encourage our businesses to support it.”
Since early November, when he launched the campaign locally at Patriot Place in Foxborough, Norfolk County District Attorney has spoken to officials around the county about initiating the program in their towns.
The campaign’s goal is “to register one million designated drivers and make having a designated driver be as automatic as wearing a seatbelt.”
Bill and Muriel Elliot, who founded the Ensign John R. Elliot Human Education Resource Officer (HERO) Campaign for designated drivers, named it after their son, a graduate of the Naval Academy who was struck and killed by a drunken driver on his way home for his mother’s birthday in 2000.
The campaign name comes from an honor John received at Annapolis: he was elected by his peers as a Human Education Resource Officer, or “HERO,” to mentor other cadets. He was also named the outstanding HERO in his graduating class, according to the campaign website.
More information can be found at www.herocampaign.org.
