Crime & Safety
Edgartown Store Drops Liquor License Request
The owners of Sophia's One-Stop Mart on Main Street, which lost its right to sell alcohol last year, have more work to do before they should be allowed to get a new liquor license, Edgartown officials said Monday.
An upper Main Street, Edgartown convenience store that lost its liquor license last year will not be selling beer and wine again any time soon.
Sophia's One-Stop Mart "has been a complete nuisance for us," Edgartown Police Chief Tony Bettencourt told selectmen at Monday's regular meeting, during a discussion of whether the store should again be licensed to sell alcohol.
"This is not something I would support at all," Bettencourt continued. "We've spent a lot of hours there," monitoring and enforcing the rules on selling alcohol.
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Suspension preceded shutdown of beer/wine sales
Sophia's One-Stop Mart had its license suspended for 10 days in July, 2012 after four documented cases of selling alcohol to minors, according to a report in the Martha's Vineyard Times.
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In December, Sophia's was ordered to stop selling and remove all alcohol from the store after town officials discovered the business had been sold without transferring the liquor license, rendering the document invalid, said town administrator Pam Dolby.
Selectmen subsequently voted not to renew the license.
"This business is tainted terribly"
The store's current owner came to selectmen Monday seeking a new license to sell alcohol at Sophia's, but received no encouragement.
"This business is tainted terribly by the actions of the previous owner," said selectman Arthur Smadbeck. "It probably would be a better idea to withdraw the application until you have the support of the chief (Bettencourt)."
Sophia's agreed to withdraw its application.
Click "Keep me posted" for automatic updates when we publish more news about alcohol sales. You may also be interested in reading Two Summer Liquor Stores Approved for Edgartown.
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