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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 19, 2005 Store busted in OLCC sting Minute Market on Oakdale Avenue gets caught selling alcohol to minors for the fourth time in 18 months By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune Owners of a Medford convenience store are being punished because their employees have been caught selling alcohol to minors four times since December 2003 during Oregon Liquor Control Commission "compliance checks." The owners of Minute Market, 401 S. Oakdale Ave., must pay $4,950 or serve a 30-day liquor license suspension for the latest violation, which occurred Feb. 19, OLCC spokesman Ken Palke said. A Minute Market employee did not verify the age of an underage OLCC volunteer before selling him alcohol during the check, Palke said. "That’s way too many," Palke said. "We’re not happy when (a business) sells one time (to a minor). ... It is a cause for concern." Previous violations occurred during OLCC compliance checks in December 2003, March 2004 and October 2004. Advertisement Phone calls made to Minute Market officials on Tuesday and Wednesday were not returned. Medford police Lt. Mike Moran said that while the South Oakdale Avenue market is "a gathering place" for young people, he could not find any police reports indicating liquor sales to minors there. The Minute Market is enrolled in the OLCC’s "responsible vendor program," which requires employees to be trained about laws regarding alcohol sales. "They’re trying to co-operate" by remaining in the program, Palke said. "We hope they do a better job training their people." Had the market not been enrolled in the program, it would have lost its liquor license after the most recent offense, Palke said. If a store employee agrees to sell to a minor during a future OLCC compliance check, the market will lose its license for 30 days and pay a $4,950 fine. A sixth offense will warrant a 60-day license suspension, Palke said. Stores like Minute Market that have multiple previous violations are targeted during compliance checks, Palke said. OLCC has a letter on file from Minute Market saying its policy is to terminate employees who violate state liquor laws. According to the letter, a store clerk who was caught selling alcohol to a minor during the October 2004 compliance check was fired, Palke said. He did not know if other employees caught in compliance checks had been terminated. During OLCC compliance checks, minors between the ages of 18 and 20 try to buy alcohol to test if businesses properly check for identification before agreeing to sell. Underage volunteers are supervised by OLCC inspectors, carry their own legal identification and are directed not to disguise their age or encourage the sale of alcohol. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s