2011 Spring/Summer

Fall— Winter 2010/2011
Commissioner’s Corner
By: Michael J. Hogan
DLC SPIRIT
VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF LIQUOR CONTROL
As we go into the last quarter of the year there
are still many uncertainties in our business. The
industry is fundamentally healthy, but the overall
economy is recovering more slowly, and that
means an even slower pace in Vermont.
I attended our national association’s annual
conference in May. The theme was responsible
control, suggesting the balancing act we have to
continuously achieve – protection of public health
and safety while generating revenue. Seminars
focused on surviving this difficult economy, problems with alcohol on campus, putting technology
to work, and the history of the control state
model.
Privatization issues continue to take a front
row seat as legislatures reconvene next year and
new administrations take office. Here are some
quotes from NABCA’s trade newsletter speaking
about these issues in Washington State, Oregon
and other states: “The winds of much more
sweeping change are beginning to kick up around
Oregon’s system of controlling the sale of distilled
spirits. In Washington State, voters this fall will
decide on two competing initiatives that would
privatize liquor sales. One is being pushed by
Costco and the other by the state’s liquor distributors. If either becomes law in Washington, then
Oregon would be the West Coast’s only remaining “control state” . Iowa and West Virginia, the
only two states that have privatized their retail
stores in the past two decades, each made less in
license fees and sales of assets upfront than they
had anticipated. Maine, which leased out its
wholesale operation to one consortium, got an
initial revenue boost from its privatization, but
continues to collect less money each year than
when it ran its liquor system”.
Commissioner Michael J. Hogan
Vermont’s manufacturers of distilled
spirits have continued to grow so much
that a meeting was recently convened at
our offices to discuss some of their concerns and plans for the future. It was very
well attended with some issues being resolved and a consensus among the group
to start an organization similar to the Wine
Council that will collectively speak for the
distillers.
The legislature will convene in January,
2011 with a new Governor. As of this
date, the Democratic candidate for Governor has not been finalized due to a recount.
The department is reviewing its sales
program and will make some changes to it
effective January 2011. Meetings with the
Board and supplier/brokers have produced
some good ideas that will be finalized in a
meeting in October.
All the great things are simple, and many
can be expressed in a single word: freedom,
justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.
Winston Churchill
Inside this issue:
DLC DIVISION UPDATES
2
RESPONSIBLE RETAILER FORUM
3-6
NABCA RECOGNIZES VERMONT IN LIST OF BEST PRACTICES
6-7
2010 SADD NATIONAL CONFERENCE
8-9
NEW ONLINE TRAINING AVAILABLE FOR VERMONT STORE CLERKS
9
SUMMER INTERNS ASSIST DLC’s ACCOUNTING DIVISION
12-13
2010 PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK
16-17
DLC Division Updates
IT
By: Frank J. Perricone
ERP/POS Project: With our WMS project completed, we're moving on to begin the largest and
most ambitious phase of replacing our obsolete,
hard-to-maintain computer systems. Due to the
very tight connections between our point of sale
(POS) and back office retail (ERP) systems, it
only makes sense to replace them together with
something modern, state of the art, and not dependent on outdated technologies and in-house
maintenance that our resources can no longer
support. This project will ultimately amount to
replacing most of our core business software,
and re-engineering most of our business processes; it is very easy to underestimate the scope
and impact of this project.
It's hard to get time to make progress on the
project while keeping up with the workload of
managing our existing systems with evershrinking resources, but so far, we've been focusing on researching the market and what systems exist, and speaking with many vendors as
well as other customers to get an idea of what
we can expect a new system to handle for us.
The next step will be creating a request for proposals (RFP) to get a consultant to analyze our
systems and processes, evaluate our needs, and
match them up with offerings in the market. The
result of this will be a detailed plan for implementation, and another RFP to purchase the new
system and any services needed in configuring
and installing it, deploying it, and getting it into
production.
This will include new cash registers (certainly
software, probably also hardware), which will
have a lot of new capabilities, and which will be
much easier to maintain and keep working. It's
likely they will also be able to use (and probably
require) an Internet connection for a live link
back to our central office computer, which will
mean faster credit card processing, simpler endday and start-day processes, live backup of key
data, and no more struggle to keep phone lines
working. It will also include a new system in our
central office which will replace most of what's
currently done on Sequoia, and provide better
Page 2
access to data, better reliability, more modern
functionality, better reporting, and a much more
robust platform for future growth without dependence on increasingly hard-to-find hardware,
software, and services.
Gift Cards: Since it will likely take years to obtain funding and carry out the analysis, design,
and implementation of the new POS and ERP
system, we're working on implementing a gift
card program on the old registers. This will require both a contract with a bank that provides
gift card services, and another one with a programmer to develop software changes on our
registers to support them. We're currently working through the RFP approval process.
WMS Customization: We've finally gotten the
proposal we asked Robocom for in the spring for
some customizations to our WMS software which
should help us address the shortcomings, including revisions to the shipping report, changes in
how replenishment is prioritized, additional
checks to avoid “mispicks” in the bottle area, and
easier-to-read split case labels. We're working
on the contract process to get this proposal carried out.
Pumpkin Bread
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup pumpkin
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cold coffee
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
Mix all ingredients. Bake at 300
degrees for 45 minutes. Makes 2
loaves
DLC SPIRIT
2010 RESPONSIBLE RETAILER FORUM
By Steve Waldo
From nearly the beginning, the Vermont Department of Liquor Control has been actively involved in an
innovative national effort that goes by the name of RRF, or the Responsible Retailer Forum.
The Responsible Retailer Forum brings together public and private stakeholders—regulatory and enforcement agencies; attorneys general; public health agencies and advocates; retailers and their associations;
distributors and producers; and researchers—in order to (1) identify and promulgate Best Practices to prevent
underage sales of age-restricted products; and (2) examine the impacts of RR policies from the diverse perspectives of these different stakeholders.
Background:
The RR Forum has emerged from the work of state attorneys general who—under the authority of Consumer
Protection statutes—have been engaging national retail chains in efforts to improve their age-verification and
underage sales refusal for age-restricted products. Through a series of regional meetings in 1999 organized by
Brandeis University’s Heller School with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, it became clear
that retailers already had adopted policies to prohibit unlawful sales to minors, but these policies did not translate into appropriate and consistent store-level conduct. Then, in March 2000, Brandeis conducted a meeting
for national stakeholders in Washington, D.C., hosted by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
to consider the feasibility—and desirability—of public-private cooperation in promoting effective RR policies
and practices. Although the desire for further dialogue was strong, the potential for public-private cooperation
was impeded by the lack of certainty as to what specific measures would be effective in reducing unlawful
underage sales.
In response to this dilemma, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (part of SAMHSA) commissioned
a federal guidance document, Report on Best Practices for Responsible Retailing (“CSAP Report”), under the
direction of Dr. Brad Krevor of the Heller School. The CSAP Report contained three principal innovations:
(a) identification of the constituent parts of RR; (b) emphasis upon managerial systems to supervise, incentivize, and monitor clerk conduct, and (c) calls upon public agencies not only to enforce sales to minors laws, but
also to assist retailers in identifying and implementing Responsible Retailing Best Practices—an “enforcement
+ assistance” model. The CSAP Report recognizes that the performance of store-level RR practices is
affected by a community context and by state- and community-level laws, policies and resources.
Activities:
National Meeting: The RR Forum conducts a national meeting that brings together diverse public and
private stake-holders to present academic research and state and community field projects identifying Best
Practices for RR and to examine topical RR issues.
- In the 1st RR Forum, approximately 45 representatives of alcohol producers, state attorneys generals,
regulatory and enforcement agencies, national retail chains / associations, and researchers shared (somewhat
warily!) their own perspectives on the problems of underage sales and use and their perceptions of other
stakeholders’ roles and responsibilities for these problems and their potential remedies.
- In the 2nd RR Forum (Las Vegas, NV February 2004), the participants had grown to almost 80, reflecting additional representation of the Federal Trade Commission, the public health community and prevention
agents; and the dialogue grew more frank as participants started to listen more attentively and openly to one
another and to recognize that organizations with very different perspectives and objectives could nevertheless
cooperate to achieve the common goal of reducing underage sales.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
- In the 3rd RR Form (Santa Fe, NM March 2005), attendance grew to approximately 100 individuals
representing 31 states and over 45,000 retail outlets (including Wal-Mart, ExxonMobil, Southland, British
Petroleum, Walgreens), major brewers and distillers and national advocates.
- The 2006 national meeting was held in Washington, D.C. (April 18-20), again with over 100 attendees
representing 29 states, including a special pre-conference meeting for Washington-based stakeholders
representing national associations and federal agencies. The 5th national conference was again held in
Santa Fe, NM (April 8-9. 2007).
RR Policy Examination: The RR Forum conducts periodic examinations of aspects of public and private
RR policy.
- In 2004-2005, a Policy Work Group presented an examination of three RR policy areas: “zero tolerance”
policies (i.e. automatic termination for employees who sell to a minor); appropriate penalty structures for
clerks and licensees; and incentive policies to encourage licensees to adopt and sustain aggressive RR policies.
- In 2006-2007, the Policy Work Group conducted an examination of implementation issues relating to the
newly enacted STOP Act, which was discussed in a plenary session at the 2007 RRF national meeting and
presented formally to SAMHSA in November, 2007.
Field Studies: the RRF has partnered with state regulatory / enforcement agencies and retail associations
to operationalize the “enforcement + assistance” model. In Birmingham, AL, Des Moines, IA, Springfield,
MO and Santa Fe, NM between September 2003 and May 2005, the RRF and its state partners pilot-tested a
quality improvement tool to assist retailers to identify and implement Best Practices identified in the CSAP
Report and a Mystery Shopper Reporting System to provide retailers with detailed feedback on actual store
conduct as a quality assurance tool. In late 2005, RRF began a community roll-out of the new RR model,
starting in Albuquerque, NM, with two additional study sites—Iowa City, IA and Waltham, MA—launched in
2006. A report of this community roll-out of what is now called the RR Systems Project shows the strong
potential of this model for improving age-verification conduct.
The Responsible Retailer Forum, a national non-profit organization dedicated to responsible retailing of
age-restricted products, has prepared a list of recommended practices to reduce underage sales and service of
alcohol by off-premises licensees. This list has been adopted by the Federal Government. Every responsible
retailer should adopt these practices. The list is not all-inclusive and retailers may engage in additional practices to reduce illegal underage sales.
1. Create and maintain a written sales policy. Establishments should have a written policy identifying
steps that staff must take for every transaction, including:
♦ What are acceptable forms of ID and when is a 2nd form of ID required?
♦ What perceived age triggers an ID check?
♦ What should be done if an ID appears to be fake or if a 3rd party sale (such as a “shoulder-tap”) is suspected?
♦ When and how should a sale be refused?
♦ What record keeping and supervisor notification are required when problems occur?
♦ What consequences will be imposed when staff fail to check IDs?
2. Train staff and management on the alcohol sales policy. All staff should be fully trained before
being permitted to sell alcohol. Training should include:
♦Information on the risks of underage use of alcohol products.
♦Pertinent local and state laws.
♦Every aspect of the store policies identified in Practice #1, above.
♦Roll-playing on how to request an ID and deny a sale in a non-confrontational manner.
♦Local laws may set additional specific training requirements.
♦Training for managers should also include training of clerks and supervision to insure adherence to these
practices. Managers should review and reinforce training with staff periodically.
3. Provide the right tools. Providing appropriate tools helps staff to sell responsibly. These tools
should be used in the most appropriate combination to provide the requisite support to the seller:
♦ Program registers to recognize age-restricted products and prompt cashiers to require ID.
♦ If possible, program registers to read IDs electronically and calculate age, or use a stand-alone electronic
ID scanner and/or a “black light” wand, in states in which these technologies can determine the authenticity of an ID.
♦ If built-in or stand-alone electronic ID verification is not possible, employ a specialty calendar showing
birth dates eligible to buy.
♦ Use daily shift reminders that remind staff about the importance of checking IDs and the date of birth on,
or before which, a customer is old enough to purchase alcohol.
♦ Provide a current ID guidebook that shows valid ID formats for all states and US territories.
4. Monitor staff conduct. Rigorously monitor staff performance as a quality control strategy:
♦ Conduct “mystery shop” inspections—attempted purchases by customers young enough to trigger the
establishment‘s ID-checking requirement—to provide staff and managers with feedback on staff performance. RRF currently recommends 6-12 visits a year.
♦ Mystery shopper results and the results of law enforcement compliance checks should be reviewed
promptly with all staff—not just with the individual clerk who waited on the mystery shopper. Feedback
to staff members who fail to check IDs should include counseling and re-training. The consequences for
a 2nd failure may include suspension or termination.
♦ Review point-of-sale video tapes and cash register data or other internal monitoring systems to supplement mystery shop inspections. New employees in particular should be reviewed.
5. Employ security practices to reduce underage theft. Use theft deterrent equipment and/or a
floor plan that keeps alcohol shelves and coolers unobstructed for store management and staff and permits
staff to monitor customers and reduce alcohol theft.
6. Keep records. Records may be used for communicating front line challenges to management, for
positive recognition programs for employees, and for demonstrating your company’s RR practices.
♦ Document all training, mystery shops, law enforcement compliance checks, and disciplinary actions in
staff personnel records.
♦ Keep an unusual occurrence log and any related video.
♦ Appoint a high-level employee to oversee the store’s compliance with laws concerning the sale and marketing of age-restricted products and these Recommended Practices.
7. Communicate with the public. Be a community asset. Retailers serve their communities when
they post information about their commitment to enforcing the legal age of purchase and the importance of
preventing teen access to alcohol.
♦ Post signs about your ID checking policies at the entrance and near registers where age-restricted products
are sold.
♦ Establish working relationships with local law enforcement.
♦ Get involved in industry associations and the community to express a commitment to prevent underage
sales and use.
8. Don’t market to youth. Alcohol products should not be displayed in an area that contains sodas,
snack foods or energy drinks—especially since some alcohol products can look like non-alcoholic drinks.
♦ Don’t display youth-oriented advertising for alcohol products in your store.
♦ Free product sampling may be inappropriate if youth are permitted in the store.
♦ Don’t advertise alcohol products in college or high school publications, or outdoors near schools or playgrounds.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
9. Most importantly: Responsible Retailing is a management responsibility. Every aspect of preventing underage sales and service is a management responsibility. Continually discussing the importance of preventing
underage and 3rd party sales with staff is the surest way for managers to avoid the penalties and liabilities—for themselves, their
employees, their customers and their communities—that are associated with underage alcohol sales and use.
The Responsible Retailer Forum began as a project involving only off-premise retailers but has since
been expanded to include on-premise establishments as well. Very soon a similar document to the one above
will be published for use by all restaurant, nightclub and taverns around the country. The Vermont Department of Liquor Control remains committed and proud to be such an involved partner in this ground-breaking
effort.
(Thank you to Dr. Brad Krevor for a majority of the content of the above information.)
NABCA Recognizes Vermont in List of Best Practices
By Steve Waldo
The National Alcohol Beverage Control Association recently published a Best Practices Guide for use by all
agencies involved in the sale and control of alcohol around the country. This guide represents the best Control
State Practices currently in existence nationwide. Vermont was overwhelmingly represented by the recognition
of several innovative programs or practices.
Those practices from Vermont are:
1. Security/bouncer training: This training initiative educates persons providing security services to licensed establishments.
2. Seller/server training seminars: Educate persons selling alcohol and tobacco products and persons
serving alcohol regarding their legal responsibilities regarding the product.
3. Sister State Alcohol Seminar: This initiative educates persons selling alcohol and persons serving alcohol regarding their legal responsibilities surrounding the product in bordering states. Students completing the
single class will receive certification in both states.
4. A Whole New World/Alcohol Trends and the Internet: Alcohol web sites and party helpers are just the
start of what you find when you log on. There is a “whole new world” of concerns for prevention advocates
and law enforcement alike. Tales of use and abuse often with colorful pictures and narratives are floating
through cyberspace. The workshop looks at new trends and helps explore how to use the web as a prevention
and enforcement tool.
5. Community Outreach/Coalition Training: This education program strives to educate persons in community coalitions about concerns and trends in their areas.
6. Community Outreach/ Incentivized Seminars: This initiative partners Liquor Control Educational Seminars with the local area coalition. The coalition provides various incentives to the attendees from gas cards, to
attendance checks, to different kinds of food and snacks. It also gives the coalition the opportunity to showcase
various strategies to the attendees as well as recruit them into the effort. Many coalitions also use this opportunity to provide services such as smoking cessation to the attendees.
7. Community Outreach/Sticker Shock: The Sticker Shock Campaign is designed to reach adults who might
purchase alcohol legally and then provide it to minors. Stickers warning about the penalties for furnishing alcohol
to minors are placed on all multi-packs of beer, wine coolers, and other alcohol products that might appeal to
CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
underage drinkers.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
8.
Police officer liquor control training: Provide interactive training for recruits at the Police Academy regarding their statutory duties regarding alcohol.
9.
Unannounced inspections on all licensed and permitted locations: We rely on licensees to voluntarily
comply with Vermont’s Regulatory and Statutory requirements. In light of this, unannounced, random inspections are conducted on a daily basis throughout the state to insure such compliance on the part of licensees and their employees. When doing an unannounced inspection, Investigators look for potential underage
customers, customers that are displaying obvious signs of intoxication, employees that may be under the influence or for any violations of the numerous rules and regulations. Additionally, Investigators check invoices to insure that licensees are purchasing their malt and vinous products from Vermont wholesale dealers
or their spirituous liquors from the Liquor Control Board. They also check education records to insure that
everyone involved in the preparation, sale or service of alcohol or the enforcement of the rules and regulations are current with their mandatory training requirements.
10. Undercover operations for “Nuisance Bars”: When Investigators or the main DLC office receive multiple complaints regarding underage drinking or over service in a particular establishment, the Investigator responsible for that establishment requests an undercover team to patronize the establishment for two to three
nights in a row. The reason for the multiple visits is to establish that repeat complaints are due to the way the
establishment conducts business. The undercover team consists of two Investigators (from another part of
the state) inside with the area investigator close by outside in the event something was to go wrong. The inside Investigators note the specifics of violations and reports are filed with the main office in Montpelier. If
serious violations are noted, the decision is made to do a summary suspension on the licensed establishment
to insure continued public safety. A hearing will then be held within a few day of the suspension where the
Liquor Control Board will consider the evidence when deciding on whether to merely suspend or completely
revoke the establishment’s liquor license.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Keri Stasulis, VTLSP/
SADD Program
Assistant, and
Benjamin Bailey
were engaged on
April 30, 2010.
A wedding date is yet
to be set.
Congratulations Keri
and Ben!!
Vermont Student Leaders Gather in Orlando to Gain New
Skills in Prevention Education
By: Keri Stasulis
Contact: Keri Stasulis
802-893-5213
Orlando, FL – Leaders from the Vermont Teen Leadership Safety Program (VTLSP)
joined other activists from across the country to learn the latest in prevention education at
the 2010 Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) National Conference.
Nearly 600 SADD youth and adult leaders gathered together at the four-day SADD
National Conference in Orlando, FL, June 27th-30th, to share best practices in educating
their peers and promoting positive decision-making. VTLSP brought more then 40 teens
from across the state of Vermont to this national conference. Conference sponsors included
DCH Auto Group, TOYOTA Motor Sales, USA, and Bridgestone Americas, Inc.
As part of the four-day SADD National Conference, youth leaders from VTLSP attended
workshops aimed at providing students with information about topics critical to youth health
and safety, such as underage drinking, teen violence and suicide, driving safety, diversity,
bullying, and youth advocacy. They participated in motivational activities and presentations
aimed at exchanging new approaches and gathering ideas that they will now share with the
community and develop into events for their VTLSP/SADD chapter.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
“SADD students from VTLSP are dedicated to helping our peers make safe, positive
decisions,” said Hayley LeCours, National Representative of VTLSP. “It was exciting to
meet with other youth who share the same mission. We have learned a lot from each other,
and we’re excited to put our new skills into action.”
Stafford Technical Center of Rutland, Vermont, captured the honor of Chapter of the
Year at the SADD National Conference. This chapter has worked extensively throughout
the past year promoting and spreading the SADD message to other schools and communities in their county as well as seeding the first college SADD chapter in Vermont! They have
focused on underage drinking, teen dating violence, internet safety, and a wide array of
other initiatives. The chapter's membership has doubled in size and continues to be progressive in each of its activities and programs. John D’Esposito, VTLSP/SADD advisor to
Stafford Technical Center was this year’s runner up for the Advisor of the Year award.
SADD, the nation’s leading peer-to-peer youth education, prevention, and activism
organization, is committed to empowering young people to lead initiatives in their schools
and communities. Founded in 1981, today SADD has thousands of chapters in middle
schools, high schools, and colleges. SADD highlights prevention of many destructive
behaviors and attitudes that are harmful to young people, including underage drinking,
other drug use, risky and impaired driving, and teen violence and suicide. More information
about SADD can be found at sadd.org.
New Online Training Available for Vermont Store Clerks
By: Steve Waldo
In 2009, the Vermont Department of Liquor Control recognized the need for a quality online, certified training program for store clerks. We are creating an entirely new training program for sellers of alcohol in Vermont.
This program, commonly called "eLearning" is a certified educational program that is web based, created from
the ground up by the Educators from the Vermont Department of Liquor Control. The Department of Liquor
Control’s Education Division is creating the program content and will be updating it regularly.
A contracted entity is being hired to host the content. This host is responsible for registering the student,
grading the exams, collecting the fee for the course and creating the student certificate upon successful completion. We are using a grant from the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association as "seed" money to get
the program off the ground. Once students begin paying for attendance, the entire cost will be shouldered by
the students, making it revenue neutral for the taxpayers of the State and totally sustainable.
The Education Division already teaches seminars for both sellers and servers of alcohol and tobacco, and
course content has been gleaned from those in-person presentations or seminars. The intent is to reach a significantly larger number of cashiers, who for various reasons could not attend an in-person seminar.
The Vermont Retail Grocers’ Association has expressed an interest in advertising this new service to
Vermonters as well as other industry representatives to get the word out. The Vermont Department of Liquor
Control is very excited about this new offering, so keep a close eye on our website for the soon-to-be announced
launch date.
Vermont Fall and Winter 2010 Events
Thru 10-31-2010: Weekly Carving Demos at Birds of Vermont Museum, 1-2 PM on Saturdays. Free with museum admission (members
admitted free). Watch a wood carver at work;; learn tips and techniques; meet other carvers.
Contact Erin Talmadge (802) 434-2167 E-mail: [email protected]
9/24-9/26 Roots Rendezvous - several day primitive skills gathering in East Calais. Participants will be able to choose from a wide variety of
workshops, including hide tanning, archery, mushroom walks, bird awareness and more. E-mail [email protected] (802) 456-1253
9/25/10 Fall Foliage Festival in East Burke. Events include Parade, Rubber Duck Race, Live Music, Kids Area with a Jump House, face
painting, Craft show and much more!
9/25 - 9/26 7th Annual Vermont Fine Furniture and Woodworking Festival in Woodstock. Union Arena, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Contact Erin
Sheridan (802) 747-7900. Premiere woodworking event - shop for the best Vermont-made wood products, including bowls, baskets, furniture,
jewelry, carving, flooring, cabinetry, etc. Prizes, local food and music, and free shuttle rides to the Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historic
Park
Northeast Kingdom Fall Foliage Festival - a week-long event hosted by seven Northeast Kingdom towns. Local history, entertainment, photo
ops, church suppers, crafts and tours in Walden, Cabot, Plainfield, Peacham, Barnet, Groton and St. Johnsbury.
E-mail: [email protected]
“Dead North - Farmland of Terror” in Danville at the Great Vermont Corn Maze. Tickets are on sale now for October 1, 2, 8 & 9. This
popular event sells out quickly!; call (802) 748-1399 or e-mail: [email protected]
This year’s haunt will include wagon rides, a 1/2 mile walk of terror through a haunted cornfield and buildings including animatronics, the
“mostly” live residents of “Dead North” and special effects. PLUS, if you survive the walk, there are 3 buildings in the village which you may
experience. NOT recommended for young children or persons with health concerns. Event occurs Rain or Shine, so dress appropriately
Vermont HomeStyle’s Interior and Trends Show 10/2 and 10/3. Saturday 9-6 and Sunday 10-4 at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center.
Price is $5. Contact Lindsey Cambell (802) 985-3091 or e-mail: [email protected]
The Vermont HomeStyle show is a 2-day event showcasing interior design for the home and is open to design professionals and consumers.
The show features Vermont retailers and manufacturers in design categories including furniture, kitchen, bath, flooring, tile, windows, doors,
fabric, paint and electronics.
10/10/10 “Four Paws for Lacey’s Cause” event in South Burlington. All event proceeds go to the Lacey’s Fund to help meet the medical
expenses of the Vermont Police Canine Association’s retired police dogs. 5K Race, 1.5 mile fun run/walk, police K9 demonstrations. Takes
place at the Whales Tails Walking Trails, 30 Community Drive, South Burlington, VT. Price is $15 before 10/2 and $20 on race day. 11:30
Registration; 1:00 PM Opening Ceremony. Participate with or without your dog(s) - no overly aggressive dogs please; leashes and basic obedience training required. Contact the Vermont Veterinary Surgical Center Staff at (802) 893-8333 or e-mail: [email protected]
10/21 thru 10/30 “Nightmare 2010” indoor, interactive theatrical haunted house. Vermont’s most thrilling Halloween event takes place at
2 Picard Circle, South Burlington, from 7-10 PM. Tickets cost $8, $10, and $12.
Bristol Harvest Festival and Car Show, September 25, 2010, from 10 AM until 4 PM. 90-plus craft vendors, horse-drawn wagon rides, bandstand music, farmer’s market, children’s venue with pony rides, Taste of Bristol, pie contest and car show. Bristol Town Green on Route 116.
Cost is FREE; call (802) 388-7951 or visit www.bristolharvestfest.com
Maple View Alpacas Open House in Brandon, Vermont, 9/25 and 9/26. Fall is spectacular on the farm. Guests are invited to learn about
alpacas, raised for breeding as well as their luxurious fiber. See carding and spinning demos and purchase fiber products at the farm store.
Maple View Farm, 185 Adams Rd., 11 - 4 both days. FREE; call (802) 247-5412 or visit www.mapleviewfarmalpacas.com
“The Complete History of America Unabridged” - September 23 thru October 10. 600 years of American history are squeezed into 6000
hysterical seconds. Think “The Daily Show performed by the Marx Brothers. Crazy costumes, bad wigs, silly props. Lost Nation Theater, 39
Main St., Montpelier. Thursday 7 PM; Friday and Saturday 8 PM; Sunday 7 PM, except for the final Sunday of every show, which is at 2 PM.
Additional performance at 2 PM the frst Saturday of each show. Information: (802) 229-0492, or visit http://lostnationtheater.org/info
Page 10
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 2009-2010 SESSION
The following bills have been enacted into law during the
2009-2010 Vermont Legislative Session:
H.249 Effective upon approval May 12, 2009
Establishes regulations related to casino events in Vermont, setting limits on the number of events per
calendar year and location requirements.
S.27 Effective upon approval May 5, 2009
Allows holders of specific license types to sell spirits to the public from the manufacturer’s premises. The
Bill also allows for “tastings” of fortified wines and spirits on the manufacturer’s premises. Manufacturers
and in-state Distilleries have the option to charge for “tastings” of their product at Special Events.
H.578 Effective upon approval May 13, 2010
Encourages resource sharing, strategic planning, cost saving, and increased communication among law
enforcement personnel from Liquor Control, Public Safety, Motor Vehicle, and Fish & Wildlife departments, while maintaining the core missions of each.
H.695 Effective upon approval April 13, 2010
Establishes clarification of the definition of “premises” for award of liquor licenses, under Title 7,
Vermont Statues Annotated. This legislation also provides for on-premise tastings for vinous and malt
beverages, sales at Farmer’s Markets and other special events
H.772 Effective upon approval May 11, 2010
Clarifies definitions under Title 7, Vermont Statutes Annotated; establishes the requirements for applications
for alcoholic beverage tasting events; sets fines for service to underage persons; allows partially consumed
vinous beverages or specialty beers to be recapped or resealed to take home, provided they were purchased
with a meal; and sets parameters for tastings aboard boats and railroad dining cars.
Page 11
SUMMER INTERNS ASSIST DLC’S ACCOUNTING
DIVISION WITH TWO MAJOR PROJECTS
BY; Heather Duke
August 27, 2010
I cannot believe that is the date I just typed! Summer is pretty much over and I can see the trees
outside the window are turning already (!) which means our interns are now returning to school.
Let me start back at the beginning.
This past spring, I applied to the State Internship program for two summer interns and we lucked
out big time. Hannah Roberts, a senior majoring in math and sciences at UVM, and Cady Kerin, a
junior at Castleton majoring in Accounting and Business Management, came on board. With their
help, we have been able to move two major accounting projects that have been on the back burner,
near to completion. In addition, they were both gracious when asked to help other sections with
projects, such as helping Al Dubuque in our IT division with testing equipment, and participating in a
photo shoot for a DLC ad that Marcia Lawrence was coordinating.
In 2007, Liquor Control automated the payments of handling fees for empty bottle pickups.
Previous to that, redemption centers had to keep track of when we picked up from them, and then
they had to send us a bill requesting payment. Ellen's program (Ellen Block, IT) went back as far as
2006, and we paid everything showing in our system as unpaid. What was left had to be researched
manually. Cady took on the job of digging through files of old unpaid bottle pickup slips, some of
which went back as far as 1988, and comparing them to what existing paid vouchers we had. She sent
out Due Diligence letters to the vendors notifying them they had until August 25, 2010 to respond,
logged the responses (or lack of), and prepared the vouchers. Ultimately, we were able to locate most
of the vendors and were able to remove over $14,000 of liability from our books. The balance of the
funds will be turned over to the treasure's office to be listed on the Unclaimed Property website. As
this job slowed, Cady began assisting Hannah with her project.
Hannah took on the more challenging assignment. The Secretary of State's Office recently took
over the Public Records part of BGS and created “TARP” - Targeted Assistance Records Protocol, to
assist departments with overhauling and updating their Records Management Policies and Disposition
orders. Instead of having department-specific orders, they are attempting to create some that will
cover the state records as a whole, and then specific ones as needed. In our case, some of ours are
older than Bill Gates, and the newest still has no mention of electronic recordkeeping other than
microfiche. When I told Hannah what I had in mind, she was all for it. I knew we had the right
person when she mentioned setting up an inventory system and reorganizing the store room at a
previous job.
Hannah began by mapping out the basement and, using current disposition orders, sent a large
load of records for storage at Public Records - a big thank you to the warehouse folks for transporting
for us! Then she had to look in each and every box in the basement and vault, determine what was in
it, and consult with the department heads regarding contents and whether they wanted to keep or
destroy.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 13
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
Now there is a huge pile of boxes in the middle of the basement that will soon meet with SecureShred, another pile of boxes to be sent to Public Records for storage, and a section of records to be
evaluated for
archiving. And, there are a couple empty file cabinets
downstairs if anyone needs one.
DLC’s Accounting, Purchasing and Personnel divisions have met with
Rachel Muse, the Records Analyst who is working with us from the
Secretary of State's office, and we will be adopting some of the new
records schedules pertaining to these sections shortly. Next up is
Enforcement and IT, and then “Phase One” will be completed. “Phase
Two” should be simpler. Once all the Records Schedules have been
Hannah Roberts
adopted for all departments or created if needed, then what will be left
is to examine items for permanent archiving, document the process, and write up the new policy.
I sat with Hannah and Cady recently and asked them what they thought about the internship program in general, and what they thought of Liquor Control. Both answered that they enjoyed being in
an office setting, and meeting the different people that work here. I asked what they didn't care for
and they both said scanning large quantities of papers by hand. Using the feeder was OK, but one at a
time was not fun.
Cady, when asked what she thought of her assignment, answered "At first it was a bit over whelming, but once I got started, it was a lot easier." She was the more quiet of the two, but always smiling.
Her favorite class so far has been psychiatry, and she found Economics a bit dry. She's looking
forward to graduating, and then going on to grad school.
When asked how she liked state government, Hannah said "the State is a little behind in some ways.
They should be doing more to help departments move into the
electronic era. By doing so, they could help reduce the amount
of paper being used." Hannah will graduate from UVM with a
degree in Math and Applied Sciences, and hopes to get a job in
research, or possibly go on to Grad school.
To the question, "Where do you want to be in 5 years,
Hannah said, "Hopefully some place warm," and Cady
responded, "I want to be out West...in grad school."
Cady Kerin
Black Russian Cake
1 Butter Fudge cake mix
3/4 cup strong coffee
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup softened margarine
1 box instant chocolate pudding (4 oz)
3/4 cup crème de cacao
GLAZE:
2 cups powdered sugar
4 TBSP crème de cacao
thin with milk
In mixing bowl, combine all cake ingredients. Beat for 4 minutes at medium speed. Pour into greased bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees 45-50 minutes, until done. Mix glaze ingredients. Prick cake with fork; pour 1/2 of glaze over
cake. Allow cake to cool. Remove from pan. Drizzle remaining glaze over top of cake.
APPLE BRANDY “KISS” COCKTAIL
Recipe courtesy of Dan and Holly Boyce
1 Gallon apple Cider
1 bottle Blackberry Brandy
Mulling Spices, to taste
Hershey Kisses
Over your wood stove or in a crock pot place cider, brandy and spices. Heat the mixture
until warm and fragrant. For kid-friendly events, serve the Brandy along-side the nonalcoholic warm mulled cider.
In small, individual glasses, place a Hershey Kiss (or 2 or 3!). Cover the Kiss(es) with the
warm cider mixture and enjoy :)
DLC Classifieds
Seasonal home rental in Cape Coral, Florida. Three bedroom, 2 bath house with open floor plan. Fully furnished and ready for visitors (all you have to bring is your suitcase). Would prefer a seasonal rental but will consider longer and shorter term rentals as well. Call Marcia at (802) 434‐2854 46‐Piece old Hummel Christmas Ornament Collection ‐ brand new, most never out of the boxes. Willing to sell as a set, or individually. Prices are negotiable. Please contact Samara at (802) 828‐4943, or [email protected] WELCOME!
DLC welcomes Donna Luce. Donna is DLC’s new Financial Specialist I
in the Accounting division. Donna’s first day with DLC was March 29.
DLC welcomes Angela Raycraft. Angela is DLC’s new Administrative Assistant A in the
Education, Licensing & Enforcement division. Angela’s first day was March 29.
DLC welcomes Jamie Chase, DLC’s new Liquor Control Investigator in the
Enforcement division. Jamie’s first day with DLC is September 13.
Page 14
NABCA 2010 LEGAL SYMPOSIUM HIGHLIGHTS
Commissioner Michael Hogan and Director Bill Goggins attended this year’s NABCA Legal Symposium
March 8-10 in Arlington, VA
Below are some highlights of the information presented to attendees:
Regulating the Growing Phenomenon of Craft Distillers
The first session of day two explored the regulatory climate for craft distilleries. Kent Cost of Thirteenth Colony
Distilleries (the only legal distillery in Georgia) told the story of how his distillery became licensed and what can be
done to further encourage other aspiring craft distillers. Linda Ignowski of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission
then gave an overview of her state’s highly regarded, pro-Oregon system of regulating craft distillers.
The Direct Shipping Saga Continues
The second session took a look at Direct Shipping issues post Granholm, with Peter Patitsas of the Ohio DLC
opening with a historical, ancient Greece perspective and Peter Thomas of the Ohio AG’s Office summarizing the
key direct shipping cases since the Granholm ruling in 2005. Jason Eckenroth of ShipCompliant then provided the
winery/retailer perspective, which showed the increased interstate access wineries have gained and the struggles of
retailers to do the same. Matthew Botting of the California ABC Board provided the regulatory side, giving an overview of the ‘comprehensive licensing scheme’ in California, stating the biggest issues for winteries and retailers are
normally fees for services provided.
TTB/FDA Overlap and the Caffeinated Beverages Issue
The final session of the 2010 Legal Symposium examined the roles of the TTB and FDA’s overlap in handling the
current thorny issue of caffeine in alcohol beverages. Robert Lehrman of Lehrman Beverage Law moderated the
panel while Martin J. Hahn of Hogan & Hartson gave a brief historical overview of TTB and FDA’s roles, specifically
of caffeinated alcohol. Marlene Trestman of the Maryland AGs office then gave an overview of GRAS exemption and
products that have been challenged and pulled over the past several years. The supplier side of the issue was presented
by Scott Winters of Prohibition Beverage, who argued that products such as his (P.I.N.K. Vodka) with low levels of
caffeine should be treated differently than those with higher levels.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Frank Perricone, Siobhan Perricone, Al Dubuque with baby Ethan,
Janice Dubuque, and Janice’s daughters Hannah, Lorna and Julia
Page 15
Al Dubuque,
IT Network
Administrator,
and his lovely
bride Janice
were married in
England on
July 4, 2010
surrounded
by family and
friends
DLC Celebrates Public Service Recognition Week 2010
The week of May 3 - 7, 2010 found DLC employees celebrating Public
Service Recognition Week 2010 (PSRW). Monday May 3 offered employees a chance to dress in support of their favorite sports team - anything
from football to baseball to hockey and Nascar. Folks pulled jerseys and
hats from their closet to cheer their team, all in the name of good fun.
At a luncheon celebration on May
3rd, the Warehouse Management
The pot luck breakfast was a big hit
System
Team was honored as the
with everyone, including Mark, Dave,
2010 Team Honoree from DLC. This
Brian and Martin
team consisted of all Warehouse personnel and all IT personnel, who worked together over two years to
implement the new WMS (Warehouse Management System) System.
This recognition of a job well done was a culmination of the efforts of
many employees who collaborated to identify a vendor through a contract bidding process, prepare for installation of the system, coordinate
the technological aspects with the on-site needs and ensure the go-live
process went smoothly. Congratulations and a sincere thank-you to all
who took part in the process!
2010 Team Honorees Frank Perricone, Al
Dubuque, Jamie Tatro and Heidi Quenneville
(l to r) represented DLC’s winning WMS
Team at the May 3 luncheon award ceremony
Two contests provided entertainment in the form
of matching baby photos to those of a parent, plus
a chance to identify employees from different divisions. Congratulations to our contest winners: Angela Raycraft, who scored two tickets to a Vermont
Mountaineers baseball game, and Heidi Quenneville,
who won a home-made cake of her choice!
The Warehouse Management System Team
was presented their award by Neale Lunderville, Caroline Earle and Governor Douglas.
The May 3 award luncheon was attended by
Al Dubuque, Frank Perricone, Jamie Tatro and
Heidi Quenneville of DLC’s Warehouse and
IT divisions. CONGRATULATIONS!
On Tuesday, a pot luck breakfast gave some
an opportunity to enjoy fresh fruit, a crock
pot breakfast casserole and sunshine muffins,
along with home made coffee cake and sweet
breads. If breakfast is the most important
meal of the day, some DLC’ers had a great
start to the day on May 4th.
With less than perfect weather on Tuesday, Heather and Angela got together for a
crafting session to create treasures using family photos, ribbon, captions from magazine clippings and, who would believe it, paper bags. Angela made cute photo frames
and Heather crafted a scrapbook full of memories.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
Heidi Quenneville &
Angela Raycraft
Heather Duke and Angela
Raycraft enjoy a craft
session on Tuesday
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16
On Wednesday, some folks gathered for a pot luck lunch. The food was terrific
and the lunchtime conversation was spirited. Recipes were swapped and bellies
were filled.
In addition, many employees contributed to the swap we call the “How Bizarre
Bazaar”. This was the second time we’ve held
this event, with all leftover items being donated to the Goodwill at week’s end. As usual,
the selection was diverse and eclectic, including a “zippered coconut”, a Beatles trivia
game, clothing, tools, and holiday dinnerware.
Thursday afternoon turned out perfect for
some gardening plus and ice cream and dessert
social. Ice cream sundaes and a chunky apRon and Brian dig in to pot luck treats ple cake satisfied many a sweet tooth. And,
the DLC office building was beautified by
new plantings of perennials and annuals including Lily-of-the-Valley, Forget-Me-Not’s
and Columbine.
The ever-popular BBQ brought many employees to Friday’s week-end celebration. As
always, the burgers and dogs were done to
perfection, thanks to Brent and Joe, who
Heather, Kathy and Donna enjoyed
kindly supplied their own grills in addition
getting their hands dirty planting flowers
out front and new hanging baskets grace to cooking for the hungry crowd. We had
the DLC office entrance
ideal weather (OK, it was a little cool) for an
outdoor toss game. Those who preferred to
stay in out of the chilly breeze found some
fun in the Yankee Gift Swap, which fueled laughs
as participants “stole” each other’s gifts until
finally all were satisfied with their treasure.
In June, DLC employees gathered at a Vermont
Mountaineers game in Montpelier to cheer on the
local heroes as they beat their rivals from North Adams!
Brian found the perfect outfit at the
How Bizarre Bazaar!
Brent, aka “grillmaster” cooked burgers
and dogs to perfection for the hungry
mob. And, a surprise visit from Joe
“have grill will travel” Marcinko made
the day even more fun.
Jen, Mel, Jamie, Steve and Dave
dig in to the BBQ goodies
A big thank you to all who participated in the
planning, cooking, cleanup and camaraderie
of the week’s events!
Donna’s “toss game”
made for a fun outdoor
activity
Heather and Donna enjoy
the Yankee Gift Swap
VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF LIQUOR
CONTROL
13 Green Mountain Drive
Montpelier, VT 05620-4501
Michael J. Hogan, Commissioner
Walter E. Freed, Chairman, Liquor Control Board
John P. Cassarino, Member, Liquor Control Board
Stephanie M. O’Brien, Member, Liquor Control Board
Phone: 802-828-2345
Fax: 802-828-2803
Email: [email protected]
DLC NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE:
Jennifer Fisher
Melanie Gaiotti
Marcia Lawrence
Kathy O’Hara
Andy Thibault
Steve Waldo
ADDRESS
HR News for State Employees
“Maintain, Don’t Gain” Wellness Program Activity Challenge
The Holidays are coming!
Participate in the Wellness Program’s upcoming challenge to maintain your weight
during this hectic and food-filled time!
•Dates: November 8 to January 31
• 12 Week Weight Management Challenge, including 3 week mini-challenges for fruit/
veggie consumption, stress management, physical activity and hydration
•Participate individually, with a team or with a buddy
•Stay tuned for additional details
Vermont State Employees' Wellness Program
Workforce Development & Wellness Division
GET YOUR FLU SHOT!
Registration has now started-go to: https://vt.healthyachievers.com
For more information, visit:: http//humanresources.vermont.gov/benefits/wellness/flu_program
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