[Of course I'm only joking. A somewhat amusing piece below, though sad when you consider this is about the church secretary and a Sunday school teacher. - J.S.]
Church Fined for Over-Serving Booze to Women
By Elizabeth Dinan
Seacoastonline.com
February 12, 2010
PORTSMOUTH — The St. Nicholas Greek Church was penalized by the state Liquor Commission for a July incident when one woman attending a party at the church was hospitalized for intoxication and a second was taken into police custody, also for intoxication.
The church was penalized by the Liquor Commission's Bureau of Enforcement for two counts of serving alcohol to an intoxicated person on July 12, 2009. At its Feb. 6 meeting, the Bureau imposed a $1,000 fine, with half suspended for one year pending no like infractions. The church's “caterer-on-site license” to sell alcoholic beverages was also suspended for three days, with two day held in abeyance pending the same year of no similar infractions.
Liquor Enforcement Chief Eddie Edwards said the incident was brought to his attention by Portsmouth police.
According to a report by Liquor Commission Sgt. Christopher Hutchins, three Portsmouth police officers responded to the Andrew Jarvis Drive church on July 12 at 1:32 a.m. for a complaint about “an intoxicated and belligerent female.” When the officers arrived, they found an “unresponsive” and “uncooperative” woman at the church function hall, who was later identified as a church secretary, according to Hutchins' report.
A witness said the woman consumed “several shots” of liquor at a church party and was transported by ambulance to Portsmouth Regional Hospital “due to her level of intoxication,” according to the report.
A second woman, later identified as a Sunday school teacher, was taken into protective custody for intoxication after police observed her “swaying, stumbling” and “uncooperative,” according to the report. At police headquarters she was “disruptive” and a breath test showed her blood alcohol concentration was .2, according to the report.
She was later released to a sober friend, according to the Liquor Commission.
A supplemental report by the Liquor Commission officer says church leader Father Angelo Pappas was contacted, said he was “shocked” at hearing the Sunday school teacher's BAC, said he would cooperate with the investigation “and understood the concern regarding alcohol service that evening.”
As a result of the Feb. 6 Liquor Commission meeting, all persons “designated to handle alcohol for any purpose” under the church caterer's license are mandated to complete a state course entitled Total Education in Alcohol Management within 30 days.
