By Tara DeRock Mahoney
Senior Staff Writer

Madison City Council members last week suspended the alcohol sales license of the Stop and Shop Mart at 2040 Eatonton Highway in Madison, after Assistant Police Chief Carl Jones reported to council that the owner of the store sold alcohol to an underage state Department of Revenue agent.
   

Amit Patel has held the retail sales license for less than six months, and had as yet failed to provide to the city proof that he and any clerks selling alcohol had been to a city-approved alcohol training course. The deadline for that training to be completed was last Thursday, or Thanksgiving day; as of the preceding Monday, the city had not been made aware that the Stop and Shop employees had completed any training. Patel has the right to appeal the city’s suspension of his license; however, if found in violation of the law his penalty could be severe.
   

“That license would be pulled, and [the owner] would have to go through a re-application process,” said Mayor Tom DuPree.
   

The suspension currently consists of a seven-day loss of alcohol sales, a requirement that Patel and all clerks attend a city-specified training session, and payment of a $500 penalty for a first offense.