2008 Woodie Awards
Shoppers' liquor license investigated
Brady Holt
Issue date: 6/19/08 Section: News
A College Park supermarket is at the center of a federal investigation of a Maryland state senator.
The Shoppers Food Warehouse on Cherry Hill Road in north College Park became one of the few grocery stores in the state with a liquor license after state legislation co-sponsored by Sen. Ulysses Currie (D-Prince George's) let the Lanham-based supermarket chain transfer the license from its store in Takoma Park in 2005 over the strong objection of the College Park City Council.
An FBI raid on Currie's home and the supermarket's headquarters last month found correspondence between Currie and a campaign contributor whose company leases space to the College Park Shoppers.
Currie served as a Shoppers consultant without disclosing the potential conflict of interest in accordance with state ethics law.
Spokespeople for Shoppers and its parent company Supervalu, and Currie's lawyer, Dale Kelberman, did not return phone calls seeking comment.
College Park city officials said the council unanimously voted to oppose the legislation that transferred the license to the College Park store because it was done at the last minute and without their knowledge.
"I don't approve of the political finagling that it took to get the transaction," then-District 1 Councilman Dave Milligan told The Diamondback in 2006. "That really poisoned the water."
Interviewed more recently, District 2 Councilman Jack Perry expressed a similar sentiment.
"I did not like the way it was done in Annapolis at the 11th hour," he said. "We knew nothing about it until it was done. That's not right."
Perry added that many members of the community spoke out against the proposed liquor license, which also contributed to the council's decision to recommend the county liquor board not grant the license to Shoppers.
"We are already well served by liquor licenses," he said. "You don't have to go very far to get a beer in College Park."
Nonetheless, the county did grant the license to Shoppers, after a hearing Currie attended, The Washington Post reported.
Although College Park has an annual opportunity to state objection to the renewal of any liquor license in the city, it has not done so for Shoppers.
"We've already done everything we can do. We don't have any reason at this point to object to its renewal," Perry said.
The liquor board did not return phone calls seeking comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. holtdbk@gmail.com
The Shoppers Food Warehouse on Cherry Hill Road in north College Park became one of the few grocery stores in the state with a liquor license after state legislation co-sponsored by Sen. Ulysses Currie (D-Prince George's) let the Lanham-based supermarket chain transfer the license from its store in Takoma Park in 2005 over the strong objection of the College Park City Council.
An FBI raid on Currie's home and the supermarket's headquarters last month found correspondence between Currie and a campaign contributor whose company leases space to the College Park Shoppers.
Currie served as a Shoppers consultant without disclosing the potential conflict of interest in accordance with state ethics law.
Spokespeople for Shoppers and its parent company Supervalu, and Currie's lawyer, Dale Kelberman, did not return phone calls seeking comment.
College Park city officials said the council unanimously voted to oppose the legislation that transferred the license to the College Park store because it was done at the last minute and without their knowledge.
"I don't approve of the political finagling that it took to get the transaction," then-District 1 Councilman Dave Milligan told The Diamondback in 2006. "That really poisoned the water."
Interviewed more recently, District 2 Councilman Jack Perry expressed a similar sentiment.
"I did not like the way it was done in Annapolis at the 11th hour," he said. "We knew nothing about it until it was done. That's not right."
Perry added that many members of the community spoke out against the proposed liquor license, which also contributed to the council's decision to recommend the county liquor board not grant the license to Shoppers.
"We are already well served by liquor licenses," he said. "You don't have to go very far to get a beer in College Park."
Nonetheless, the county did grant the license to Shoppers, after a hearing Currie attended, The Washington Post reported.
Although College Park has an annual opportunity to state objection to the renewal of any liquor license in the city, it has not done so for Shoppers.
"We've already done everything we can do. We don't have any reason at this point to object to its renewal," Perry said.
The liquor board did not return phone calls seeking comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. holtdbk@gmail.com
Submit a letter to the editor or post a comment below.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
jimbo
posted 6/19/08 @ 7:44 AM EST
While not disputing there may have been some shady dealings here, why cant we just let the market dictate what is an acceptable number of stores that sell beer?
I would prefer that ALL grocery stores sell beer/wine. (Continued…)
college park citizen
posted 6/19/08 @ 10:11 AM EST
As a Parent and Citizen living in College Park I am thrilled that I can buy beer and wine at a grocery store. I like making one trip, not two and I certainly don't like taking my children with me to a liquor store. (Continued…)
jimbo
posted 6/19/08 @ 11:55 AM EST
Agreed, the light at Cherry Hill is a JOKE. Shame upon any and all involved in that approval process.
Shame also upon SHA and the police for doing NOTHING to curb the daily gridlockking of the intersection by drivers making the left on to Northbound Rt 1. (Continued…)
Post a Comment