81% of Yamhill County Businesses Pass OLCC Minor Sales Check

The agency views 81% compliance as positive.

Salem-News.com

(YAMHILL, Ore.) - 43 of 53 businesses in Yamhill County passed an Oregon Liquor Control Commission minor sales check on March 21st by refusing to sell alcohol to a minor.

The 81 percent passing rate is above the statewide average of 78 percent. The commission performs the minor sales checks in an effort to reduce drinking by minors, which is a serious problem throughout the state. The OLCC tests about 1,300 licensed liquor businesses each year.

"We always hope for 100 percent, but 81 percent is terrific," said James Lynch, OLCC Salem Regional Manager. "Our job is to let businesses know that providing alcohol to a minor is serious. Refusing to sell to someone under 21 not only protects minors from intoxication, but it also safeguards the employees and owners from liabilities of alcohol-related incidences."

The following licensees passed the compliance check:

• Amity Marketin Amity
• Barb's Only Placein Amity,
• Hall's Chevronin Amity
• Ruby's Mart & Tobaccoin McMinnville
• Grocery Outlet of McMinnvillein McMinnville
• El Primo Mexican Restaurantin Yamhill
• Scotte's Imbiberyin McMinnville
• 3rd Street Pizzain McMinnville
• Big Apple Marketin McMinnville
• Elks Lodge #1283in McMinnville
• Golden Valley Brewery & Pubin McMinnville
• Hotel Oregon McMenaminsin McMinnville
• La Zacatecanain McMinnville
• Plaid Pantry #46in McMinnville
• Roth's Friendly Foodlinerin McMinnville
• Sweet Milk's Groceryin McMinnville
• Walnut City Lanesin McMinnville
• People's Marketin Lafayette, Roadhouse Pub in Lafayette
• Bill's Marketin Lafayette
• Martha's Tacos & Morein Lafayette
• Kin's Bar & Grillin Lafayette
• Main St. Marketin Warrenton
• Pied Piper Pubin Carlton
• The Horse Radishin Carlton
• The Tin Roofin Carlton
• T&E General Storein Yamhill
• Arco AM/PM #6602in Dundee
• B&S Marketin Dundee
• City Center Food Martin Dundee
• La Sierra Mexican Grillin Dundee
• David OK Marketin Dundee
• J's Restaurant & Loungein Newberg
• 9th Street Groceryin Newberg
• Newberg Food Martin Newberg
• Everybody's Marketin Newberg
• Abby's Legendary Pizza of Newbergin Newberg
• Newberg Chevron in Newberg
• Lago De Chapala Mexican Restaurantin Newberg
• Roadrunner IIin Newberg
• First Street Pubin Newberg
• Panaderia Y Taqueria Gonzalezin Newberg
• Quick Stop Market & Deliin Newberg.
• The following licensees failed the compliance check:
• Jacksons #537in Newberg
• Ixtapa Restaurantin Newberg
• Newberg Texacoin Newberg
• Roadrunnersin McMinnville
• Blue Moonin McMinnville
• Carniceria Abastosin Lafayette
• Roberts Shellin Lafayette
• DaBoy's Carlton Marketin Carlton
• Zippy's Pizzain Yamhill
• Trask Mountain Outpostin Yamhill

During the checks, a minor volunteer attempts to purchase alcohol from a licensed business to see if staff are checking ID's correctly and refusing to sell alcohol to anyone under 21. Commission inspectors or other law officers supervise the minor volunteers. The volunteers carry their own legal ID and do not disguise their age or encourage the sale of alcohol. The businesses involved in the checks are selected at random by computer or have been targeted due to prior alcohol sales to minors.

Servers, bartenders and licensees whose employees sell alcohol to the minor or do not verify the minor's age, are subject to OLCC administrative penalties including fines or suspensions. Store clerks who sell can be cited with criminal charges and a minimum $350 fine.

The OLCC offers a free training course on how to check ID's. Participants learn how to identify false identification and the laws regarding minors and alcohol. Additional training opportunities are available including classes for store clerks and service permit holders. Interested persons can call the local OLCC office to schedule a training session.