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Show o O XIII Volume - Number 11 Dixie College St. George, Utah 84770 Police fight teenage drinking, but St. George markets still sell minors beer On weekends, the number of them is in three figures," a clerk at J & R's Market said. At one of the Short Stops, however, the checker claimed that "there arent very many. Maybe three will come in on a Friday night. City officials sympathize with store owners in respect to the difficulty of controlling illegal Sun reporters shop sales. "I doubt if any store owner is deliberately stores and buy 14 Haunting the law," concedes Fifth Circuit Court Judge Robert F. Owens. However, it requires a higher economic cost to tighten up." Adds Sgt. Benson: "The owners can tell their employees to check, but theres always a problem with the help." Police Chief Joe Hutchings feels that controlling beer sales might be hard, but notes, "If owners get in trouble with the law, they've got nobody to blame but themselves." beer in 10, sans ID St. police, George to fight a severe of teenage drinking, have warned, problem badgered and pleaded to local grocery and convenience store owners not, under any to sell beer to minors. circumstances, The owners, in turn, tell police they will cooperate of every beer and check the identification buyer. Under-agand well and 25, 1980 January h u vers. "On weekends," one clerk reports, "the number (of beer buyers without ID) is often in three figures." drinkers, however, are alive buying beer in St. George like always. In recent City Council meetings, St. George merchants have all been summoned and told to enforce age regulations or face having their beer licenses revoked. Many of the stores however flagrantly continued beer sales to Outside of St. George, the Washington County Sheriff Department has had similar problems with illegal beer sales. During December, the Sheriffs department used air iS year old girl to buy beer at seven businesses in La Verkin. Hurricane, Virgin and Washington. Clerks at all seven places were issued citations. The problem of youth drinking and illegal beer sales became apparent when Judge Owens wrote about it to St. George Mayor James Larkin. Owens has noted that he had 18 alcohol-relatecases during December involving year olds. T he city's juvenile court had 14 alcohol-relatecases during December involving youths down to the age of 14. Although Owens is alarmed at the figures. Sgt. Benson feels that "the drinking problem probably isn't any worse than it used to be, there are just more outlets for alcohol." II there has been any increase in drinking, udge Owens also blames the local community lor shutting out the problem and pretending it doesn't exist." In all. Ontiveros and Schriock bought 14 during the three days. The beer was turned over to St. George police. minors. To discover if and police have threats from the City Council had any affect on illegal beer sales, Dixie Sun reporters Mary Ontiveros and Ralph Schriock, both 19, toured all of St. George's markets and bars, in an attempt to s The fourteen of beer purchased by Mary Ontiveros and Ralph Schriock, both minors, lies placcidly in the police station The two SUN staffers had evidence room. beer. The threats have had little or no effect; minors can still buy beer in St. George. Almost buy Once again Towne and large sign, Ontiveros the clerk operating with a beer license, Country market displayed a "No ID, No Beer, No Excuses." after telling ' bought a she "left her ID in the hotel." police to be more cautious. Sara Griflin, checker at the Kwdk Marl, stated We really have to check ID. We got a $100 fine a couple weeks ago. At the Stop N Shop, the clerk told Ontiveros, simply. "No. we ll get busted." ack Walsh, 21 year old Sun staff member, usually followed one of the two, casually asking clerks if they had much trouble with underage six-pac- k Out of the 14 grocery and convenience stores sold them beer. Schriock s bought at nine stores, while only four would sell to Ontiveros. None of the four bars tried would 10 sell anything. Last Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Monday evening, they tried without ID to buy h(,er from Gibsons, Skaggs, Safeway, both Short Stops, the Market Basket, Stop & Shop, & Rs Market, Handy Mart, Lin's Food Town, owne & Country, Kwik Mart, Roadside Market, and Robinhoods. Only four, the Judy Mart, Lin's Food Town, Stop & Shop, and Kwik Mart refused to sell to at least one of them. Si. George police, who had earlier hinted to ""neis at sending in minors themselves, were "onfied beforehand. I hry tell us that their (storeowners) mp ovees always check ID, says Sgt. Vertis iison. but apparently theres still a Problem." One o dlt. se Towne & paces tla( num,y recently reobtained its beer license, T m'ncr Mance Mortensen, had agreed council to display signs stating the awms for the suspension. Now operating with 1K" slorc displayed a warning "No II) '.VY'' no cer, no excuses." Ontiveros bought a Slx I'ack 'here after r telling the clerk she had will o' h,'r ID a' her hotel room. r"S-- Ituv ' Xtn,g in after Schriock, could She beer k s Vf htk d II 1)1 1 ( l t 'ltss at tbe Market Basket and & making similar excuses for 'ter Schriock bought beer at the ajMc Market, Skagss and Gibson.s at those places which refused to sell tnrncnt that they were pressured bv 18-2- little trouble obtaining any of it last weekend; of fourteen stores tried, only four refused to sell any beer at all. (Photo by Jack Walsh j anywhere. s First beer buy causes fear beyond measure How to illegally buy beer: Don't shake Excuses, We've I leard T hem All," seemed thrown at me time and time again. by mary ontiveros The other night I found out just how hard it under 21 to buv beer. I found out that if you dont look 2 you ve got less than a chance of getting the beer in the first place. Also, if you're a girl, they're less likely to sell it to vou. So much for ERA in St. George. I guess since you never hear of a girl getting drunk or having a "kegger," it's because they cant get beer as easily as a guy can. At least I couldn t. is for a girl , . So I The first time is awfully decided that I would act like it was for my husband and wore a wedding band. I suppose my nervousness gave me away after all, because the first thing the teller did was ask me for ID. After looking for it, (I didn't have it along) I said I'd left it in "our" apartment, and then argued with the cashier to sell it to me his answer was the anyway. After each excuse same. No. Shaking. I went to my car, got in, and drove to the next store. nerve-racking- he answer there was the same. No. T he I t have following stoics seemed to know didn ID and the phrase "No ID. No Beer. No T Ironically, the store that I had my first success in had that same sign posted in clear sight, but it wasn't that easy. Of course the teller asked me for ID and again I acted like I'd left it home. Luckilv. there was a guy in line behind me that the teller thought was over age." He asked the guy behind me if he was 2 T he guy said yes and I asked. "You mean I can buy it using his ID?" The teller said "Sure" and sold it to me Boy, was I surprised, especially after the guy behind me made no move to prove he was 2 and the checker didn't even ask him to. . I I guess my luck improved, because at the next store, the teller merely rang up the beer, bagged it and I left. It really was easy. All I did was act like I was just passing through," with comments like "Did it snow here this I he travelers bulletin in Salt Lake morning? said and "I can hardly wait to gel to Vegas." . . . suppose you're wondering what I did with the beer. I did the onlv decent tiling, I turned it over to the police, of course. I I 1 :v j, |