Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association Newsletter
(June 21-27, 2009)
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As I see it...
 
Golf
 
Dan Bahr from Bemidji started out his recent "As I See It" column by saying he would rather be fishing. I will start out by saying I would rather be golfing. Maybe this Saturday I will go golfing -- maybe???

"Unexpected problems, aren't they fun???

SUMMER finally arrived last Saturday & it came in style. Hot
& sunny -- PERFECT beer drinking weather.
 
Not only was it the first day of Summer, it was also our town's Friendship Festival... My only problem was "HELP"... Have you ever had that problem?
 
On Monday one of my part-timers gave me his 2 day notice. He worked Monday, Wednesday & was gone..

Another employee's Father who lives near Rochester had a
massive stroke, therefore he was gone (only temporarily)..
No problem, I hired another part-timer to help get us
through this, right? WRONG!
 
During her training on Friday night, in just one hour at the till she managed to mess up the monies, the credit card sales & the check totals. Needless to say, Friday night was her only night working here... So I called in a former employee to help us through this first day of summer.
 
WRONG AGAIN!  City hall called me Monday to inform me that former employees are just that -- former.. If they are no longer employed by the City - they can not work for the City.  However, I think I solved that particular situation. I had her fill out another application & take it to City Hall & hope the council approves it..
 
This week I also hired 2 more part-timers with the hopes that I never get caught short handed again.
 
To sum it all up, this week I hired back one former employee & 2 new employees.
 
Now I feel much better about the help situation - especially with the 4th of July coming next Saturday & being in the middle of some of the best lakes in the State.
 
I honestly believe "IF" the weather cooperates, the 4th of July could easily be the biggest day this liquor store has ever seen.
 
Many of you are aware I do Beverage Alcohol (Server) Trainings (BAT) for MMBA. 
 
I do a training every year for some facilities & some facilities every other year.  Some of it depends on what
your insurance company requires.
 
No matter what, I firmly believe everybody should have this training.. "ANY" questions, feel free to call me (work) 218-863-6670 (cell) 320-766-3871.
 
I think MMBA is truly a great association to be belong. There are members in the association who are always there to help, not to mention Paul. "IF" you ever have a question or need help, I know Paul is just a phone call away.

MMBA Members, PLEASE support those who support you,
PLEASE.

I know some of you will get a laugh out of this.. a month ago
I had Paul send out an email blast looking for Lambic Beer.
 
(Editors Note: Lambic is a very distinctive type of Belgium beer.

Unlike conventional ales and lagers, which are fermented by carefully cultivated strains of brewer's yeasts, Lambic beer is instead produced by spontaneous fermentation: it is exposed to the wild yeasts and bacteria that are said to be native to the Senne valley, in which Brussels lies. It is this unusual process which gives the beer its distinctive flavour: dry, vinous, and cidery, with a slightly sour aftertaste.)

Some of you responded - Thank You! But you know where I found
it? Right here in Pelican Rapids. We have a very small
distributor here called Upnorth Distributing, they have it.
Boy, did I feel like a fool!

One more quick note. I don't think I will be golfing this
Saturday.
 
For those of you who have had me for BAT trainings & have met Mona-Marie (who is usually with me) -- well this Saturday we will be getting married.
 
Maybe next Saturday I can go golfing.  Oops- 4th of July!
 
Bob Leslie
Pelican Rapids Liquor Manager
MMBA Director

Walgreens Looks to Reopen Tap on Beer & Wine Sales 
 
Walgreens 
As MMBA has always stated, Wine in Grocery Stores would eventually lead to wine, beer and spirits in convenience stores, drug stores and more...
 
 
Source: Chicago Tribune
June 23, 2009
 
Walgreen Co. is in the early stages of bringing liquor back to its stores.

The Deerfield-based drugstore chain exited the liquor business in the early 1990s at most of its stores except for a few markets in the Southeast and Southwest, the company said during its fiscal third-quarter conference call with analysts Monday.

Walgreens is in the midst of applying for the local government licenses needed to reintroduce beer and wine to its national chain of more than 7,000 stores, according to company spokeswoman Tiffani Washington.

The retailer had been selling liquor since the end of Prohibition but stopped at most of its stores more than a decade ago because of the cost of managing the business, she said. New computer systems will make it easier to manage now, Washington said.
 

Police & Gull Lake Zorbaz Crack Down on Fake ID's
 
Zorbaz3
June 24, 2009
pineandlakes.com / Lake Country Echo
 
This past weekend Lake Shore police and Zorbaz staff worked together to prevent fake ID's from entering Zorbaz.
 
During the three-hour project, a Lake Shore officer was placed at the door assisting staff to verify out of state drivers' licenses for patrons who looked underage.
 
Zorbaz owner Lee Johnson and his staff have been proactive on preventing underage drinkers from entering their establishment. If underage patrons are thought to have consumed alcohol, Zorbaz calls for a police officer and the individual is turned over to police and cited.
 
During the three-hour project:
 
Police verified a total of 16 IDs from out of state and found that six of them were fake IDs.
 
Only out of state IDs were verified on individuals who appeared underage.
 
The IDs confiscated were purchased over the Internet.
They contained the person's real name, but the year of birth was changed to make them at least 21 years old.
 
All patrons were charged with false name/DOB to a police officer, misrepresentation of age to purchase alcohol, and underage alcohol consumption.
 
The people cited had all been drinking at different locations prior to entering Zorbaz. None of the individuals cited had consumed at Zorbaz on Gull.
 
Five of the individuals cited were from the Twin Cities metro area. The sixth one was from Oklahoma.
 
The main problem with fake IDs is out of state IDs. Bar staff are not familiar with all the 50 state IDs and the security features on those IDs.
 
Establishments need to be more vigilant on identifying fake IDs and refusing service to individuals with out of state IDs where the patron has no other form of identification with them. Booklets are available on detecting false IDs.
 
If you have questions concerning fake IDs, contact the law enforcement agency in your jurisdiction on ways to prevent them from getting through your doors.
 
This project was made possible with the cooperation between Zorbaz on Gull and the Lake Shore Police Department. Lake Shore Police will continue to work with Zorbaz and other establishments within Lake Shore to combat the use of fake IDs and prevent underage drinking.
 

What Engages Employees?
 
Leadership
 
 
The following is from a recent League of Minnesota Cities seminar:
 
 
 
 
 
Employees are Engaged When They......
 
* Make Important Contributions
 
* Feel Valued
 
* Are Involved and Informed About What is Going On
 
* Have Interesting and Challenging Work
 
 
Therefore Effective Leaders....
 
* Establish Clear Expectations that are Connected to the organization's mission
 
* Provide Sincere Recognition and Feedback (Employees like to hear from their direct supervisors.)
 
* Allow employees to Make Decisions Regarding their Work and Involve them in Decisions
 
* Provide Opportunities for Development
 
Future Dates to Remember!!
July 1st
 MN Sales Tax Increase
 
 
MMBA Regional Meetings
 Fall of 2009
 
 
Ask A Director
 
Gary Buysse
Rogers
763-428-0163
 
Bob Leslie
 Pelican Rapids
218-863-6670
 
Dan Bahr
Bemidji
218-751-8868
 
Brian Hachey
Stacy
651-462-2727
 
Nancy Drumsta
Delano
763-972-0578
 
Lara Smetana
Pine City
320-629-2020
 
Joyce Zachmann
Spring Lake Park
763-780-8247
 
Virgene Shellenbarger
Hutchinson
 320-587-2762
 
Tom Agnes
Brooklyn Center
763-381-2349
 
Steve Grausam
Edina
952-903-5732
 
Toni Buchite
50 Lakes
218-763-2035
 
Michelle Olson
Sebeka
218-837-9745
E-Mail Me
 
Bridgitte Konrad
North Branch
651-674-8113
 
Paul Kaspszak
MMBA
763-572-0222
1-866-938-3925

 
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Senate Race to Finally Be Decided
Pig Race
(Editor's Note: MMBA Executive Director Paul Kaspszak, Past MMBA President Gary Buysee and MMBA Director Michelle Olson recently assisted the city of Nevis in interviewing for a new liquor store manager.  During the visit, Mayor Dave
McCumin was very excited to discuss the following major event coming to his city)

June 24, 2009
Star Tribune

While most Minnesotans are waiting for their never-ending U.S. Senate race to be decided by the Supreme Court in St. Paul, folks in the hamlet of Nevis, Minn., have taken matters into their own hands.
 
During the Hubbard County town's July 4th celebration, a pair of piglets named Norm Coleman and Al Franken will race through downtown to determine the winner of the still-vacant Senate seat.

Tongue firmly in cheek, Mayor Dave McCumin explained: "I'm thinking, geez, this thing has taken eight months and a gazillion dollars, and we can decide this in 15 seconds. And it'll probably be as accurate as anything the Supreme Court decides. And we'll be done with it."
 
The Coleman-Franken swine showdown is one heat of nine piglet races that will be held July 5.

The idea of pig races, cribbed from another small Minnesota town, is strictly a gimmick "to fill up the town with people,"
 
McCumin said. "I mean, the economy's bad and we're an itty-bitty town -- 364 people -- and could use the business."

One resident who has demanded anonymity already has sponsored the Coleman piglet. None has yet sponsored the Franken surrogate, "but I'm going to try to get ahold of Rush Limbaugh and see if he'll do it, since he's such a fan of Franken," McCumin said.

Although a state Supreme Court ruling on the case is expected any day, McCumin said he's confident the justices won't pre-empt his race.

"After this long, I doubt that they will," he said. "The secret's going to be to convince them to go along with our results."
 

 
Patience and Wisdom.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Two of the greatest qualities in life are: 
 
Patience and Wisdom