Selectmen suspend license at Finnegan's Pub
By Angela Greiner Community Reporter

Hudson - The Board of Selectmen approved, 3-2, at its March 24 meeting two single-day suspensions of the Alcohol Pouring License at Finnegan's Pub after an alleged over-serving violation. Both Selectmen Carl Leeber and Joseph Durant voted against the suspension of the license because they disagreed with the policy governing the process.

"I find myself in an interesting position," Leeber said. "I voted against the process and I object [to applying it here]."

Selectman Santino Parente, who voted in support of the suspension, applauded the local Police Department for their quick response to the situation, which resulted in an arrest, although he noted that local businesses face many difficulties.

"There are issues within town," he said, "and we have to do things that we do not like to do."

After the selectmen's vote, Selectman Paul Lucy made a motion to rescind the existing policy, which required mandatory penalties; it passed, 3-2. Liquor pouring license violations coming before the board will now be decided on a case-by-case basis.

In another vote of 3-2, the selectmen approved a memorandum regarding the purchase of a property at 43 Brigham St. The town officials who have been in discussion with the property owner are hopeful that Hudson residents will support the town purchase of the land during the May 5 Town Meeting.

The proposed purchase of the property, at a cost of $350,000, would be funded by money from the Community Preservation Act and would give the town greater access to the Assabet River.

The purchase would give the town ownership of the property along the Assabet River from the town center past the Elks Club to the High School, and would mean the town could develop a "River Walk" for residents.

Leeber and Lucy, who both voted against the memorandum, made it clear that, despite that, they support the project.

"It is a nice project and we would like to see it move forward," Leeber said.

What concerned the two selectmen were the items being added to the deal.

"Each time, the bar continues to be raised," Leeber said.

In other business, even though several requests for bid were sent out for the reconstruction of the South Street parking lot, Parente was disappointed with the lack of response from local contractors for the job. The selectmen approved a $426,114 contract with Aldore Tetreault &Sons.

Discussions are officially beginning for the future of the deteriorating JFK Middle School after the selectmen approved the appointments to the JFK Building Committee. The selectman also signed the Initial Compliance Certificate of the Massachusetts School Building Authority for the JFK project.