TELL US: Bring Back Happy Hour?

Should happy hour come back to Massachusetts?

Is happy hour coming back to the Bay State? The 28-year-old “happy hour law” now banning Massachusetts bars and restaurants from pouring free, discounted or two-for-one alcoholic beverages in area restaurants may be updated so restaurants can compete with casinos that may one day be in the state. As part of the ban, cities and towns now rule that a beverage must be priced the same for each calendar week and two drinks can only be served per person at a restaurant. In addition, pitchers of alcohol can only be served to two or more people, according to the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. The ABCC will hold a hearing in Boston on Aug. 21. Four other hearings will be held throughout the state to gain public feedback.  According to an …

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Food For Thought

New Year's Resolutions, Part 2

Columnist Bob Leo vows to stick to his resolution ... in a delicious way, of course.

In case any of you are curious, yes, I am sticking to my New Year's resolution. I think the healthy eating is the easiest part. like I said if your hungry eat, but eat the good stuff not the junk. I am slowly working myself into a light exercise program. When your my age you gotta take it slow. A lot of folks have asked, what about alcohol? What's the best thing to drink? Honestly, the best thing is not to drink.   Now I understand that in most cultures life revolves around alcohol. Sunday football game, let's tailgate.  Niece’s wedding, have a champagne. Meet you after work for a cocktail? Hot day, cold beer, cold day, hot toddy, you get the point. So let's break it down.   The biggest reason not to drink if your trying to drop some …

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Food For Thought

An Unfiltered Column From The Top Shelf

Columnist Bob Leo examines a common belief regarding cheap liquor.

Isn't it funny how we remember certain things and not others. I have a pretty good memory and can recall things from my childhood like they just happened yesterday yet I forget to take my office keys off my desk at least twice a week. I guess some things are more memorable to us than others. For example, when I was a young man in my early twenties highballs were all the rage. A highball is whiskey and ginger ale. Fleischmans, Canadian Club, VO, Seagrams 7, Old Thompson, Mr. Boston, Old Panther, Crown Royal, there were more whiskies than you could shake a stick at. Now back then I was, how you say, developing my palate. As far as my friends and I were concerned, there were three classes of patrons, the young guys, the old guys, and the old …

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VIDEO: Mock Accident Teaches Sobering Lesson to Students

Police stage drunk driving accident to teach students before prom.

It's a parents worst nightmare: their child is caught in an accident caused by drunk driving.  In an effort to prevent such a tragedy, the Tewksbury Police, in collaboration with Tewksbury's chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions (S.A.D.D.) and Tewksbury High School re-enact the nightmare scenario in front of the entire junior and senior classes.  The school presents the "mock accident" with stunning realism, from the sounds of the crash to the delivery of the worst news a parent wants to hear, that their child was killed in an accident involving drugs and alcohol. "It's like wow, this could really be me," said S.A.D.D. president and senior Renee Canlin, "It's a scary thought." The entire excercise took about 40 minutes.  The …

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Police Log

Resident Alerts Police to Alleged Drunk Driver

Grease spill causes a mess on International Place.

An alert resident helped Tewksbury Police get an alleged drunk driver off the streets this week. According to a police report, dispatch received a 911 call, with the caller stating that they spotted a woman in a car with a New Hampshire registration, parked in the lot at the Oakdale Mall. The caller told dispatch they saw the woman drinking out of what appeared to be an alcoholic beverage bottle. Officers responded to the scene and, after a brief investigation, placed the driver of the vehicle under arrest. Kathleen Cabral, 53, of 344 Salem Road, Billerica, was charged with OUI-liquor (2nd offense)  and possessing an open container of alcohol in public. Grease spill causes mess Friday night, DPW was called to the scene of a large grease …

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