Select Board waives Grog Shop's $2,000 fine

Select Board · Meeting of September 15, 2026

Hampden Select Board waives a $2,000 tobacco fine after the owner says he was already punished once. Health Director Ryan Paxton told the board the Grog Shop's second sale to a minor, caught by an FDA compliance check, triggered a state-mandated $2,000 fine on top of a federal penalty owner Tom Meffman had already settled for $375. "I fully agree with that," Meffman said of the violation, while objecting to the "double fine." The board waived the fine, conditioned on employee training, voting unanimously.

Separately, members voted unanimously to send a trash-strewn 358 Main Street property to housing court under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 111, approved a Title V septic variance for 32 Riverside Drive over a neighbor's objections, and moved to require the building committee to bring future project change orders, including a roughly $24,000 geotechnical cost overrun, to the board before work begins.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
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• The complete report — 3,203 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of September 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.