NEW: Grocery Store in Hot Water with Health Department
Monday, July 25, 2011
A South County food store has been put on probation after Health Department inspections turned up a slew of violations—from using an unauthorized well for washing dishes to selling coffee and kettle corn from unlicensed vendors.
The Happy Acres Peddler, located in Charlestown, also was found selling unpackaged shellfish, against Health Department directives, as well as Halibut that had not been approved for retail sale, according to a Health Department news release.
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A major bone of contention is an allegedly illegal well the store owners installed.
Back in September 2008, Happy Acres Peddler applied for a variance to install a well that would serve as a source for water for their snack bar, which they were hoping to expand. In order for this to be approved, the owners, Joseph and Diana LaPagia, agreed to take responsibility in performing any testing that the Department of Health, but their request was denied because they did not own all the property within a 200-foot radius of the well site.
The Department of Health later learned that they illegally proceeded with the installation of the well and continued to use it to service their restaurant in multiple ways. In addition to using the unapproved water source for dishwashing and drinking, they have also used it in the preparation of much of the food they sell at the store, such as the salad bar. Since the water source is illegal, any food that the water touches is illegal to serve.
The Health Department has concluded that continuing the license for Happy Acres is “a threat to the public health, safety, and welfare of the public.” The license is suspended—but that order is held in abeyance while Happy Acres is placed on a one-year probation.
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