Boyceville grants second chance with bartender’s license
By LeAnn R. Ralph
BOYCEVILLE — The Boyceville Village Board has agreed to give a second chance to a Boyceville resident seeking a bartender’s license.
“We are a country of second chances,” said Gilbert Krueger, Boyceville village president, at the Boyceville Village Board’s August 12 meeting, regarding an application by Chris Wruck.
Boyceville Police Chief Dan Wellumson had recommended not approving the license to be consistent with the village’s policy about bartender’s licenses and applicants who had been convicted of felonies.
Wruck was convicted of a Class C felony burglary in 1997, but “he has kept his nose clean” since then, Police Chief Wellumson said.
“I am not opposed to going ahead with it,” he said.
Saying that he did not recommend approval based on the policy was a way to bring it before the board for discussion, Police Chief Wellumson noted.
Wruck addressed the board on his own behalf and said he had been in trouble 16 years ago when he was 21 years old and had surrounded himself with “bad people.”
Since then, Wruck said he has not been in any more trouble, and that he has gotten married and has two children.
He told the village board he needed the bartender’s license because he wanted to keep his job.
Rick Bloomfield, owner of Fatboys Emporium, said Wruck was an “excellent employee,” that he did an “outstanding job” and that he was counting on him for cooking, bartending and maintenance.
Village Trustee Brian Wolff wondered if the village’s policy included a provision for a probationary period.
The policy says nothing about probation for a bartender’s license, although the village board could approve a probationary period, Police Chief Wellumson said.
Bartender’s licenses are approved annually, and the village board could also review the situation when Wruck reapplies for another license next year, he said.
Wruck’s application for a bartender operator’s license was for the period ending June 30, 2014.
The Boyceville Village Board unanimously approved Wruck’s application for a bartender’s license.
Other business
In other business, the Boyceville Village Board:
• Learned that the Boyceville Police Department had handled 61 incidents in July, including six assists to Dunn County, three grass violations, six background checks, three assists to citizens, five equipment violation warnings and three traffic warnings.
• Approved bartender operator’s licenses for Alexa Wallmark; Erin Hahn; Kari Bloomfield; Elizabeth McIntyre; Molly Lystrom; Jerry McDonough; and Terri Moore for the period ending June 30, 2014.
• Approved a temporary Class “B” fermented malt beverage license for the Boyceville Lions Club for the Lions Club Sportsman’s Banquet at the Boyceville fire hall, 512 Center Street, for August 24 and August 25.
• Approved a temporary Class “B” fermented malt beverage license for the Boyceville Wrestling Club for a softball tournament at Andy Pafko Park, 620 Railroad Avenue, for August 16 through August 18.
• Approved a temporary Class “B” fermented malt beverage license for the Boyceville Firefighter’s Tractor Pull September 14 and September 15.
• Adopted a resolution to approve the natural flood hazards mitigation plan.
• Appointed Joe Peters as the Boyceville Library Board’s citizen representative.
• Appointed Village Trustee Jonathan Farrell as the village’s representative to the Dunn County Economic Development Corporation.