Locals and summer folk will notice that our local supermarket, the good old Grand Union, has been re-named Tops, after its new corporate owner. There are numerous changes throughout the store, including spiffy new Tops uniforms for the staff and new loyalty cards for the customers.

And as we learned yesterday, there's a new policy for purchasing alcohol. ALL buyers must produce identification. This came as both a shock -- and something that provided much amusement -- for my 76-year-old father, John Batson., visiting from Sydney, Australia.

"Sir, we will need to see some ID," our cheerful cashier told my dad. as he placed his 12 pack of Sam Adams Summer Ale on the conveyer belt.

"Are you for real?," said John, thinking it was a joke.

"It's our new store policy."

"You are looking good for someone they don't believe is 21," someone in the next aisle joked.

"That's that first time in my life I have ever been asked for identification, ever, anywhere in the world," John said.

It's good to see a store taking seriously selling alcohol to minors, but should 76-year-old grandfathers be carded as well?

What do you think? Tell us in comments.

Anthony Batson