Quote:
Lemonade Stand 'Corporate Merger' in Mass.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
SALEM, Mass. — A dispute between two boys hawking lemonade and a rival vendor who forced police to shut down their unlicensed stand was resolved Wednesday after the mayor orchestrated what he called "a corporate merger."
Mayor Stanley Usovicz said sausage stand owner Kevin Kefalas agreed to allow Dominic Serino, 9, and Ryan Decker, 11, to operate as subcontractors under his vending license following an impromptu outdoor meeting initiated by Usovicz.
The agreement expires when school starts.
Kefalas' employee, Jarrod Crowley, reported the boys to police Saturday, saying their stand was affecting his business, which also sells lemonade. He said he didn't want the stand closed, just moved farther away.
But without a $2,200 vendor's license, the police were forced to shut it down.
Crowley said he's endured his share of icy stares since the incident.
Ryan Decker's mother, Angela, said the boys started selling their powder-based brew last summer and made a "killing" — $130.
© Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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C.Mon people! Are there no witch hunts in Salem this summer that the police can oversee - they really are getting called out to shut down some little kids lemonade stand?
There is a parade in my hometown and for a few years in a row, these kids would walk up and down the street with a big cooler on a wagon and sell bottled water and cans of pop. Then, about 3 years ago, some one opened a little carry out hot dog place about 2 blocks from where these kids used to walk and did the same thing...filed a complaint that the kids were operating without a vendors license and they were told they could no longer sell pop and water.
I have to wonder how much of a cut the sausage stand owner is going to take from these kids and if he making them pay for part of the fee for his vendor license?