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PD Apologizes For Shutting Down Girls' Lemonade Stand

26 Comments

A Wisconsin police officer shut down two sisters’ lemonade stand, but city officials say it won’t happen again.

Ten-year-old Lydia Coenen and her 9-year-old sister Vivian Coenen were near their Appleton home Sunday morning, preparing to sell lemonade to people heading to a car show. But an officer told them the sales were prohibited by city ordinance.

The law went into effect last month and bars licensed vendors from selling food and drinks within a two-block radius of a special event.

Police have apologized to the family. Police Chief David Walsh says he’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“Not our finest hour, but I believe the officer was acting in the spirit of inter-departmental cooperation rather than malice toward childhood lemonade stands,” Walsh said. “We often have to tell good people that their actions violate an ordinance. In this instance, it appears we went a step too far. I’ll make sure it does not repeat itself.”

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Book_Em_Mandie

almost 2 years ago

6758 Comments

I ranked this UP also. Good Job on the 5-0's part for apologizing. It was a Lemonade Stand, not a crackhouse.
Robocop33

almost 2 years ago

14344 Comments

I ranked this UP as I think the PD did the right thing to apologize to these two little girls. When I first heard this I figured that the vendors at the car show complained because these little girls were taking money from their pockets by selling really good drinks to the people at a lot less than these overpriced jerks and then the PD has no choice but to enforce the ordinance. (I still would have refused) It is a damn shame that little kids can no longer start their little business, be it a lemonade stand or whatever without big brother interfering. I know I had a Kool-Aid stand at least once when I was growing up and remember seeing many of them by other kids. It is 'Americana' for crying out loud!
Whalewatcher

almost 2 years ago

9778 Comments

I recall another story like this a couple of months ago at a sporting event ( The Masters in April, I think ). It was a big P.R. mess from the gitgo for pro golf. There's an old saying that goes like this: when we don't learn from our history, we are condemned to repeat it.
Bnshape

almost 2 years ago

662 Comments

If sense was common,
everyone would have it!
ToServeAndProtect

almost 2 years ago

46 Comments

Ignorance of the law is okay when it comes to ignorance of whats morally and socially acceptable. These police officers should have used their brain instead of acting like a bully.
Halefo5

almost 2 years ago

166 Comments

I strongly believe that ordnance was written to stop the vendors and the bars from selling alcohol to those people that were attending the car show. I don't and refuse to believe that it was meant for little 9 and 10 year olds from selling lemonade or water. I really don't know what the academy is teaching these rookies in our day's but a bit of social science will go a long way in helping them adapt to some environment although it has been proven that book smart does not mean street smart and these are those people who goes on to become bosses, Pencil pushers with no common since. I have met quit a few of them in my tenure. Hopefully this officer will be patrolling the midnight shift where there are no little ones on the street.
Hbryant188

almost 2 years ago

594 Comments

@ bstites........I know right? You would think the officer would have the common sense to not do something like this. The only other thing that comes to my mind is ROOKIE. Sometimes by the book is not always the best way...
bstites

almost 2 years ago

1030 Comments

The first word that came to mind was discretion..........
Twisted_dispatcher

almost 2 years ago

2160 Comments

Bump mpd_943... well said! Im 10-8 as well!
ladycop2

almost 2 years ago

22 Comments

Wow...all I can say is... seriosly?
DALLASCRANE

almost 2 years ago

19386 Comments

common sense is not so common.....
GrayPanther

almost 2 years ago

962 Comments

Bump Heysarge. Little common sense coulda gone a long way here. Buy some lemonade from the girls, don't shut 'em down.
Jonas

almost 2 years ago

38348 Comments

Seems to me that any sense at all is no longer common....
darsavmo

almost 2 years ago

10758 Comments

Police academies can teach law and tactics, but not common sense...
Anonymous

almost 2 years ago

Lets hope these girls can put up their lemonade stand again! These kids could be doing a lot worse things than not abiding by a city ordinance!