On its website, the City of Midway, Georgia, describes itself as "A growing city with a hometown feel." But trust me when I say that it doesn't seem to understand the concept of small town rural America.
On July 15, 2011, in Midway, Georgia, local police shut down a lemonade stand run by three girls trying to save up for a trip to a water park.
The reason is that the children didn't have a business license or the required permits for their lemonade stand.
No kidding! Imagine how crazy that sounds. I wish it weren't true, but read on and see for yourself just how low some folks can get.
According to the Associated Press story, Midway Police Chief Kelly Morningstar said that police also "didn't know how the lemonade was made, who made it, or what was in it."
Call CSI to test the lemonade? Don't put it past this Police Chief. Yes, the Midway Police Chief is one interesting piece of work, talk about taking your job a little too seriously. Bust a few children selling lemonade? She ought to get a life!
The girls had been operating for one day when Police Chief Morningstar and another officer cruised by, spotted their illegal activity and took prompt action to shut them down. Another safe street made safer by swift Police work!
According to the City of Midway Chief, the girls needed a business license, a peddler's permit, and a food permit to operate even though they were located on residential property. The permits cost $50 a day or $180 per year.
One girl, 14-year-old Casity Dixon, says the three girls had to listen to police and shut down their lemonade stand immediately.
It's good to see the police hard at work, but honestly there has to be something else that that Police Department can be doing to justify their existence. With city and state budgets the way they are these days across the nation, and cuts being made everywhere, I'm sure law enforcement has to set their priorities. I hope this is not their idea of a law enforcement priority in Georgia.
God only knows how bad crime is getting these days, although I didn't know that a major police problem in Georgia these days is the spread of illegal lemonade stands. And yes, after this, I have to say that I have a whole new curiosity as to what Georgia considers law breakers.
The girls are now doing chores and yard work to make money. It is not known if the girls are now seeking the proper City of Midway permits to do chores or yard work. But after hearing about the way those folks operate down there, well I'm almost certain that the City of Midway will have their dogged Police Chief check to see that the proper permits are paid for.
I read on the City of Midway's website where they say "Today, Midway is a growing town of just over 1100 residents. ... Midway is a city on the move!" Then they go on to describe their upcoming business park, etc, and finally goes on to say, "Midway is a great place to live, work, and play!"
It probably is "a great place to live, work, and play" if you have the right permits. And of course, your children there don't try selling lemonade.
But not to worry, Georgia may be the most recent place to crack down on illegal lemonade stands - but it is not the only place where the Police have nothing better to do than bust kids selling lemonade.
In August of 2010, an Oregon bureaucrat in the Multnomah County Health Department busted a 7-year-old girl named Julie for operating a lemonade stand without a restaurant license. Little Julie apparently should have gotten a $120 temporary restaurant license.
No word if the Police Chief of Midway Georgia is originally from Oregon.
If you'd like to see the Chief of Police pertaining to this, please check out this video.
Story by Tom Correa
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