7/21/11 – City officials in Appleton now admit they made a mistake when they told two young girls to stop selling lemonade outside the city’s Old Car Show on Sunday. It’s been a neighborhood tradition for 15 years. But police told nine-year-old Vivian Coenen and 10-year-old Lydia Coenen to shut down their lemonade stand on Sunday morning. An officer told them they were breaking a city ordinance. The ordinance was passed last month in Appleton. It bans licensed vendors from selling food-and-drinks within two blocks of any special events, to protect non-profit groups selling food inside. But lots of folks complained after the kids got shooed away. Officials then noticed the ordinance was meant to prohibit only licensed vendors – and kids don’t need licenses to sell lemonade. Appleton Police Chief David Walsh said he and his department took full responsibility – but his officers didn’t mean to harm the kids, and they’ll get training on how to properly carry out the new ordinance.
