Two young girls in East Texas got a tough lesson in city government Monday when the local police chief shut down their lemonade stand.
Andria and Zoey Green, 7 and 8 years old, were trying to raise money to buy their dad a Father's Day gift when when Overton Police Chief Clyde Carter shutdown the stand because they lacked the proper permits, according to The Tyler Paper.
Carter first cited an ordinance requiring them to have a peddler's permit, but later said they instead needed a health permit from Rusk County.
The sisters said they were selling lemonade and popcorn at their home in the 200 block of Garden Club in Overton to raise money to take their father to a water park when they were approached by police.
"As lemonade they cannot just get over there and make lemonade and have it for sale on the side of the road without permits," Carter told local media.
Claire Beguzman, Northeast Texas Public Health District registered sanitarian, told the newspaper that her department has never really regulated lemonade stands in the past.
"We've talked about lemonade stands, but it is kind of taboo," Beguzman said. "We are more concerned about illegal food vendors selling stuff like homemade tacos from the trunk of their vehicle. We heard about the story in Overton, and we're talking about it, but I've been here 10 years, and we have never regulated them."
The girls may not be able sell their lemonade, but thanks to a loophole, they can give it away and accept donations from the public.
Since their story hit the Internet, hundreds of people commented and said they planned to make the drive to Overton on Saturday for a cup of lemonade.
The girls have already received complimentary tickets to both Six Flags and Splash Kingdom and plan to give any donations collected to the Deana Rinehart and Felicia Roach Overton High School Sports Scholarship Fund.
