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Sour Lemons

T.J. Guerrero, 12, set up a time-honored American tradition: a lemonade stand in front of his family home in Dunedin, Fla. Then a neighbor replied with a newer American tradition regarding innocent youthful pastimes: he reported the stand to authorities. “Please help me regain my quiet home and neighborhood,” complained Doug Wilkey, 61, in a letter to city hall. The stand is an “illegal business” that increases traffic and parking problems in the neighborhood, and “I am very worried about the value of my home, which is why I built in a residential area, not a business area.” The city wasn’t concerned, especially after finding all of the other neighbors support T.J. “We’re not in the business of trying to regulate kids like that,” said city planning and development director Greg Rice. “We are not out there trying to put lemonade stands out of business.” Publicity over the fight has business booming for T.J., but the city is investigating Wilkey because of a tip that he allegedly runs a financial services company out of his home, and doesn’t have the license required to do so. He faces a $250 per day fine. (RC/Tampa Bay Times) ...That would buy a lot of lemonade.
Original Publication Date: 31 August 2014
This story is in True’s book collections, in Volume 21.

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