Kid Serves Lemonade Once Again In Riverside Park

Aw: Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe made good on his promise to buy some lemonade from the 10-year-old girl who was ticketed for operating a 50-cent/per cup lemonade stand in Riverside Park without a permit. Clementine Lee had thought that selling lemonade (and cookies) would be a nice thing to do, "It was such a hot day I figured people would want a cold drink," but the overzealous parks officer thought differently, giving her a $50 ticket. In the end—and when the Post let him know about it—Benepe quashed the ticket and visited the 10-year-old at her stand, buying three cups. The Post reports that Lee found him "nice" and notes she "sold 80 cups, raising $40 for the World Wildlife Federation." As for the parks officer, he/she "has been temporarily removed from enforcement and is being retrained in park rules and regulations." Maybe we need a Colbert Report Nailed 'Em segment on Clementine—remember 6-year-old "graffiti punk" Natalie Shea?

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By Jen Chung in News on August 19, 2009 8:51 AM

Comments [rss]

NannyState

Actually, Adrian Benepe read the previous Gothamist article and was really intrigued at the possibility of "Two Girls, One Cup".

Internet Handle

"World Wildlife Federation?" Really? She decided to give her earnings to a shady "non-profit" based in Huntsville, Texas instead of donating it to the recognized and generally respected World Wildlife Fund? Rather than support a known good cause, she gave money to a group whose website contains this passage:

The Universal Ethician Church is dedicated to honoring God’s command by using 100% of all donations to the World Wildlife Federation fund for protecting God’s Creation in Wilderness Cathedrals around Planet Eden.

Either that, or the Post's reporting is inaccurate, or this Parks Commissioner doesn't know what he's talking about. Both of which, in fact, are things we know to be true.

Spirit of 76

Shouldn't the Department of Health be looking at this? Is she wearing the requisite rubber gloves? Is the lemonade being stored at a safe temperature? Inquiring minds want to know.

Gothampc

What's the difference between this little girl selling lemonade and all the other people selling stuff around town? What about the tables of books on the streets, the purses and perfumes and sketch artists, and the people that sell mangoes in the subway. Do they all have licenses and pay tax?

Steven

The ironic part is if this was some teens or young adults doing this the ticket will stand, but since it's a sweet 10 year old girl everything is dandy.

felixthecat2

sweet girl.

Bernie Madoff-Goetz

Sadly they're still booting the folks trying to sell $1 bottled water out of ice chests in the northern part of the park. These folks usually tend to be people down from Harlem who don't mind sitting out in the heat to make an honest buck. I guess it helps to be a cute, little girl.

Sleepy

Of course, our elected and appointed officials only seem to correct these mistakes after they are publicly shamed in the press (ie. lemonade, parking zone changes).

yytttt

And thank you, press, for publicly flogging these people.

Ralph

That sure is anice that she awanted to asell alemonade again.

Jen Chung

Jagshemash.

WesleySnipesAlot

+1

valeriob

Such an exemplory display of values from this little girl. The ticketing parks officer should be forced to make a significant donation to the WWF and apologize in person to the girl and her family.