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Posted on 08/21/2008 5:57:56 PM PDT by ellery
CLAYTON, CA (KGO) -- Two young East Bay girls are trying to find out if you really can fight city hall. The youngsters are battling to get their produce stand back after the city of Clayton shut them down.
The mayor himself is getting involved in this issue; he says the produce stand, operated by two young sisters, had to be shut down because of public safety and a zoning ordinance. But members of the Lewis family say - we have just begun to fight.
On a Clayton street corner is where 11-year-old Katie and 3-year- old Sabrina Lewis had been selling their families surplus fruits and veggies - stuff like: Story continues belowAdvertisement "Zucchini, melons, tomatoes, radishes," said Sabrina Lewis.
They did it for maybe four hours on Saturday mornings to make a little money. They haven't sold a thing since the police showed up recently in response to one complaint to the mayor's office.
-snip-
As for the traffic issue, neighbor Terri Highsmith says there isn't one.
"On the weekends is when I mostly notice them selling. I come and go a lot and I've never seen any traffic problems," said Highsmith.
Clayton Mayor Gregg Manning disagrees. And wonders what Katie and Sabrina might do with that produce stand if the zoning laws weren't enforced.
"They may start out with a little card-table and selling a couple of things, but then who is to say what else they have. Is all the produce made there, do they make it themselves? Are they going to have eggs and chickens for sale next," said Manning.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at abclocal.go.com ...
Mayor: “That’s a nice little produce stand you got there, girls. Be a shame if anything were to happen to it.”
"They may start out with a little card-table and selling a couple of things, but then who is to say what else they have. Is all the produce made there, do they make it themselves? Are they going to have eggs and chickens for sale next," said Manning.
MAKE the produce? MAKE It?
What's this moron doing in public office to begin with?
We’ve haven’t gotten into the baked goods ..... YET. Been too hot, plus it’s peach season right now, so we’ve been doing peach jam this week. We’re out of peaches and need to get more, but we still have 30 batches of jam worth of blueberries and strawberries in the freezer.
Maybe they wouldn’t have to take it inside, just off the sidewalk and within the bounds of the lot itself.........
Well I wouldn't hire him. Would you?
Wow. Peaches are my favorite. That’s an awful lot of time and work.
I think the bigger story is that there is actually farm land left in Clayton.
From KVs Gramma tells me Seeno has built over just about everything from Brentwood to Clayton and trying to build on the foot of Mt. Diablo.
I guess all that’s left is government work then.
The mayor has developed such a habit of exerting tyranny over the population of Clayton, that he has no problem with crushing the entrepreneurial spirit of young girls. He is belongs to a legion of public officials who have let the power they possess transform them into tyrants with the mental sickness of sadism. There are too many of them. The mayor of Seattle, Greg Nickels, for instance, is one of them.
This sorry excuse for a human being should have sent a nice person to give the girls advice on how to make their produce stand comply with a modest level of expectations. Not too excessive; just enough to teach them the way to meet standards.
The mayor should have seen it as an opportunity to teach these young girls the value of earning a dollar and not an opportunity to shove in their mouths a bitter pill that they will never forget.
We love peaches here also, but I had never thought to make peach jam until another VA FReeper put the idea in my head, about a week or so ago.
We’re gonna make more this weekend :)
Clayton WAS all ranch/farms back in the day.
AMEN from ME again. We need lots of Amens. Stupid adults in charge...they make me sick.
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Cops keep just “following orders”, and one day they’re gonna do something really stupid.
Someone needs to buy the Grinchy mayor his very own copy of
“Help, Mom, There’s a Liberal Under my Bed!!”
My five year old might donate hers. She understands the concepts by now. :p
Drat. Didn’t finish reading the thread again...
Oh, well, GMTA. Heeheehee
I am planning a move to the country. I have been waiting for a chance to can and preserve. I may be calling on you for advice. I will be needing extra income sources. :)
The graft and greed at all levels of government is simply astounding.
That’s because your 5yo is one smart cookine. Just like her mom!
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