It’s about time that the citizens of Midway replace the city council. It is one thing to pass laws, but another to use common sense.
The city has gone totally overboard demanding the laws be strictly enforced, even when the laws are contrary to sound thinking, when the council can modify the laws to be practical. Yet, for some reason the council does not see the logic to this approach. Mayor Washington is a law and order leader, protecting the city from outlaw lemonade sellers. Wait a minute, this is another gimmick to make money, just like the city’s speed traps.
Chief Morningstar needs to learn the technicalities of the law before picking on little girls.
“We had told them, ‘we understand you guys are young, but still, you’re breaking the law, and we can’t let you do it anymore.’ The law is the law, and we have to be consistent with how we enforce the laws,”  she said.
It appears that the children needed a business, peddler and food license. Yet, a lemonade stand does not fall under any of these ordinances. The Midway business ordinance 7-1-1 reads:
“Every business in this city or person doing business or engaged in business within the city is hereby required to have a business license from the city for the privilege of engaging in a business, profession or occupation within the corporate limits, unless city licensing is prohibited under state law or the activity is exempted by this code.”
How can the city of Midway consider a lemonade stand a “business?” Black’s Law Dictionary defines a business as an “employment, occupation, profession or commercial activity engaged in for livelihood.” A lemonade stand makes for a great livelihood. The girls also had to have a peddler’s license. They may pedal their bikes, but “peddling?”
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines food as “material consisting essentially of protein, carbohydrate, and fat used in the body of an organism to sustain growth, repair, and vital processes and to furnish energy.” When did lemonade become protein, carbohydrate, or fat? I guess I slept through that part in school.
We should congratulate Chief Morningstar, since she put Midway on national news. I bet companies are lining up to establish their businesses in Midway. By the way, the city council has ordered the chief not to talk about the incident. If the police made a correct decision, what is wrong with us hearing the facts?
As a kid, how many of us sold cookies, lemonade, newspapers and vegetables (maybe not in Midway)? For many people, it was their first experience learning responsibility. Even Dennis the Menace had a lemonade stand.
Richmond Hill is taking the girls and their lemonade stand to Gregory Park’s new farmer’s market, and the girls won’t need a license.  Maybe I’ll take my business to Richmond Hill.
The lemonade stand is just the latest in a line of poor judgment decisions by the council. The Midway City Council has a habit of following the law to the detriment of the people of Midway.