Washington girl’s lemonade stand shut down by city while complaints continue about homeless encampment: report
Everett, Washington has been accused of misplacing its priorities
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Residents in Everett, Washington, have reportedly raised concerns about a nearby homeless encampment that some say received little attention from the city, while the city was quick to shut down a lemonade stand operated by a 7-year-old girl.
KING 5 reported that Elsa LaMaine, the girl, opened her small stand at a park and sold the usual drinks and flowers alongside her grandmother. Last week, a park ranger at Everett’s Rucker Hill Park and—although polite—told them that they needed to close up shop after a complaint from a neighbor. The city's rule is simple: you cannot sell products on public property.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MyNorthWest.com reported that it has been a tradition for LaMaine since she was four and she even donates some of her earnings to local nonprofit Everett Gospel Mission.
The report said the swift move to close down the girl’s stand was seen as inconsistent with how the city handles other matters, like the homeless encampment at the same park that has been a source of concern for a while now.
KING 5 said that as a reporter interviewed the girl’s grandmother, a "naked man walked out of the woods and into the park."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The grandmother told the station that it is not an unusual occurrence.
"We’ve had people coming through here swinging weapons," Cherie La Maine, the grandmother told the station. "Something’s very wrong with this picture."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The report said it reached out to city officials about the concern from neighbors about alleged misplaced priorities, but did not receive a comment. Kimberly Cline, a city spokeswoman, did not immediately respond to an after-hours email from Fox News.