Oregon Officials Apologize For Shutting Down Lemonade Stand

A political heavyweight in the town of Multnomah, Oregon is offering up a "mea culpa" to a pint-sized entrepreneur this week. "The Oregonian" reports that City Chairman Jeff Cogen has apologized to seven-year-old Julie Murphy for the closure of her lemonade stand by the county health department last week. Health inspectors told Murphy and her mother, Maria Fife, to stop selling lemonade at an arts festival because the stand failed to display a temporary restaurant license - which costs 120 dollars for one day's use. Cogen is now giving Murphy "a pass" on her lemonade stand and asking that his representatives use "professional discretion" before making future closures. Cogen added, quote, "A lemonade stand is a classic, iconic American kid thing to do. I don't want to be in the business of shutting that down."