A Massachusetts boy whose ice cream stand was shut down has become a minor celebrity after several businesses took up his campaign to raise money for charity.

Bored and looking for something to do this summer, Danny Doherty hatched a plan to raise money for his brother’s hockey team by selling homemade ice cream.

But a few days after setting up a stand and serving up vanilla, shaved chocolate and fluffernutter to about 20 people, Danny’s family received a letter from the Norwood Board of Health ordering it shut down. Town officials had received a complaint and said that the 12-year-old’s scheme violated the Massachusetts Food Code, a state regulation.

“I was surprised and upset,” he said of the letter that came Aug. 5. “I don’t understand because there are so many lemonade stands and they don’t get shut down.”

Danny’s mom, Nancy Doherty, who had encouraged her son to start the stand as long as he donated half of the proceeds to charity, also was taken aback.

“Somebody complained. That was the most disappointing part for us was that somebody thought it necessary to complain about a child’s stand,” she said. “It seemed a little, you know, crazy if you ask me.”

  • @[email protected]
    30•2 months ago

    Honestly lemonade stands exist because it’s so fucking hard to fuck up lemonade but ice cream involves dairy and needs to be cooked in properly sanitized containers to avoid a lot of potential food borne illnesses.

    The city shutting it down isn’t a huge surprise especially if it was in operation for more than a day or two. It kinda sucks but we have food inspectors for a reason.

    The resolution of a local business owner sharing their prep area to run the fundraiser is pretty much the perfect outcome since they can ensure proper methods are being followed and have the equipment to safely manufacture and sanitize everything involved.

    • @[email protected]OP
      9•2 months ago

      Listeria happens when machines aren’t cleaned properly, ie: completely stripped down, which is unlikely to happen in a home-based operation. I mean it’s not like they had 50 ice cream makers on the go to make millions of dollars - like Boar’s Head deli meats (July 2024), Rizo-López Foods cheese (Feb 2024), and in Canada Danone’s plant-based milk (Aug 2024), and Maple Leaf’s 2008 deli meat debacle that resulted in 23 deaths. None of those companies were shut down because of their lazy oversight.

      • @[email protected]
        10•2 months ago

        Well, it fucking sucks and it’s not a nice fuzzy answer but… the US is deeply corrupt. I’d prefer this ice cream stand be shut down and Boar’s Head also fail a health screen then everyone just do whatever.

        The rules aren’t being evenly applied but I’d rather we enforce them more than relax them all to the lowest common denominator.

        ETA: I absolutely get your frustration here and I share it.

        • @[email protected]
          3•2 months ago

          Instead of issuing the shutdown notice, they should have sent someone out there to check up on the process the kid was using. That would have been very easy to do, and made the operation safe if it wasn’t.

      • @[email protected]
        4•2 months ago

        I agree - and I think partnering with local businesses is probably the most reasonable way to ensure it’s up to code.

  • @[email protected]
    17•2 months ago

    “Somebody complained. That was the most disappointing part for us was that somebody thought it necessary to complain about a child’s stand,” she said. “It seemed a little, you know, crazy if you ask me.”

    Petty would be the word I use.

    Rather than give up, Danny decided to give away the ice cream and accept donations for the Boston Bear Cubs, a team featuring players with physical and developmental disabilities — including his brother, who is autistic.

    Shit got real here.

    Town officials, meanwhile, said they received hate mail and death threats over the dispute, which they suggested has been badly mischaracterized in the media.

    This is beginning to sound more and more like small town GOP shitheads.

    “I’m not upset with the town for responding to a complaint,” she said. “I’m shocked someone complained. This was a tiny operation. Us serving 20 friends, family and neighbors isn’t a public health action. That is someone complaining to be a complainer.”

    Karen lives next door.

  • @cheese_greater
    11•2 months ago

    It would be nice if there was a program to help these kids run up-to-code versions of these operations and learn entrepreneurship other than cities just saying “Lol! No”

    • Drusas
      1•2 months ago

      Right? A 12-year-old could definitely manage to get a food handler’s card.

  • Drusas
    8•2 months ago

    Man, even I’m not curmudgeonly enough to want a kid’s ice cream stand shut down (I am definitely curmudgingly enough to complain about kids, but I still let them live their lives–it’s my problem that I don’t like how loud they are.)

    Is it possible that someone might get sick from it? Yes. But when it comes to a kid’s ice cream or lemonade stand, it should be up to the people whether or not they want to take that infinitismal risk.

    There always has to be someone out there trying to ruin everyone else’s good time. People need to mind their own business.

  • @[email protected]English
    2•2 months ago

    Why did they shut it down? Perhaps due to laws and regulations? Perhaps due to laws and regulations put in place by the very people these residents elect?