Want to Turn Lemons Into Lemonade? Not In Seattle

AP Photo/Torsten Kjellstrand - The Oregonian

Julie Murphy, hardened child criminal

This morning, our news blog the Daily Weekly brought you the tale of a 7-year-old who got on the wrong side of the Portland health department. Pint-sized Julie Murphy's crime? Selling lemonade without a permit. Threatened with a $500 fine, Murphy had to pack up her pitcher.

Now there's an update. Lest you doubt that Seattle adheres to the same ridiculous rigorous standards as the City of Roses, King County Health Department spokesman James Apa assures Daily Weekly writer Caleb Hannan that Murphy's fate would have been the same here:

"Murphy and her mom had set up shop at a street fair in Portland. If a kid did the same in Seattle, says Apa, they'd be expected to have a temporary event permit, which retails for $50."

However: "If the kids were making lemonade on the cheap -- that is, with mixes like Crystal Light -- and not actually using any real fruit, they wouldn't be breaking the law."

So there you have it, young entrepreneurs. Stick to flavorless chemicals, or face the long arm of the law.