By Jenny Boshard
Summer is just around the corner and so is June 1, the date when shave ice businesses in Provo have the right to sell their refreshing, mouth-quenching treat.
This Hawaiian ice wonder is known as shave ice, not shaved ice, according to RealHawaiianIce.com.
Taylor Headman, a 13-year-old girl from Provo, wanted to open her shave ice stand in early May, but couldn”t when she became aware of the Provo ordinance restricting the sale of shave ice before June 1.
Shave ice is to be sold by law in Provo from Memorial Day through Labor Day with no exceptions.
Mayor Lewis Billings became aware of this ordinance when Justin Headman, Taylor”s father, asked the government officials why this ordinance did not allow shave ice to be sold before June 1 when it was extremely hot outside.
“When I saw it [the ordinance] I said it is a stupid law, it ought to be changed,” said Billings.
Billings spoke with the council members and the council agreed it is not a good law, and they are working to make the necessary changes to the ordinance by this time next spring.
“We are not enforcing the law until it is changed,” Billings said.
Even though this ordinance is not being enforced, Taylor Headman lost her opportunity to open her shave ice business and earn money for her school trip to Guatemala, as she is out of the country until June 2. Her father said she will open her shave ice stand when she returns home.
Donald Griffiths, vice president for the company that makes and distributes Tropical Snow, said his company started up in Provo but then moved to the Draper area, and at this time he does not have many independent dealers in Provo. He said this has nothing to do with the Provo ordinance.
“This is the first time I”ve been aware of the ordinance,” Griffiths said.
Griffiths said he knows cities have specific ordinances and is not concerned with Provo”s ordinance because it is not being enforced at this time.
If the ordinance were being enforced, Billings said those who sold shave ice before June 1 would not have received anything more than a notice giving them 30 days to stop selling shave ice. If June 1 fell within those 30 days, they would have the legal permission to keep selling their shave ice throughout the season, and it would not be necessary to close at all.
“It”s not a big deal … but it seems the media is making it a big deal,” Billings said.
