Working at the Sno-Cone Stand

I usually don't talk about the time I worked at the refreshment stands because it only lasted about six or seven weeks.

The last year I worked at Idora Park, I came to the office two days before park was set to open and asked Pat Duffy if he wanted me to work. He said all the positions were filled at the time.

I said, “Do you know if anything will open up?”

He said nothing he knew of, but he said he would talk to Mickey Rinden, who ran the concession stands, and see if there was a job there for me.

Mickey Rinden was Max Rendin’s son.

I got called the next day and Micken asked if I could come in and talk to him.

So I came in the next day and he told me, “There's a position open at the Sno-Cone stand next to the main concession stand by the ballroom.”

He also asked me if I was allergic to bee stings or yellow jacket stings because they always like to be by the Sno-Cone syrup.

I said, “No, I don't have any allergies except spiders.”

“I don't think you'll find one around there.”

Mickey Rinden said my job would be to load up the Sno-Cone maker with ice first thing in the morning and keep on filling it up and making Sno-Cones taking change.

I said that I ran the games, so that would be no problem.

He had said he already talked to Pat Duffy Jr., and Pat said that I was a good worker.

Also I would have to clean the area where I worked, including washing the cement floor and scrubbing the wooden pallets that were put on top the floors. And I said that would be no problem.

So the next day I started working when the park opened. It was a bit different than working on the games, but it was okay.

And it seemed I was kept pretty busy between the customers and swatting yellow jackets and bees to get them away from the syrup. I guessed that one of the reasons why I was able to get that job was because no one else wanted it because of the bees.

I think in the seven weeks that I work there I only got stung three times, which I didn't think was that bad.

It was kind of like working at the miniature golf course in the sense that I worked by myself. Outside of someone coming down to give me a break, I really didn't have anyone to answer to but Mickey, who rarely came around because everything got done.

In fact, one Wednesday Mickey came over to talk to me and said, “I understand you'll be 18 in two months.”

And I said, “Yes, I will be.”

“Well,” he said. “I think I can use you inside the ballroom to tend bar. You're allowed to start that a month before you turn 18, so that's probably what I will do.”

I said thank you and that I would be glad to do that. In fact, I would be very, very glad to do that.

One of the nice things about tending bar at the ballroom is that you also got to see the bands that played there.

I saw everything from swing bands to the DeFranco Family and Badfinger, also Left End and so many other groups.

So, I thought that would be a nice change of pace from what I had been doing. And maybe I wouldn't get stung by bees.

Nothing really exciting seem to happen at the Sno-Cone stand, although I would admit that it wasn't unusual for girls around my age to buy a Sno-Cone and then sit on the stands ledge and talk to me for a while.

Annie, who was in charge of the main concession stand that was attached to my stand, used to walk over once in a while and say, “You always got pretty girls sitting on your stand. How come?”

I usually just said, “Cuz I make good Sno-Cones.”

I guess this story just kind of came to me when I was at a store in Struthers, Ohio where there is Save-A-Lot.

Next to Save-A-Lot is a store that sells used merchandise of all kinds.

My granddaughter Aurora was with me, and she said, “Look, Grandpa, there is a Sno-Cone maker.”

And I said, “Yes, it is. I used to run one just like that when I worked at Idora Park.”

She said, “Grandpa, you should buy that. That way, you can make Sno-Cones for us.”

And I said, “I don't think so.”

See you on the Midway!