Ice-Cream Wars : Rival Vendors Carry Good Humor Too Far, Are Banned From Schools

Agoura Hills has ordered a truce in a cold war at local schools.

The City Council voted Tuesday night to ban peddling near campuses as a way of controlling two rival ice-cream men who have fought for position in front of schools or used free candy--some of it tossed over playground fences--to get students’ business.

The crackdown was requested by teachers and parents who have not taken the ice-cream battle with good humor.

Officials said the skirmishing began in September, when a dark ice-cream truck began jockeying for position with a light-colored truck outside schools in the residential community west of the San Fernando Valley.

“It’s been like chocolate and vanilla fighting to come out on the top of the sundae,” said Felicity Kidd, acting Agoura Hills city manager.

Edged Closer and Closer

Sumac Elementary School Principal Patricia Vincent said the trucks edged closer and closer to her school’s main gate each day at 2:30 p.m., until one of them parked squarely in front of it.

“Kids would run out and dart across our parking lot to get to the truck. I nearly lost two kids to cars,” she said.

The other ice-cream vendor topped that by driving his truck onto the campus. “He got out and threw fistfuls of candy over the fence to attract kids,” Vincent said.

Vincent sent a letter home with students that asked parents to warn children against spending lunch money on ice cream and taking candy from strangers. “I had no idea of the contents of the candy,” she said.

After that, parents began patrolling outside schools, sometimes confronting the ice-cream men to make them leave.

“Once I saw little kids hanging on the back of one the trucks as he started to drive off,” said parent Diane Venable, who was in front of Sumac School jotting down the license number of one of the trucks Tuesday afternoon. “They are a hazard to the area.”

The ice-cream men denied there is a danger and blamed each other for the dispute.

“He’s the one who gives candy to the kids,” said Hassan Hosseininajad of Reseda, driver of the light-colored truck. “Kids ask me for candy, but that’s not the right way. I’ve been here for two years without any problem.”

Hosseininajad said he began parking at least 100 feet from the front of schools after Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies talked to him recently about principals’ complaints. He said his rival gets much closer.

Handed Out Candy

Jorge Alfaro of Los Angeles, the driver of the dark truck, acknowledged driving onto the Sumac School campus and handing out candy through the fence several weeks ago. But he said he now stays at least 200 feet from schools.

Alfaro said he has snapped photos of Hosseininajad’s truck parked much closer.

“When I came here about two months ago, I brought something to give away,” Alfaro said. “I talked with the sheriff. They said there is nothing wrong, and I can go to any school and give things away free.”

Alfaro said his giveaways have prompted some parents to suspect the worst.

“They say I put cocaine in the little candies. But it’s only sugar,” he said.

School officials had hoped the city would prohibit vending within 1,000 feet of campuses. But sheriff’s deputies who helped draft the new ordinance for the city settled on a 500-foot ban as a compromise after learning that Los Angeles schools have a 200-foot restriction.

Agoura Hills council members unanimously approved the new law, which will take effect Dec. 3. They said they may extend the vending restrictions to city parks after that.