"The ice cream business is kind of a time-honored tradition," Jack Sportsman said. "Parents that bring their kids out to the ice cream truck, now, most of them have fond memories because of when they were kids coming out themselves. It's just something that each generation seems to do and enjoy."
The 53-year-old Sportsman started his self-named enterprise in 1990 in Joplin, Mo., after managing a branch of trucks in Atlanta for several years. The Lamar, Mo., native wanted to move back to the area to spend more time with his three children.
Although no actual ice cream trucks rumbled through his childhood neighborhood, he remembered a time when the local Dairy Queen would sell Dilly Bars for a dime each from a freezer attached to the back of a Cushman scooter.
"I know when we first started here in Joplin there hadn't been trucks here for years that I'm aware of," Sportsman said. "People would come out to the truck and wanted to know what we're selling, which I thought was kind of odd that they didn't know. That was a sign that there hadn't been an ice cream truck around for a little while, but they learn pretty quickly."
I ran into Jack at Books-A-Million a couple of months ago and he told me his business had actually picked up since economic hard times swept across the country.
12 comments:
Didn't he start this ice cream business after he lost his teaching certificate? Let's think back. Didn't it have something to do with he and a high school girl? Maybe the Arkansas paper should have told the whole story.
i guess it would be booming. he doesnt pay his obligation, cheats the workers, and the buisiness is all cash, i am sure he reports all his income. also, check the story from kc about the branch up there using the imigrant workers. i know he uses them too.,
Yes, another "fine fellow". Isn't it just great how a newspaper can take a "fine fellow" and make him look like the greatest thing since sliced bread or should I say ice cream!!!! We could all be driving Mercedes if we didn't pay taxes. And no, we don't buy ice cream from him.
So are you three jealous much??
Lamar would have preferred not to have their towns name used in the same article as Jack Sportsman's.
I guess the first poster is "perfect" and has never done anything they regretted. The next two are operating on hearsay and might ought to watch where that can get you - especially if you are the victim of such. Here's betting they are not "perfect" in the tax, business area themselves - else they wouldn't think they know so much. And as for Lamar not wanting to be connected - since when did "whoever you are" speak for all of us?
well maybe it is not all hearsay. maybe it is experience. not much to be jealous of either. this being america, free speech will get everyone where we need to be.perhaps the truth has stung someone a little bit??
Actually, no sting at all. I have no connection, interest, really don't know the man. I just didn't see the reason for taking the path these or the poster have taken. Guess my Mom always taught me - if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all. What have you gained by dredging up old news and petty accusations? Did it make you feel better about yourself, tearing someone else down? Freedom of speech doesn't mean we aren't responsible for what we say or why we say it.
I don't know about the other post but I can assure you the first post is correct. It is NOT hear say. It's been over 20 years but the memory is very clear. And yes, I've made mistakes that haunt me to this day. He should not be around children, certainly not teenage girls!
well since we are anonymous i dont know how many people are actually writing these post. but the "perfect" poster displays the same faults he is condemning. and "moms" lessons didnt seem to sink in either. Telling the truth can only be constructive, it lets everyone know the true value of the man.So yes, i do feel better if the truth is known and even one person benefits. If you view it as destructive, so be it. We all have an opinion. If you need the truth, ask one of his ex wives or former employees, they are still around lamar.
I hope and pray I'm never featured in an article for doing something worthwhile - like working hard and providing jobs. It seems if that happens there are those who are "compelled" to tell the truth -no matter how much time has passed, how much is known or how relevant it is to the story. We all have our faults - some more than others - let one of mine not be in taking joy in tearing someone else down. It isn't that there isn't some, if not alot of truth in what has been said. The question is - how has the "truth" that has been provided helped anyone? I would imagine most women would go in with eyes open and employees can always look somewhere else (good luck on that) if it's that bad working for him.
Why the compulsion to make it known how dasterdly he is and ban him from Lamar - we've got worse!
so by your posting are you building us up for the truth or tearing us down? i see a mixed message.maybe a woman would go in with eyes open if she knew. even Madoff was a hero and now he is in jail. if we forget the history, we are bound to repeat some if not all of it. the real problem is the media wanted a feel good story and that is what they printed. These comments seem to enlarge the story some with back ground info. I for one can forgive some past mistakes one has made if he changes his path and is more respectable. And maybe some people are forced to stay with an employer because of the economy, Does that make the employer a god who is faultless??Yes there are worse in lamar, and some even reside in public office. so when we seize an opportunity , i am SURE there will be more people saying what you are. leave him alone , that is in the past no matter who we are discussing. At least on turners blog, he seems to allow free speech, unlike the lamar mo chat rooms. Joe should take lessons.
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