workbench, but he was not working.
“Hi, kids,” Mr. Hanson said. “Thanks for coming. But I’m not sure that I will need your help tonight.”
“Is something wrong?” asked Jessie.
Mr. Hanson pointed toward the door. “Did you see how few customers there are out there? Everyone thinks my pier is unsafe. Even the local safety inspector heard the rumors. He stopped by today for a surprise inspection.”
“Were there any problems?” Jessie asked. “No, not at all,” Mr. Hanson said. He showed Jessie the copy of the inspector’s report. “The inspector congratulated me on my pier. He said it was very safe. I could post the report outside, but no one will see it. I do not know how to fight these false rumors.”
“We have heard the rumors, too,” Henry said “But Violet has come up with a wonderful idea.”
Violet stood in front of the workbench. “Mr. Hanson,” she said, “if we could only get people to come visit your pier, they would see how much fun it is and how it is safe. They would want to come back and visit many times.”
Mr. Hanson held up his hand. “Thank you, Violet. I agree with you. But I cannot get people to come here. Did you see Bob Cooke’s pier? There are long lines for all the rides. My rides are empty.”
“But what if you had a special night where all the rides on Hanson’s pier were free? I think many people would come for free rides. Then they would see how wonderful your pier is. The rumors would die because people would see the truth, that you have a safe and fun amusement pier.”
Mr. Hanson sat up straight in his chair. He looked at Violet. “Violet,” he said, “may I shake your hand?”
Violet’s face was flushed. Mr. Hanson grabbed her hand and shook it up and down. There was a big smile on his face. “You are a genius!” he said. “I think it is a great plan. We should have the free night as soon as possible! I think we should do it tomorrow!”
The children looked at each other. “We would have to let everyone know first,” Henry said.
“I’ll put an ad in the paper,” Mr. Hanson said, clapping his hands together.
“I can make flyers,” Violet said. “We can put them up all around the boardwalk so that everyone will know about the special night.”
“There is a T-shirt shop on the boardwalk,” Jessie added. “We could have special shirts made that advertise the free night. We could wear them all day tomorrow.”
Just then Will and Wendy walked into the shed. “Dad,” Will said, “I found the bolt that you were looking for. I want to apologize. The bolt was in my . . .”
“Listen to this, Will!” Mr. Hanson said. “The Aldens have come up with a plan to save the pier.” Mr. Hanson explained the plan to Will and Wendy.
“It sounds great!” Will said. “Wendy and I will help, of course.”
There was no time to spare. Mr. Hanson headed straight to the Oceanside Times newspaper office to place a big ad for the next day’s edition. Will and Henry went to the haunted house to put the bolt back on the zombie. Jessie, Violet, and Benny walked to the T-shirt shop and Wendy stayed to run the pier while everyone was gone.
The Oceanside Shirt Shop was a small store crowded with many racks of T-shirts.
“May I help you?” asked a young man behind the counter.
“Yes,” Violet answered. “We would like to purchase some T-shirts, but can we make our own design to put on them?”
“Of course,” the man answered.
Violet worked on the T-shirt design with the man while Jessie and Benny picked out a pile of plain green T-shirts in different sizes.
The man’s name was Dennis. He was impressed with Violet’s design. “You are a very good artist,” he said. “Is Hanson’s pier really going to let people ride for free tomorrow?”
“Yes,” Violet said.
“But is it safe? I have heard some bad rumors about Hanson’s,” Dennis said.
“They are false rumors that someone has been spreading,” Violet explained. “The safety
“Hi, kids,” Mr. Hanson said. “Thanks for coming. But I’m not sure that I will need your help tonight.”
“Is something wrong?” asked Jessie.
Mr. Hanson pointed toward the door. “Did you see how few customers there are out there? Everyone thinks my pier is unsafe. Even the local safety inspector heard the rumors. He stopped by today for a surprise inspection.”
“Were there any problems?” Jessie asked. “No, not at all,” Mr. Hanson said. He showed Jessie the copy of the inspector’s report. “The inspector congratulated me on my pier. He said it was very safe. I could post the report outside, but no one will see it. I do not know how to fight these false rumors.”
“We have heard the rumors, too,” Henry said “But Violet has come up with a wonderful idea.”
Violet stood in front of the workbench. “Mr. Hanson,” she said, “if we could only get people to come visit your pier, they would see how much fun it is and how it is safe. They would want to come back and visit many times.”
Mr. Hanson held up his hand. “Thank you, Violet. I agree with you. But I cannot get people to come here. Did you see Bob Cooke’s pier? There are long lines for all the rides. My rides are empty.”
“But what if you had a special night where all the rides on Hanson’s pier were free? I think many people would come for free rides. Then they would see how wonderful your pier is. The rumors would die because people would see the truth, that you have a safe and fun amusement pier.”
Mr. Hanson sat up straight in his chair. He looked at Violet. “Violet,” he said, “may I shake your hand?”
Violet’s face was flushed. Mr. Hanson grabbed her hand and shook it up and down. There was a big smile on his face. “You are a genius!” he said. “I think it is a great plan. We should have the free night as soon as possible! I think we should do it tomorrow!”
The children looked at each other. “We would have to let everyone know first,” Henry said.
“I’ll put an ad in the paper,” Mr. Hanson said, clapping his hands together.
“I can make flyers,” Violet said. “We can put them up all around the boardwalk so that everyone will know about the special night.”
“There is a T-shirt shop on the boardwalk,” Jessie added. “We could have special shirts made that advertise the free night. We could wear them all day tomorrow.”
Just then Will and Wendy walked into the shed. “Dad,” Will said, “I found the bolt that you were looking for. I want to apologize. The bolt was in my . . .”
“Listen to this, Will!” Mr. Hanson said. “The Aldens have come up with a plan to save the pier.” Mr. Hanson explained the plan to Will and Wendy.
“It sounds great!” Will said. “Wendy and I will help, of course.”
There was no time to spare. Mr. Hanson headed straight to the Oceanside Times newspaper office to place a big ad for the next day’s edition. Will and Henry went to the haunted house to put the bolt back on the zombie. Jessie, Violet, and Benny walked to the T-shirt shop and Wendy stayed to run the pier while everyone was gone.
The Oceanside Shirt Shop was a small store crowded with many racks of T-shirts.
“May I help you?” asked a young man behind the counter.
“Yes,” Violet answered. “We would like to purchase some T-shirts, but can we make our own design to put on them?”
“Of course,” the man answered.
Violet worked on the T-shirt design with the man while Jessie and Benny picked out a pile of plain green T-shirts in different sizes.
The man’s name was Dennis. He was impressed with Violet’s design. “You are a very good artist,” he said. “Is Hanson’s pier really going to let people ride for free tomorrow?”
“Yes,” Violet said.
“But is it safe? I have heard some bad rumors about Hanson’s,” Dennis said.
“They are false rumors that someone has been spreading,” Violet explained. “The safety
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