inspector checked out the whole pier today and he said it was very safe.”
“That is good to hear,” Dennis said. “I have a little boy. I will bring him over tomorrow to ride the rides. And I will tell my customers all about it, too.”
Dennis finished pressing Violet’s design onto the T-shirts and handed them to the children.
“Look at me!” Benny cried. Benny had put his small T-shirt on. “If I run up and down the boardwalk, everyone will know about the free night at Hanson’s! I am a walking flyer!”
Jessie and Violet changed into their shirts as well. Then the children headed back toward the amusement pier. They noticed that people were staring at their shirts.
“Free rides!” The children heard a woman shout, and they turned. It was Mrs. Reddy. She was hurrying toward them.
“Hanson is giving out free rides?” she asked. “He must be crazy. He cannot make money if he gives the rides for free. He will be ruined.” Mrs. Reddy looked toward the pier. “I know I could run it again,” she said. “I do know a lot about running that pier. And my pier was always safe. I could be very helpful there.”
“Hanson’s pier is safe, Mrs. Reddy,” Jessie said. “The safety inspector declared today that the pier is very safe. Someone has been spreading false rumors. The free rides are just for one night so that everyone can see how fun Hanson’s pier is.”
Violet turned toward the old woman. “I am sure that the pier was wonderful when you ran it, Mrs. Reddy,” she said. “And I am sure that you must miss being in charge there. But it is still a very fun and very safe place.”
“Would you like a T-shirt?” Benny asked. “It is free!”
Mrs. Reddy looked startled. “You are giving me a free T-shirt?”
“Sure,” Benny said. “Why not?”
Mrs. Reddy took the T-shirt. “Thank you,” she said. “I must admit, this is a very good idea. I never had T-shirts made when I owned the pier. I never thought of it! And maybe I will stop by tomorrow night to see how everything is going. If it gets very busy, maybe Carl will ask me to help.”
When Jessie, Violet, and Benny got back to the pier, they went straight to the workshop. Mr. Hanson, Henry, Will, Wendy, and Hunter were sitting around the large wooden table. They were very impressed with the T-shirts. They each took one.
Mr. Hanson told them about the ad he had placed in the paper. “And Donna Mancini, the photographer, has been taking lots of pictures of the boardwalk. I am going use some of her pictures of the pier and put more ads in newspapers and magazines.”
“What a wonderful idea,” Violet said.
“My dad is donating pizza from his shop,” Hunter said. “The first one hundred customers tomorrow night will get a coupon for a free slice of pizza.”
At the mention of the word pizza, there was a strange growling noise in the shed. “What was that?” Hunter asked.
“I’m sorry!” Benny’s face turned very red. “But my stomach heard you say ‘free pizza.’”
Everyone laughed.
“Why don’t you go get something to eat? And then head back to the house and rest. Tomorrow will be a very busy day and we will need everyone’s help.”
The children stopped at Mack’s and ordered take-out. They carried their dinners back to the Hansons’ home and sat outside on the deck overlooking the ocean.
Jessie poured four glasses of cold milk. “Mr. Hanson has said that he will have to move back to Colorado if the amusement pier fails.”
“That would be terrible!” Violet said. “Owning the amusement pier and living in this house on the beach was always Mr. Hanson’s dream.”
Henry took a bite of his cheesesteak. He looked thoughtful. “That is true, Violet. This is Mr. Hanson’s dream. But I don’t think that Wendy and Will had the same dream. I think they liked Colorado.”
“Do you suspect them of trying to ruin the amusement pier?” Violet asked.
Henry took a long drink of milk. “I don’t know,” he
“That is good to hear,” Dennis said. “I have a little boy. I will bring him over tomorrow to ride the rides. And I will tell my customers all about it, too.”
Dennis finished pressing Violet’s design onto the T-shirts and handed them to the children.
“Look at me!” Benny cried. Benny had put his small T-shirt on. “If I run up and down the boardwalk, everyone will know about the free night at Hanson’s! I am a walking flyer!”
Jessie and Violet changed into their shirts as well. Then the children headed back toward the amusement pier. They noticed that people were staring at their shirts.
“Free rides!” The children heard a woman shout, and they turned. It was Mrs. Reddy. She was hurrying toward them.
“Hanson is giving out free rides?” she asked. “He must be crazy. He cannot make money if he gives the rides for free. He will be ruined.” Mrs. Reddy looked toward the pier. “I know I could run it again,” she said. “I do know a lot about running that pier. And my pier was always safe. I could be very helpful there.”
“Hanson’s pier is safe, Mrs. Reddy,” Jessie said. “The safety inspector declared today that the pier is very safe. Someone has been spreading false rumors. The free rides are just for one night so that everyone can see how fun Hanson’s pier is.”
Violet turned toward the old woman. “I am sure that the pier was wonderful when you ran it, Mrs. Reddy,” she said. “And I am sure that you must miss being in charge there. But it is still a very fun and very safe place.”
“Would you like a T-shirt?” Benny asked. “It is free!”
Mrs. Reddy looked startled. “You are giving me a free T-shirt?”
“Sure,” Benny said. “Why not?”
Mrs. Reddy took the T-shirt. “Thank you,” she said. “I must admit, this is a very good idea. I never had T-shirts made when I owned the pier. I never thought of it! And maybe I will stop by tomorrow night to see how everything is going. If it gets very busy, maybe Carl will ask me to help.”
When Jessie, Violet, and Benny got back to the pier, they went straight to the workshop. Mr. Hanson, Henry, Will, Wendy, and Hunter were sitting around the large wooden table. They were very impressed with the T-shirts. They each took one.
Mr. Hanson told them about the ad he had placed in the paper. “And Donna Mancini, the photographer, has been taking lots of pictures of the boardwalk. I am going use some of her pictures of the pier and put more ads in newspapers and magazines.”
“What a wonderful idea,” Violet said.
“My dad is donating pizza from his shop,” Hunter said. “The first one hundred customers tomorrow night will get a coupon for a free slice of pizza.”
At the mention of the word pizza, there was a strange growling noise in the shed. “What was that?” Hunter asked.
“I’m sorry!” Benny’s face turned very red. “But my stomach heard you say ‘free pizza.’”
Everyone laughed.
“Why don’t you go get something to eat? And then head back to the house and rest. Tomorrow will be a very busy day and we will need everyone’s help.”
The children stopped at Mack’s and ordered take-out. They carried their dinners back to the Hansons’ home and sat outside on the deck overlooking the ocean.
Jessie poured four glasses of cold milk. “Mr. Hanson has said that he will have to move back to Colorado if the amusement pier fails.”
“That would be terrible!” Violet said. “Owning the amusement pier and living in this house on the beach was always Mr. Hanson’s dream.”
Henry took a bite of his cheesesteak. He looked thoughtful. “That is true, Violet. This is Mr. Hanson’s dream. But I don’t think that Wendy and Will had the same dream. I think they liked Colorado.”
“Do you suspect them of trying to ruin the amusement pier?” Violet asked.
Henry took a long drink of milk. “I don’t know,” he
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