By John Philip Wyllie
SDUN Reporter
Mariposa Ice Cream in Normal Heights celebrated 10 years in business last month with a party for its customers.
Inside, while Mariposa owners Anna and Dick Van Ransom cheerfully scooped ice cream for hundreds of customers, those in line enjoyed perusing the scads of Beatles and ’60s memorabilia decorating Mariposa’s walls.
“We wanted to do something special for our 10th anniversary to thank the neighborhood and our customers for supporting us. We are absolutely thrilled with today’s turnout, but we pretty much expected it,” Dick Van Ransom said. “Todd Gloria, our councilman, was here and our congresswomen Susan Davis stopped by. We also had some (TV) news coverage and that helped.”
Taking their cue from the Beatles tunes, the Baja Bugs continued the celebration with a rooftop concert that included music such as “Get Back,” which was famously performed by the lads from Liverpool in a rooftop concert in January 1969. The police showed up this time too, but rather than closing down the gig (as happened in the film “Let It Be”), two members of America’s Finest City’s finest simply expressed their congratulations along with a request to keep the sidewalk passable.
As the passing cars slowed to find out where the music was coming from, an instant smile of recognition came to the drivers’ faces when they realized the Baja Bugs were mimicking what turned out to be the Beatles’ final public performance.
The event, planned as a big thank-you to their legion of loyal customers, had the
Van Ransoms grinning from ear to ear all day.
Mariposa Ice Cream
3450 Adams Ave.
Normal Heights
Monday-Saturday, 1-9 p.m.
Sunday 2-8 p.m.
