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After Being Banned For 44 Years, Ice Cream Trucks May Return To Elgin Streets

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A familiar summer sound in many communities could soon return to Elgin after being banned for 44 years.

Ice cream trucks were banned from Elgin streets in the early 1970s out of safety concerns many believe, though that is unclear.

But Jim Cremeens did not know about the ban in May when he thought driving an ice cream truck would be a fun occupation in his retirement, until police spotted him.

"There's blue lights behind me, I said what can I get for you? They chuckled and said I have to ask you to stop doing this. So I said, why?" Cremeens said.

Cremeens said he asked his childhood friend, Elgin Mayor James Kaptain, what he should do and that's led to a proposed ordinance to overturn the ban, which will be considered at a city council meeting on September 27th.

And if the city council doesn't support the change...

"I've got a great headline: Elgin City Council Bans Joy and Happiness," Cremeens said.

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