McIntire teacher helps open downtown shaved ice shop

Co-owners of downtown Fulton's Tropical Sno, clockwise from bottom left: Lillian Hoell, Stephen Hoell, Zach Poss and Sandee Poss. Tropical Sno will have its official grand opening on 3:30 p.m. Monday, at its Court Street location.
Co-owners of downtown Fulton's Tropical Sno, clockwise from bottom left: Lillian Hoell, Stephen Hoell, Zach Poss and Sandee Poss. Tropical Sno will have its official grand opening on 3:30 p.m. Monday, at its Court Street location.

In addition to teaching kindergartners at McIntire Elementary, Sandee Poss is now also a shaved ice entrepreneur.

Poss and her husband, Zach, along with friends Stephen and Lillian Hoell, have opened a Tropical Sno at 526 Court St., in downtown Fulton.

An international dealership chain, Tropical Sno began in Utah in 1984, and has since spread to every U.S. state and over 30 countries. The Poss' familiarity with Tropical Sno originates from the location in their hometown of Highland, Ill.

"We went there every night," said Poss. "It was such a fun place to get together with friends and hang out. My husband and his parents owned a small business and they've always been business-oriented, and we started looking into Tropical Sno more and decided it was great thing to bring to Fulton."

Tropical Sno opened June 2, but will hold its grand opening celebration, sale and ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Chamber of Commerce 3:30 p.m. Monday, June 11. Poss said that, with the push to rejuvenate the downtown district and bring in more businesses, it was a natural fit for their location.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.