Riding mower plant proposed for McCook

Southwest Nebraska has no shortage of inventive, resourceful and enterprising citizens. One such person is Densel O'Dea of McCook. His latest venture shows considerable promise in many aspects. It is economical, functional and most importantly, environmentally friendly.

O'Dea stopped by the Gazette office recently to share some information about the new Triple Green Self-Propelled Riding Mower Plant he is proposing for the area. His enthusiasm for the new mower is contagious because the design solves many dilemmas that conventional mowers present.

For one, it is truly a "green" mower. It uses very little fossil fuel. However, engineers have debated that claim -- they contend that fossil fuel consumption is dependent on the age of the person operating the mower.

O'Dea claims that the mower is emission free, although that has also been challenged by engineers. In order to placate nay-sayers, O'Dea will be manufacturing a luxury model at the McCook plant, which will boast a "Beano Box," further eliminating any emissions.

The new design will be a welcome change for anyone who has ever been awoken from an afternoon siesta by the roaring of a neighbor's lawn mower. Except for an occasional huffing and puffing noise, it is truly one of the quietest mowers on the market.

The mower can also provide side benefits that traditional riding mowers lack. Users will be able to save the expense of a costly gym membership because the Triple Green Mower will provide the added advantage of a low impact workout. The workout can be as light or strenuous as the user chooses simply by adjusting the speed at which the motor rotates.

And finally, the mower uses 100 percent recycled parts. Because of its favorable environmental impact, O'Dea is hopeful that Al Gore will accept an invitation to visit the ribbon cutting of the Triple Green Self-Propelled Mower Plant in McCook.

As with all new products, there have been some obstacles to overcome. Besides the afore-mentioned challenges to fossil fuel usage and emissions, environmentalists are also concerned the public will be so enthusiastic in their use of the mower they may destroy the whooping crane habitat. O'Dea plans to add a warning label to the mower advising users that it may not be used on public property without the permission of proper authorities.

A prototype of the mower has been produced, and O'Dea plans to take the idea to the Red Willow County commissioners for a possible revolving loan to help finance the new venture. He is a little worried, however, that the commissioners will be leery of any venture associated with a form of the word "propel." A photo of the prototype of the Triple Green Self-Propelled Riding Mower can be found here.

We are excited to see that entrepreneurial courage is alive and well in these tough economic times. We salute O'Dea in his determination to see this enterprise off the ground. We are lucky to have such industrial citizens make up our community. Did we also mention that Southwest Nebraskans also have a keen sense of humor?