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Rocket slide, tourism cited by citizens
McCOOK, Neb. — The city is trying to figure out what to do with the rocket slide at Kelley Park and some citizens have offered their suggestions.
City Manager Nate Schneider told the McCook City Council Monday night that a group of citizens will be at a McCook Parks Advisory Board meeting March 16 concerning interactive playground equipment. The playground equipment will be all-inclusive and could be located where the rocket slide is at in Kelley Park.
The McCook City Council approved the removal of the 50-year old metal rocket slide at its Feb. 20 meeting, based on the recommendation of the Parks Advisory Board that cited safety concerns.
Dale Cotton of McCook spoke to the council on saving WPA projects in the city for tourism, including the bath house at the pool, the DAR building at Kelley Park, a horse barn and Memorial Auditorium. He encouraged preservation of all those structures and said there is a group of people behind this and for the preservation of the rocket slide.
Another citizen, Rose Weskamp, asked if there was any way to salvage the slide and that if sold, a general release of liability could be signed. Dottie Park asked whether it could be re-located to the Museum of the High Plains, but cordoned off so kids couldn’t play on it. She said she understands it’s a hazard but so many people have memories of the slide. Jamie Mockry said the museum has liability concerns too and that something like this would be a museum board decision.
There’s been a lot of conversations about the slide, said Schneider and nothing has been settled yet as to where it will end up. The Nebraska Historical Preservation Society has deemed the bath house at the city pool not historically significant, he said, although the city will follow its recommendations to give the WPA plaque at the pool to a museum or other preservation site.
