A legend is born

Dear Editor,

Ask why people climb mountains, they say things like "because it was there."

Now over the last 24 years on the streets of McCook, I have seen some crazy stunts, including attempts to ride a skateboard off the roof of the shelter house next to the pool. Maybe a half-dozen have tried it, with everyone crashing and being lucky just to limp off with broken boards.

But today the next generation stepped up and tried it, and he landed perfectly, standing on his skateboard, not missing a beat from the plus 8-foot drop off the roof and landing on the sidewalk below.

Then, challenged that he could never do it again, he went right back up and did it again. The second time was as perfect as the first, and the crowd of maybe 30 kids cheered and clapped at his bending the rules and doing something outside the box and facing danger.

Now it may not be as remembered as past days when young people would see how many goldfish they could swallow, or nailing the outhouse door shut, but for one moment in McCook, the world stood still as all eyes were on a young man's daredevil attempt to do what others had failed.

Bill Donze

McCook