Remember when kids would run around outside, blowing off steam and having fun, even when temperatures dipped? Yeah, those were the good old days. I mean, I'm all for warmth and comfort, but I do have fond memories of playing in the snow.
But for kids in a town in Colorado, building up lines of snow forts for a good old-fashioned snowball fight couldn't happen. It was against the law.
According to the Associated Press, The tiny town in the Rockies had banned snowball fights since its founding almost a century ago as part of a larger ordinance against “throwing stones or missiles.”
And then Dane Best came along.
So, with the help of his family, Dane researched local laws and put together a short presentation to take to the town council. His class at Range View Elementary also wrote letters of support of Dane’s cause.
As CBS News reported, he strode in wearing a bow tie, set up his PowerPoint for the crowd, and spent three minutes going over the reasons kids should be able to throw snowballs in Severance.
As the Greeley Tribune reported, one councilor asked, "If we do enact snowball fighting, have you talked to your fellow students about safety issues?"
"Can we amend this ordinance to say that if you're over 60, no one can throw a snowball at you?" asked another councilor, presumably of a certain age.
It worked. The council unanimously approved Dane’s recommendation to repeal the ordinance. Snowball fights could happen again.
Until they did their snowball research, they didn't realize that their guinea pig was technically illegal — the town forbids any pets other than cats and dogs.
"He's always been timid and bashful," he said, "so when he told me he was doing that, I said, 'Good for you, Daners,' especially at this age now, to be able to do that. Because his grandpa couldn't."
You know, respectfully. You have to celebrate Dane's big victory by getting outside for fresh air and good, wholesome fun.
