A Snowball’s Chance

Boy, 9, takes on Colorado town’s ordinance and wins

Remember the movie “Footloose”? It was about a town where dancing was against the law—until some teenagers decided to shake things up. The film was based on real events in Elmore City, Okla.

Well, something similar happened recently in the town of Severance, Colo.

A town ordinance reads: “It is unlawful for any person to throw or shoot any stone or any other missile upon or at any person, animal, building, tree or other public or private property; or at or against any vehicle or equipment designed for the transportation of persons or property.” To put it a bit more plainly, in this snow-covered Colorado town a snowball fight could land you in hot water. Yes indeed, throwing a snowball is covered by the ordinance.

Or, we should say, was covered.

A young fellow named Dane Best, just 9, thought the whole thing was ridiculous. He and his friends liked snowball fights.

So he set out to change the law. And did it.

He collected signatures supporting legal snowball fights and made his case to the town council last week. The elected officials agreed and unanimously voted to make throwing snowballs legal within the town limits.

Dane was even given the honor of throwing the first legal snowball.

Severance Mayor Don McLeod said he had often challenged students to try to change any law they found unjust but that Dane was the first to take him up on it. The fight for dancing made it to the big screen. And who knows? Maybe one day Hollywood will come calling on Dane Best and Severance.