Let there be light -- McCook's alley lights

Ken McGooden

(Note: At the recent District Rotary Convention in McCook, many memorable programs , and civic improvements advanced by McCook Rotarians, were recalled. One of these was the drive to light McCook alleys, a pet project of McCook Rotarian, Ken McGooden. This is a second look at that project.)

One of the features of McCook that people tend to take for granted these days is the fact that most of our alleys are well-lighted. This was not always the case. In the early days after McCook got electricity, there were no streetlights. Houses fronting the street had a special electrical loop on their porch lights that bypassed the meter, with the city's blessing. The city gladly paid the electricity bill as it made for a safer community.

Ken McGooden, of McCook, was very proud of his adopted city, and was constantly thinking of new ways to improve McCook -- some ideas were implemented by the city when he served on the City Council. But even after leaving his official post in city government, Ken pushed to have his ideas for civic improvement put into place.

Ken worked tirelessly with Ben Hormel to bring the "Crime Stoppers" program to McCook. He and Ben even donated the first reward money out of their own pockets. When he got wind of a program by the Air Force, by which they would donate outdated jet fighter planes to municipalities, Ken collared a few of his buddies, who agreed to defray the expense of bringing one of the planes to McCook Airport, and refurbishing the plane for permanent display outside the main airport building.

The alley lighting project was Ken's favorite civic improvement project. This program began in 1969, and was the key part of a Community Improvement Project that won first place, and a check of $500 for McCook, in the state CIP competition that year.

As is the case in so many great projects, the alley lighting project resulted from the cooperation of a good many forward thinking citizens. Apparently Bert Bradshaw, a retired implement dealer, came up with the idea after reading about acts of vandalism and "a few attacks on some of the women in our city". He reasoned that "attackers used the dark alleys as cover from detection", and lighted alleys would make the city safer.

Bert took his idea to his friend, Ken McGooden, who at the time was Chairman of the McCook Community Improvement Project committee. McGooden was enthusiastic over the idea and made a convincing talk to the Rotarians about the virtues of lighted alleys. This resulted in the Rotarians and other service clubs circulating petitions, calling for city and Nebraska Public Power (NPPD) participation in an alley lighting program.

In our neighborhood, Ralph Miller, a longtime member of the Kiwanis Club, visited every resident in a several block area, explaining the project and asking for help. Ralph, like Ken was inclined to become very enthusiastic over a pet project, and could be very persuasive. Soon all McCook was abuzz over the prospect of lighted alleys.

City officials began lobbying for the alley lights. Police Chief Bill Green called the lighting project "most desirable", pointing out that "alleys that are paved and well lighted seem to be neater in appearance and are virtually crime free---it would be in the interests of the city to expand its security and nighttime appearance. Such should instill pride in the citizenry and very likely tend to eliminate the cluttered condition of some alleys and backyards."

Fire Chief Ed Miller was equally enthusiastic, commenting, "Since the installation of vapor lights in many of the city's alleys, the fire department has noted a considerable decline in the number of fires in piled leaves ignited by vandals---a reduction of damage to garages, fences and other properties along the alleys...undoubtedly, the fire department is more efficient and may work with greater safety when fighting fires in illuminated alleys rather than dark ones."

Jim Suiter was manager of the Chamber of Commerce in 1969. He noted, "The Chamber never fails to emphasize to industrial and business prospects the many assets of living in McCook and not the least of these is our alley lighting project".

Petitions circulated throughout McCook explained how the Alley Lighting Project would work: 1. 51% or more of the residents of a block would need to sign up in order for that block to qualify for a light installation.

2. The one and only cost to have the light installed would be $50 per block.

3. Property owners or residents would be responsible for collection the $50.

4. The petitions, along with the $50 would be presented to the NPPD, who would install and maintain the light.

5. The city would pay for the electricity consumed by the lights. The city would be billed on its regular street lighting rate. (NPPD allowed and still allows a 33 % discount for street (and alley) lighting in towns it serves.

6. Installation would be made on existing poles, near the center of the block.

7. Each light would be automatically turned on and off by a photoelectrical cell.

8. The lights would be mercury-vapor 175-watt "patterned" lights, designed to direct the light up and down the alley.

The NPPD was enthusiastic about McCook's Alley Lighting Project and quickly made McCook's program available to all communities in which NPPD served at retail.

Said Jack Williams, NPPD's McCook Superintendent, " ... I predict other communities will follow McCook's lead ... Eventually every alley in McCook will be lighted."

In the first three years of the alley lighting project 148 of the 175-watt, mercury vapor lights were installed in alleys in all areas of McCook. This figure gradually grew until 1987, when NPPD reported that there were 180 alley lights installed in McCook. Sometime after that date NPPD stopped making alley lights a separate item in their accounting, and now alley lights and streetlights are lumped in the same category.

Up until the early 1970s the NPPD, like all power companies, had plenty of generating capacity, at relatively cheap rates, so they were always looking for new customers, even if they had to discount their charge, as in the case of municipalities, for their streetlights. This all changed in 1973, with the (first) OPEC oil crisis. In that year oil to produce electricity took a dramatic rise in price. As a consequence, the NPPD discontinued a number of their programs, which did not make the company a profit, including providing alley lights for only $50 per alley block.

Today, most blocks in McCook have alley lights. However, since the early '70s, any lights that have been installed in alleys in McCook have been paid for, at full cost, by the residents of that block. Predictably, the installation of new alley lights in later years has slowed a great deal. The city does not pay for the electricity for new alley lights. Individuals, or groups of individuals must pick up that tab as well.

To the end of his life, Ken McGooden spoke in glowing terms of the McCook Alley Lighting Project. He only had one complaint. When the 175-watt blue-white Merc Vapor lights needed replacing, the NPPD replaced them with 100-watt yellowish Sodium Vapor lights, which put out the same lumens of light, but used only 60% of the power. Ken thought the yellow lights were ugly. But though he lobbied for years for a return to the soft blue-white lights he loved, he was never able to change that part of the program.

Source: Spotlighting Nebraska, Summer 1972