McCook considered a mecca for recreation back in the 1950s

I thought this clipping might be appropriate since the proposed ball park complex and long-awaited swimming pool decision are looming. People, it just shouldn’t be that hard!

Quite some time ago there was some notation from a City Council meeting that alluded to the fact that McCook has a large amount of public space compared to other cities. I’ve never liked it when “comparisons” are brought forward, it almost always means an action is coming that will hold no water except when compared favorably with another city. Comparisons, if even warranted, should always be made between two entities that are weighted equally. If you want to compare McCook to another community and that means somebody’s pocketbook is going to have to be opened, then the other community should have a population whose average per capita base income is similar to McCook. That will never be achieved by comparing us to a city on the eastern side of the state.

But, to get to the subject, McCook should be a mecca for recreation again, just like we were in the 1950’s according to this article from the McCook Daily Gazette, September 30, 1950: “McCook’s Record In Recreation: Another page has been written in the history of baseball in McCook with the Cats (McCook’s semi-pro team) not doing too badly and with a record of amateur ball far better than that of the past…as a matter of fact, those who are in the ‘know’ maintain that McCook lead the state in kid team interest and attendance. At the same time the City of McCook backed the sport with many new playing grounds and other facilities.”

“The Records Show that more than 60,000 people from McCook, Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska attended games at the fair grounds park. Nine playing fields are now provided including Fair grounds park, Felling Field and seven parks in South McCook. Through the season there were 22 ball clubs playing regular games including 18 Midgets, the Cats, Legion, Cubs and the National Guard team.”

“At Felling field 100 games were played, averaging 60 youths playing each night. From Monday to Friday there were approximately 600 youths who took to part in the games, which were well attended. Aside from baseball, playgrounds and picnic grounds were provided for children and adults. Those in charge of this program maintain it has been the best in the entire state from many angles, but maintain too, that this sort of a program costs money despite all the free talent which helped to make it the success it has been. ‘If we are to continue this program as we know it today, we must set up an amount sufficient to take care of our needs,’ the officers said.”

“It would be nothing less than a sin to permit this program of recreation for the youth of McCook to lapse, but McCook voters have on several occasions in the past turned down a small levy for this purpose. Perhaps with this year’s showing, another attempt to raise finances equal to the occasion might prove more satisfactory. Certainly, keeping the youth of a community active in recreational work and play is a good investment of anybody’s money.”

Even though I’m a bit surly over the fact that after waiting so many years for the “new municipal building and safety center” to be paid off so that we could build a swimming pool, we now have to have a larger sales tax base? If asking for more money was the holdback, why wasn’t just done from the start? This “ASK” I am going to support because it is way past time and going to the swimming pool in the summer has always been open to all youth.

My best memories may be watching games at the ball park, but I know a lot of people who would say the swimming pool wins hands down.