SEVERANCE, Colo. – Snowball fights are legal for the first time in decades in one Colorado town after a 9-year-old decided it was time to change the law.
In the growing farming community between Greeley and Fort Collins, an ordinance from the 1920’s prohibits residents from throwing missiles at people, places or animals. Under the current definition, that includes snowballs.
“I thought it was crazy,” Dane Best said. “Little kids should be allowed to throw snowballs at each other.”
Best visited Town Hall on a class field trip where they learned about how Severance makes and changes laws. It was on this visit that he realized the municipal code contained a law that he considers outdated.
Best worked with Mayor Don McLeod and his parents to figure out what steps needed to be taken in order to exempt snowballs from the ordinance. On Monday, he gave a presentation to Trustees and a packed room explaining why he believes Severance needs to update its stance on snowballs.
“Kids need a reason to play outside,” he told the Board.
They voted unanimously to update the language to legalize snowball fights. Following the vote, Dane and his little brother each got a snowball to throw outside of Town Hall.
“You can make any change and it doesn’t require an age. Anybody can be involved in our democracy and anybody can make changes,” Mayor McLeod said.
According to Mayor McLeod, the “snowball ordinance” had never been enforced and no one had ever been cited for it.
Now that snowball fights are legal, he just asks anyone wishing to participate in a snowball fight makes sure there aren’t any rocks or ice chunks in the snow.