My name is David Cook. I live in Loveland, Colo. I am 64 years old this coming April. I am married to Pat Schuman froim Greeley. We have two children -- Elisabeth, 28, living in Italy, and Matthew, 26, married, living in Westminster Colo. Most in Hays do not know me or ever did. Some will remember me. My folks had the Jack and Jill shop (the original one), and I ran the Bridgestone motorcycle ship in the back. I left Hays for the Navy in '68 durring Vietnam.

I am writing you about the Varsity Bowl Drive in Hays. I understand it is being torn down. I have an interest there because, you see, my grandmother, Nina Sherrill, owned and operated it. My parents and I came to Hays in '46 after the war from Wichita when I was 1. We lived there with my grandmother in the upper part of her house at 707 Elm ( now a collage rental, I believe.). I grew up with the Walburn boys, Bob Walters, the Baxter boys and more -- good friends all. Abby, my step-father tried several businesses and failed at most of them. Then Abby and Nina Sherrill bought the Varsity Bowl Drive In. I was in grade school at the time across the street, Washington Elementery. I used to come over to Grandma's Varsity Bowl and peek over the counter as best I could and wait. Pretty soon Grandma would come over and say "Davie, what do you want?" My answer was always the same. "Grama, I want a hamburger, french fries and a root beer frosty please. Could I have one, Huh?" She would smile and say, "Sure Davie, coming right up." The Walburn boys, Bob Walters, and more lived next to me. Grandma gave them food too. Those were good days when life was simple and direct.

As I grew older and entered high school (Hays high class of '63), the Varsity Bowl was the place to go to see and be seen. Somewhere in there she sold it to Red. He would feed me too. When we got old enough and it was still legal in Kansas, we bought beer by the quart from the drive-up window. If you do not like it, too bad, we loved it! Hays' Main Street was "American Graffiti" personified and the "Varsity" was the center of it all. That was "Hays America" to us and a cornerstone for me was Nina's, then Red's, Varsity Bowl Drive In. The memories flood back and are sweet as honey.

David Cook

Loveland, Colo.