Law Office of John Stebe, Esq.

07/17/2026

07/16/2026

The story is true and centers on an unforgettable April Fools' prank by local resident Oliver "Porky" Bickar in Sitka, Alaska.

Bickar secretly flew about 70 old tires by helicopter to the summit crater of Mount Edgecumbe, a dormant volcano that hadn't erupted for thousands of years.

On April 1, 1974, he ignited them, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky.

Residents woke to what looked like the first signs of a volcanic eruption. Many panicked, fearing an evacuation or a natural disaster, and authorities began receiving concerned calls as the smoke plume grew larger.

When investigators finally reached the summit, they discovered the burning tires along with a giant message painted in the snow that read, "APRIL FOOL."

The prank instantly became legendary across Alaska.

07/16/2026

A police officer pulled up beside a little boy dragging a rusty toy car on a string. Then he took it away from him and drove off.
The boy stood on the curb, sobbing, face buried in his hands. His only toy was gone. Taken by the one person every child is taught to trust.
But the story wasn't over.
Minutes later, the patrol car came back. The officer stepped out, walked to the trunk, and lifted out a big blue ride-on car. Brand new. Built for a kid to actually climb into and drive.
He set it down in front of the same boy who had just watched him drive away with everything he had.
The boy who had been crying over a rusty toy on a string was now sitting behind the wheel of something he never could have imagined owning.
One moment looked like cruelty. The next revealed the whole plan.
The officer hadn't taken the toy to be mean. He took it so he could come back with something better. He saw a child making the most of almost nothing and decided that kid deserved more than a rusty car on a string.
He could have just handed the boy the new one and let him keep the old toy too. But he didn't. He drove away first. He let the moment break before he rebuilt it.
Sometimes the people who seem to take something from you are just making room for what they're about to give back.