Peekin’ into the past

Five Years Ago

Jan. 19, 2017

Deputy Sheriff Ryan Williams recently joined the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office.

Kaylee Michael took part in a two-week on-site archaeology course in Italy Dec. 11-23. The course was part of the Villa del Vergigno Archaeological Project in Montelupo, Italy, an in-the-field study session where students gained firsthand archaeological experience, studying and restoring artifacts while learning about Tuscan culture and pottery.

Printers Paper & More has gained a whole new department with the addition of Craig Krueger to the staff. After building and repairing computers part time for nine years, he is now selling and servicing computers full time at the office supply store.

A huge step for girls wrestling was taken Saturday, Jan. 14, when Frederick hosted the first girls-specific wrestling tournament in Colorado. HHS sophomore Jessy Mosqueda, wrestling in the lightest weight division at 101 pounds, pinned her way to the top of her bracket and claimed the first-ever all-girls championship.

The Haxtun Church of the Brethren is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its church building on the northwest corner of Logan and Chase streets in Haxtun.

Ten Years Ago

Jan. 19, 2012

After nearly 19 years of working for the same bank, Deb Williamson has assumed the branch manager position at Bank of the West in Holyoke.

Colorado School Grades, a coalition of 18 community organizations, launched a nearly $1 million internet-based project one month ago that rates Colorado schools using familiar A through F grades. Colorado School Grades used the same test scores used in the Colorado Department of Education’s accreditation but put them through a more rigorous grading scale, resulting in the A-F ranking.

Seven falconers from the Colorado Hawking Club spent three days in and around Holyoke for a mini hunting meet this past weekend.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

Jan. 23, 1997

Cameron Joseph “C.J.” Ruybalid entered the world almost a month before expected by his parents, Rod and Teri Ruybalid of Holyoke, and claimed the honors of first baby born at Melissa Memorial Hospital in 1997.

Local floor covering installer Rich Wittman will move into a new phase of business next month when his purchase of Holyoke Home Improvement from Gary and Angie Korte is official on Feb. 1. Located at 206 N. Interocean Ave. in Holyoke, the business will continue to offer sales of carpet, vinyl, ceramic tile, wood flooring, wallpaper and cabinets, and installation of floor coverings.

According to weather records provided by Dale Anderson, the 1996 precipitation total of 26.88 inches was by far the highest of the last decade.

Monse Conde recently retired from his position as executive director of Farm Service Agency in Holyoke after 13 years of service at the local FSA and 24 years total in the agricultural agency.

Holyoke elementary students got to experience “The Little Shop of Physics,” a hands-on science outreach program of the Colorado State University Department of Physics, on Jan. 15.

Fifty Years Ago

Jan. 20, 1972

Holyoke’s town governing system underwent a major change when the town council adopted provisions for four-year overlapping terms for the six-man town board at their Jan. 3 meeting, along with a four-year term for the mayor. The new terms will become effective with the town election this April, with the three candidates receiving the highest vote elected for four-year terms and the three receiving the next highest number of votes serving two years. Three candidates will be elected for four-year terms in future elections. This system will ensure the holdover of three trustees each election, instead of a possible complete turnover.

Moisture received from the 2-inch snow that blanketed the county on Jan. 12 amounted to 0.09 of an inch. Daytime temperatures ranged from 16-62 degrees for the week. Nighttime temperatures ranged from 11 below zero to a high of 31 degrees.

A tale of adventure titled “Elephants have right of way,” narrated by Nebraska’s globe-trotting adventurer Danny Liska of Niobrara, Nebraska, along with films, will be presented at the Holyoke High School gym on Jan. 25.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

Jan. 23, 1947

The vocational agriculture department of Holyoke High School has been chosen as one of five vocational agriculture teacher training centers of Colorado. Fred G. Lechner, local agriculture instructor, will serve as supervising instructor, under the supervision of Ralph Canada, vocational agriculture teacher trainer of Colorado A and M College in Fort Collins.

The Peerless Theatre recently completed the installation of high-intensity lamp houses on each of their two projectors. The new lamp houses each contain an 11 1/2 inch reflector, whereas the reflectors in the old lamp houses were only 8 inches. The old lamp houses used 30 amps, and the new ones use 60 amps, making the pictures twice as bright as they were before. The pictures now appear much sharper in detail, and the color pictures come out brighter and the colors are more natural.

Thirty boys with 40 projects, which include 193 head of livestock and 300 chickens, organized a cooperative veterinary association last Thursday in the vocational agriculture department of Holyoke High School. This venture is being sponsored by the Holyoke chapter of FFA as a part of an expanding program of cooperative activities.