Peekin’ into the Past

Five Years Ago

June 21, 2018

On May 20, Holyoke resident Sylvia Stockton found herself waiting for the arrival of a friend whom she had never met. More than 60 years of correspondence had led up to this moment — her first meeting with a pen pal that she had been writing to since her time as a student in nursing school. Bakri Marshi, a retired teacher originally from Syria, made the drive from Alabama last month to visit Stockton.

In an effort to make the movies shown at the Peerless Theatre more accessible for its deaf and hard of hearing patrons, board members have decided to purchase a closed captioning device.

Ten Years Ago

June 20, 2013

Fully funding the Phillips County Community Track Project grant request, Great Outdoors Colorado approved $350,000 last week for the project located on the Holyoke School District track and football field grounds.

Office areas at Holyoke Elementary and Holyoke JR/SR High will be remodeled for better security as a result of the receipt of a security grant in the Building Excellent Schools Today program through the Colorado Department of Education.

The city of Holyoke celebrated its 125th birthday in style last weekend, June 14-16, with an elaborate schedule of events in honor of the city’s quasquicentennial anniversary.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

June 25, 1998

A quickly rising building behind the Lions Den, which is located at 109 N. Campbell Ave., will be the new home of Western Sugar Co. in Holyoke. Jack Kiernan is builder and owner of the building, and Western Sugar Co. will be leasing from him.

Confidence in newly hired Dr. Dennis Jelden has been taken to a new high, as medical staff at Melissa Memorial Hospital has named him medical chief of staff.

Only one general contractor bid was submitted for the elementary school remodeling/addition portion of the Re-1J school project. In accepting the bid at a special meeting Friday afternoon, June 19, board members emphasized concern for construction timelines, as well as higher-than-anticipated costs.

Fifty Years Ago

June 21, 1973

The mother of four children has been reunited with two of her daughters and one son after being separated for 19 years. Ida Mae (Watkins) Murray, Amherst, the mother, has prayed all these years that she and her children would someday be together again.

Roxanne McCormick, 33-year-old Haxtun housewife, was charged with murder in Logan County District Court last Wednesday afternoon. Charges stemmed from an alleged shooting in Haxtun last Tuesday morning, resulting in the death of her husband, David McCormick, 36.

The Holyoke board of trustees at their regular meeting Monday, June 18, passed an ordinance to repeal the cigarette tax in Holyoke. The repeal of the tax levied by the town in 1956 becomes effective June 30.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

June 24, 1948

Two youths, one 17 and the other 20, were arrested in Julesburg last Saturday evening. The two lads had broken into the cleaning shop operated by Karl Asp and taken approximately $200 worth of clothing from the establishment. The burglary occurred about 2 a.m. on June 12. The youth were employed by Sunflower State Shows, which had operated in Holyoke during the week of June 7-12.

The heavy rains which have visited this area during the past week halted the cutting of barley, which had just started to get underway last Friday and Saturday.

Plans to hold a six-week term of summer kindergarten beginning July 12 have been completed by members of the District 39 school board and superintendent of the high school and grade school in Holyoke, Ivan L. Eicher.