Peekin’ into the past

Five Years Ago
May 9, 2013
    With two decades of teaching business and technology under her belt, Kristie Ham has decided that she is ready to throw in the towel at the conclusion of the school year and retire from HHS after 17 years of service.
    Following a conditional approval recommendation for NECO Wind by the Phillips County Board of Adjustments, Phillips County commissioners accepted the recommendation April 19 and granted the final conditional use permit for two projects. NECO Wind’s 30-megawatt wind generation facility, located southwest of Haxtun, is proposing 18 wind turbines in Phillips and Logan counties. The second project is the transmission line to carry the electricity to the Haxtun substation.
    Former Holyoke administrator Dave Vondy was recently notified of his selection for induction in the 2013 Western State Colorado University Sports Hall of Fame. This NCAA national champion wrestler and member of the Mountaineers football team is very humbled to be selected for the honor.
    
Ten Years Ago
May 8, 2008
    Holyoke Police Chief Phil Biersdorfer reported this week that he and his officers are on the lookout for an officer impersonator who may be from the Holyoke area.
    Winter made one last furious appearance on May 2. Strong winds blew throughout the night of May 1, with snow beginning to fall at about 7 a.m. Holyoke was under a blizzard warning for most of the day, and approximately 4 inches of snow accumulated throughout the day — most of it coming in horizontally with the wind.
    On April 30, trauma nurse coordinator Christie Winckler and her husband Barry held an all-day event for HHS sophomores as part of the nationally accepted program called Prevent Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth.
    
Twenty-Five Years Ago
May 13, 1993
    Bettering her previous best throw by more than a foot, HHS senior thinclad Maggie Deden crowned her high school track career with second place in the girls shot put at the state track meet over the weekend. Other Dragons placing at the May 7-8 State Track and Field Championships were juniors Jeremy Thompson, fifth in boys discus, and Travis Pittman, fifth in boys 100 meter dash.
    Effective July 1, water well permits issued by the Division of Water Resources for household use only cannot be used to water domestic animals. The change is the result of the expiration of a 1988 law that allowed owners of certain new or existing household-use-only permits to request to be allowed to water their domestic animals.
    Ida and Melvin Murray of the Amherst area took a special interest in the announcement that Denver welder Roger Watkins, 37, was the big winner of $12,358,688 from the Colorado Lotto on May 1, as Watkins is Ida’s nephew. The May 1 jackpot is the fifth-largest grand prize in Colorado Lottery history, and only two players have won larger individual prizes.
    
Fifty Years Ago
May 9, 1968
    Three Holyoke youths escaped injury in an accident here last Sunday afternoon, but extensive damage was done to the pickup in which they were riding and to the Methodist Church building, which was struck by the vehicle. The pickup, northbound on Phelan Avenue, had turned west on Furry Street when the driver lost control. The vehicle curved sharply to the left, jumped the curb, crossed the sidewalk and crashed against the building near the entrance to the new portion of the structure.
    The 50th anniversary of the Hyperian Club of Holyoke was observed at the home of Mrs. Geo. F. Garland on May 1.
    An 18-lesson course in beginning typing will be offered on the Nebraska Education Television Network, KPNE-TV, Channel 9. Cost for the class is $4.50 for the text and materials.
    
Seventy-Five Years Ago
May 13, 1943
    Three rains totaling 0.91 of an inch have broken nearly a month of drought in northeastern Colorado and western Nebraska. On Wednesday morning, a low of 26 degrees was recorded, but whether or not the freeze has damaged the small grain is questionable.
    Latest reports of the April war bond drive show that residents of Phillips County purchased $105,932.25 in bonds during the period the drive was in progress, or 96.8 percent of the quota of $109,400. These are local figures and do not include purchases made outside by residents of the county, which will be credited to the county when reports are made by the federal reserve bank.