Peekin’ into the past

Five Years Ago
June 12, 2014
    After a four-year hiatus, adult league softball has returned to Holyoke. A co-ed adult slow-pitch league is slated to begin July 7. Sherman Kage and Kendra Schlachter are responsible for the formation of the league, which will serve as a fundraiser for the Holyoke High School softball program.
    Phillips County Commissioner Joe Kinnie is gathering signatures statewide for Initiative 111. Under the constitutional proposal, the Colorado House would be realigned so that each county has its own representative. The current system aligns the 65 House seats based on an equal population, making for huge geographical districts for rural representatives.
    After months of back-and-forth between the City and Robin Lake Development, it appears litigation is necessary to sort out all disagreements regarding the use of the O’Neal pit for storing a portion of the city’s drainage.
    
Ten Years Ago
June 11, 2009
    East Phillips County Hospital District has been using First Party Receivables out of Greeley to handle its self-pay billing at Melissa Memorial Hospital since 2006 and recently made the decision to standardize its billing operations by making the switch to use the company at Family Practice of Holyoke as well.
    Briar Bergner, a 2009 Holyoke High School junior, will attend the 2009 Washington, D.C., Youth Tour June 11-18. She was selected and sponsored by Highline Electric Association.
    Holyoke City Council is moving forward in its pursuit of grants to fund a walking path that would be located on the south side of Johnson Street from Highway 385 to Melissa Memorial Hospital.
    
Twenty-Five Years Ago
June 16, 1994
    Area farmers and elevators are planning on an early wheat harvest this year because of drought conditions in the month of May. Holyoke’s official weather observer Dale Anderson measured the month’s precipitation at 0.45 inch, which constitutes the driest May documented in his records, which date back to 1970. Even though portions of the county have received rain recently, it was too late to do much good for the local crops.
    Dr. Larry Ensz announced this week that he will be closing his medical practice in Holyoke and moving to Kansas to be nearer to his elderly parents.
    Debbie Jurgens was hired as the new city clerk/treasurer at the regular meeting of the Holyoke City Council June 7.
    
Fifty Years Ago
June 12, 1969
    The town of Holyoke is faced with a critical housing problem. The town council has taken the first step by giving the mayor the power to appoint a five-member board, to be called the Housing Authority of Holyoke. The Housing Authority board intends to construct approximately 50 safe and comfortable apartment-type units for the elderly citizens of the Holyoke area.
    A new game bird has been released in southeastern Colorado. The pale spotted tinamou, originally from Argentina, is a small game bird particularly suited to the semiarid habitat and moderate climate of southeastern Colorado.
    A new law pertaining to traffic safety will go into effect in Colorado on July 1. The law states that operators and passengers on motorcycles and motor-driven cycles must wear a protective helmet with a face shield or goggles. Helmets must be securely fastened and have a reflectorized material attached to both sides and the back.
    The 1969 Joint Hail Research Project, aimed at learning more about hailstorms and testing techniques that may eventually be used to reduce their destructive power, will get underway this week in the High Plains of northeast Colorado.
    
Seventy-Five Years Ago
June 15, 1944
    The Holyoke swimming pool is being given a new coat of paint in preparation for filling. More dressing room for patrons has been provided by remodeling the town hall, partitioning off some of the vault space at the clerk’s office.
    Window space in the J.C. Penney Company store in Holyoke is offered for display of pictures of men and women in the armed services, according to an announcement by C.R. Smythe, local store manager. The display is being sponsored to assist in the promotion of the current Fifth War Loan drive.
    The long-felt need for an airport here was brought to a potential termination Friday when the committees of the Lions Club and Town of Holyoke met with the State land board in the state capitol in Denver and applied to lease 240 acres a mile east of Holyoke on the south side of Highway 6 and adjoining the 80 acres owned by the Town. The terms of the lease are $200 per year cash for 10 years.