Peekin’ into the past

Five Years Ago — Nov. 26, 2015

Steve Starkebaum has been named postmaster of the Holyoke Post Office, effective Nov. 28.

The need for a new boiler at the Holyoke Swimming Pool and a replacement for the fondly remembered leaf vacuum street cleaner, “Snuffy,” were among several matters discussed at the Nov. 17 Holyoke City Council meeting. Both of the pool’s boilers have gone down recently, and both are needed for the pool to function effectively. Superintendent Mark Brown has rebuilt much of Snuffy’s inner workings over the years, as the machine was originally built in the 1950s, but the need for extensive repairs has finally made it more practical to simply look for a replacement.

Ten Years Ago —Nov. 25, 2010

Jessica Cumming was appointed to fill the vacant Holyoke City Council seat on Nov. 16. Five interested parties submitted letters to the city clerk to be considered for appointment to the council. The seat became vacant when Ray Bailey died Oct. 22.

At the Nov. 16 meeting of Holyoke School District Re-1J Board of Education, third grade teacher Lynn Schneider reported that the first and second grades came up with a standards-based report card to use throughout the year last year, with the goal being for third grade to implement the standards-based card this fall.

The donor wall located just inside the south doors at Phillips County Event Center was unveiled for all to see toward the end of the open house/thank-you celebration on Nov. 21.

Twenty-Five Years Ago — Nov. 30, 1995

Anders Palmred, a physical therapist from Sweden, has been recruited for the Physical Therapy of Holyoke clinic following the hospital’s purchase of that business from Jerry Huggins on Nov. 1.

Rocky and Barb Bieber of Holyoke announced this week that they will soon be opening Holyoke Super at 123 S. Interocean Ave. in the building which housed Jack & Jill, which closed last week.

A zoning issue which has been discussed since August was finally settled at the Nov. 21 Holyoke City Council meeting, as the council voted 5-2 to go along with comments from the public and a recommendation from the Planning Commission. Blocks 5 and 6 and the west half of 7 in the Heginbotham Trust First Addition were changed from C-1 to R-1.

Phillips County commissioners announced at their month-end meeting that three libraries in Phillips County have been awarded funds which will provide free public access to more than 200 library, community, arts, health and state government databases through ACLIN. Heginbotham Library as well as Holyoke and Haxtun school libraries will receive $1,600 each to purchase microcomputer systems and will then become host sites that will provide a public-friendly spot for computer access.

Holyoke Dragons polished off a perfect season with an impressive 55-6 win over the West Grand Mustangs in the 1995 1A state championship.

Fifty Years Ago — Nov. 26, 1970

The sophomore and junior home economics class has been studying child care for the past several weeks. Presently they are studying physical care of the baby. To add a realistic atmosphere and additional learning experiences, last Wednesday Mark Johnston made his debut in the home economics room. Here his mother, Mrs. William Johnston, demonstrated bathing Master Mark to a very attentive audience. She illustrated types of creams, oils and soaps used to keep baby’s skin soft and clean.

Eighteen former and present members of Colorado school boards were honored last Monday night by the Colorado Association of School Boards during the association’s 30th annual convention at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Nov. 22-24. Willard Clayton, Holyoke, former school board member of Re-1J School District, was one of the 18 to receive the Honor Roll award for their work on behalf of public education in Colorado.

Seventy-Five Years Ago — Nov. 29, 1945

Refusal of the House Appropriations Committee in Washington this week to allow a deficiency fund for the Reclamation Bureau to finance the construction of a power line from Brush to Holyoke casts a shadow over the future of REA electric projects in northeast Colorado. Without this help, the expansion of rural electrification in this territory appears impossible and the economical development of hydroelectric service to rural areas prevented. The building of distribution lines from the power projects has been a function of the government power projects, and the refusal to grant $500,000 to build the line here from Brush is in effect abandoning support of the rural electrification program.

Ten companies from as many towns have joined together to sell propane gas and sell and serve gas appliances, according to plans made in a meeting at Sterling Nov. 20. The new cooperative is organized under the Consumers Cooperative of North Kansas City, Missouri. The towns in which the companies are located are Holyoke, Paoli, Haxtun, Amherst, Fleming, Sterling, Wray, Yuma, Peetz and Brush. Because of its central position, considering the locations of the towns, Haxtun was chosen as headquarters for the new cooperative. Glen Lewis of Holyoke was elected president of the new cooperative, which is named Cooperative Services Incorporated.

Slacks worn by girls were opposed by nearly two-thirds of the students of PCHS in a recent voting by the student body at large. The Home Ec Club sponsored the voting. Slacks were opposed by 108 students and favored by 57.