Peekin’ into the past

Five Years Ago — March 31, 2016

After the first day of spring on Sunday, March 20, Holyoke reveled in two 78-degree days Monday and Tuesday. Then winter returned with a vengeance Wednesday, March 23, when northeast Colorado was pounded with blizzard conditions, with Holyoke recording over 7 inches of heavy, wet snow.

Melissa Memorial Hospital will soon be able to offer prescriptions and medications on site with a new retail pharmacy incorporated into the existing construction plans. The decision was made by unanimous vote at the March 22 East Phillips County Hospital District board meeting.

Phillips County has been selected as the 2016 host site for Northeast Rural Philanthropy Days. The purpose of the three-day event — June 8-10 in both Holyoke and Haxtun — is to introduce local nonprofits, businesses and government entities to Front Range foundations to increase the awareness of needs in rural communities.

The Colorado House has given final approval to a bill making tampering with a dead body a Class 3 felony crime, punishable with a fine of up to $750,000 and up to 12 years in prison. The issue gained prominent attention at the state Capitol through the cases of several Coloradans who were killed or have been missing for several years, including Kelsie Schelling of Holyoke and Kayla Chadwick of Fort Morgan. The bill now heads to Gov. John Hickenlooper for his signature.

Senate Bill 68, allowing hunters to wear fluorescent pink, won approval from the state House this week. Under the bill, hunters can choose to wear hunting gear in either fluorescent pink or blaze orange.

Deanna Stryker has taken over as chief nursing officer at Melissa Memorial Hospital, the position recently vacated by Pat Notter.

The state of Nebraska is continuing to guard its lakes against invasions by zebra and quagga mussels from other states. Beginning this year, boaters whose motorized watercraft are registered in any state other than Nebraska must purchase and display an Aquatic Invasive Species Stamp each year they launch their boat in Nebraska.

Many a driver will be pleased to know long-awaited updates to State Highway 23 are expected to begin April 4. The CDOT project includes resurfacing 17 miles of the highway, known locally as the “angle road,” which heads northeast from Holyoke through Amherst and on to Nebraska.

Ten Years Ago — March 31, 2011

Holyoke High School FCCLA members Jeremy Loutensock and Matthew Golden have been educating all age groups in the community about the dangers of hearing loss, using research and education methods developed by the Dangerous Decibels Program. To do this, they assembled a mannequin called a Jolene sibling that acts as a sound level meter. Their mannequin, named Viviana, was used this month for demonstrations at MMH’s health fair and presentations at Holyoke schools March 22-24.

A new automated external defibrillator will be donated to the Sunset View community room on behalf of East Phillips County Hospital District. EPCHD board members voted to provide the AED to Sunset View at their March 22 meeting because there currently isn’t one in the facility and the hospital had an extra one to provide to the community.

Area employers, education administrators and economic development members met March 22 to discuss education and the importance of it leading to life after high school. The concept of the consortium is to find out what employers are looking for when it comes to employees. Forming plans earlier in the school process benefits both students and employers in the long run. Meetings will be held four times a year to help identify needs for both students and employers.

Twenty-Five Years Ago — April 4, 1996

Anders Palmred from Sweden is the new physical therapist at the Physical Therapy Clinic of Holyoke, which is owned by Melissa Memorial Hospital.

Shawn Doebel of Rangely started with Holyoke Police Department on March 9. Brad Hanson and Doug Bergstrom have also joined Police Chief Barry Winckler on the Holyoke police force within the last year.

Fifty Years Ago — April 1, 1971

Last Wednesday Holyoke experienced another heavy snowstorm that dumped approximately 6 inches of new snow on the area.

Northeastern Colorado cagers swept past the Boncos All-Stars 94-88 in exhibition cage play here last Thursday night. Bronco Dave Costa extended a challenge to the NEC players for a return match, only this time on the gridiron, but after serious consideration by the NEC players, the challenge will probably be turned down.

Seventy-Five Years Ago — April 4, 1946

Mr. and Mrs. Asher Hester report a very satisfactory sale during the first days of their closing-out sale of clothing and accessories. The entire stock is to be removed from the building, which has been purchased from them by John Detmer.

Mr. and Mrs. M.T. Harris of Lakewood have bought the Evans Cafe of Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Evans of this city. The new owners took possession Monday. The cafe will now be operated under the name Holyoke Cafe.

No moisture was recorded by the weather equipment at Holyoke during the month of February, according to C.W. Gahringer, local cooperative observer of the weather bureau. He pointed out that the records of the bureau show that Colorado experienced the driest February this year of any in the history of the bureau, or a period of 59 years. March changed the picture, with a total of 2.47 inches of penetrating water in the form of rain and wet snow.

The complete ticket sponsored by the People’s Independent Party was elected Tuesday when an aroused electorate expressed itself in the local town election. Last-minute attempts by unknown parties to place before the people another ticket failed. The fact that the sponsors of the proposed ticket were not known, or the motives behind the action, definitely worked against it. Suspicion has been voiced that this ticket was intended as the “wet” ticket, as it is generally believed there are those who want another liquor store in Holyoke.