Peekin' into the Past

Five Years Ago

July 6, 2017

Regan Van Overbeke attended the National Rural Electric Youth Tour, sponsored by Highline Electric Association, June 8-15 in Washington, D.C. She earned the opportunity as the top applicant in the HEA district.

It was 100 years ago, July 9, 1917, that Phillips County’s first war contingent left for Akron, having received mobilization orders. Twenty-five county men were enlisted in the National Guard and were in camp with Cpl. Wm. W. Poe. This was after draft registration but before the draft lottery.

Colorado Hospital Association was represented by Holyoke’s own Trampas Hutches, CEO of Melissa Memorial Hospital, at a State Capitol event June 27 that highlighted patients and providers and their concerns with health reform proposals being discussed in Congress.

In a move that eliminated the need to purchase a $70,000 piece of equipment, Phillips County recently signed an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Sterling. According to the agreement, Phillips County’s communications center will be able to record all radio logs on the AIS logger and recorder at Sterling’s communications center.

Ten Years Ago

July 5, 2012

Taking advantage of a rare opportunity to acquire land near the courthouse, Phillips County purchased Scormor Lanes, reported commissioners at their June 29 meeting.

Gano Cafe owners Dalia Ortiz, Ricky Quintana and Carmen Ramirez opened their new cafe at 125 1/2 N. Campbell Ave. Monday morning, July 2. The parent company, Gano Excel International, is dedicated to improving people’s lives by providing products enriched with Ganoderma lucidum, a Chinese herb suggested to improve one’s well-being through its antioxidants and phytonutrients.

The 26-square-mile Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs is now considered the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history. Officials say the fire has damaged or destroyed about 346 homes, which is the most in Colorado history. As of Monday morning, July 2, the fire was only 15% contained.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

July 10, 1997

Girls participating on the Holyoke swim team for the 1997-98 school year will be allowed to compete in two sports at the same time. The Re-1J Board of Education has approved a regulation addendum to allow this, but official approval will be on the July 22 meeting agenda.

A bright green, smiling frog and a flying elephant are now part of the playground fun at Holyoke City Park, just west of the swimming pool. Members of Boy Scout Troop 32 installed the two bounce-seat toys last week as part of Chuck Deaver’s Eagle Scout service project.

A Sterling man has a hobby that has landed him in the record books. Some people collect stamps. Others collect coins. Mike Canchola collects hairballs from cows’ stomachs. In 1994, he held the Ripley’s Believe It or Not world record for the largest hairball collection at 180 and the largest hairball at 33.5 inches in circumference. Today he has a 43.5-inch hairball.

Fifty Years Ago

July 6, 1972

In a major expansion move, which will result in the largest savings branch system in the state of Colorado, Majestic Savings and Loan Association was merged with Sterling Savings and Loan Association of Sterling on July 1.

JeffCo Paint and Body, owned by Terry Pocock, is now open for business in the former Austin Body Shop, 1/4 mile east of town on Highway 6.

Approval has been given by the State Board of Agriculture for the establishment of a wild animal disease center at Colorado State University.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

July 10, 1947

Approximately 2,100 cars passed through the gates to the Phillips County Fairgrounds to attend the Holyoke VFW post’s annual July Fourth celebration last Friday afternoon and evening.

The heavy downfall of rain that fell Monday night put a stop to the barley harvest for a few days.

The Phillips County Extension Office, which is located in the county courthouse, will act as a labor office, assisting farmers in getting the harvest help that they need for the year’s wheat harvest.

F.B. Flanagan, postmaster of the Holyoke post office, has announced that he has received his 1947 supply of the migratory bird stamps and that they are now available to hunters of this territory. Hunters of ducks and geese must purchase these stamps and affix them to their hunting licenses before they start hunting these birds during the open season next fall.

If the fat salvage containers filled and turned over to meat dealers by American women during the past four and a half years were placed side by side, the continuous line would stretch almost twice around the world at the equator. Women have saved 777 million pounds of used cooking fat since August 1942.