Peekin' into the Past

Five Years Ago

Oct. 5, 2017

The long process of designing and constructing the new Lions Club mini park at the intersection of Interocean Avenue and Denver Street is coming to an end. While the entire space is now fresh and new, the look is pulled together by a historic centerpiece that is well over 100 years old. The bell was also featured at the former mini park location and was first added to that site when the city of Holyoke celebrated its centennial year in 1988.

Melissa Memorial Hospital successfully implemented its new electronic records management system Sept. 19. A presentation detailing the outcome of Athena Go Live was delivered to the East Phillips County Hospital District Board on Sept. 26.

Caryl Harvey makes history come alive in her new living history program entitled “Katy and Molly: from the tenements to the Titanic.” Harvey portrays Molly Brown and her Irish maid Rosemary Cathleen as she speaks to the press upon returning to Denver after the Titanic tragedy.

Holyoke Elementary’s kindergarten through third grade students are the newest recipients of school Chromebooks. The 1:1 device program, which began in January 2016, first provided Chromebooks to students in grades 5-12. Now at 1:1 for all grades, the district has a total of 653 Chromebooks.

Ten Years Ago

Oct. 4, 2012

A new family nurse practitioner has been hired by Melissa Memorial Hospital and was scheduled to begin orientation Oct. 1. MMH administrator John Ayoub informed East Phillips County Hospital District Board members of the hire during their regular meeting Sept. 25. Dixie Ishee has joined the staff at MMH and signed a three-year contract.

Holyoke residents are requested to turn on their porch lights Friday evening, Oct. 5. Aerial photos will be taken of the HHS homecoming football game that evening and of the Holyoke community.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

Oct. 9, 1997

After competing in a bigger classification for two years, it looks like Holyoke High School is dropping back to Class IA/2A, beginning with the 1998-99 school year. On official count day (Oct. 1) for the Colorado High School Activities Association, HHS had 191 students enrolled. Unless CHSAA makes some unexpected changes, that will put Holyoke back into a smaller classification for the next two years.

After discussion at a special meeting on Oct. 6, the East Phillips County Hospital District Board voted to purchase Dr. Chesnut’s practice in order to maintain quality health care for the community. The $140,000 purchase will allow all patient records to remain as well as the furnishings and equipment.

Fifty Years Ago

Oct. 5, 1972

Digging of sugar beets started last Monday, with L.E. Smith and Sons of Imperial, Nebraska, delivering the first load of beets to the Holyoke station of Great Western Sugar Co. As of yesterday, 3,200 tons of sugar beets have been delivered to the Holyoke station and 81 cars have been loaded. Both Holyoke dumps will be open Oct. 9.

The Holyoke Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a sugar beet tour of acreages in Colorado and Nebraska on Oct. 12 to give local residents the opportunity to see the actual digging of beets and the type of equipment being used.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

Oct. 9, 1947

Public-spirited citizens of the town of Holyoke are forging ahead with plans to purchase the Holyoke hospital. If it is purchased, it will be a community hospital and will be named Hill Memorial Hospital in memory of the late Dr. H.C. Hill, who was instrumental in equipping the hospital as it is today, making it the best-equipped hospital between Omaha, Nebraska, and Denver. A committee of local men met with the town council Monday evening, and at this meeting the trustees of the town of Holyoke voted to accept the operating responsibility of the hospital if it were self-supporting and if the required amount of money to purchase it could be raised.

The Presbyterian Church of Holyoke is pleased to have as its new minister the Rev. E.M. Steen, recently of Boulder.

The Lettermens Club is a new club at Phillips County High School. The boys who have lettered in some kind of sport are the only ones eligible for the club, the purpose of which is assistance to the coach.