Peekin' into the Past

Five Years Ago — Aug. 15, 2013
    Holyoke’s summer school, the first attempt in four years, was deemed a success, as reported by Superintendent Bret Miles at the Aug. 6 school board meeting.
    Holyoke football coach John Zilla presented his players with a competition serving as an incentive to spend as much time as possible in the weight room this summer. Seniors were split into four teams and proceeded to draft underclassmen to join their team.
    After months of debate and deliberation regarding the Great Outdoors Colorado grant for the Holyoke baseball field complex, Holyoke City Council members are close to finalizing their newest proposal that will be submitted Aug. 28. While the idea of constructing soccer fields had been thrown around at previous meetings, results of a public survey showed that 80 percent of respondents felt there is no need to develop such fields, and it was determined that soccer fields would be left off the grant request.
    
Ten Years Ago — Aug. 14, 2008
    Performing for the halftime show of the Denver Broncos/Dallas Cowboys game at Invesco Field this Sunday, Aug. 16, will be Holyoke’s own Sabrina Zink as a junior Denver Broncos cheerleader.
    Faculty sick/personal days are proposed to change to just “leave” days in Holyoke School District Re-1J.
    Holyoke resident Velma Biddle celebrated her 99th birthday at her nephew’s home in Arvada on Aug. 8. Still healthy and active, Biddle proved “you’re only as old as you feel” with a several-day celebration.
    
Twenty-Five Years Ago — Aug. 19, 1993
    A 1929 Ford Model A, which was restored by Sully’s Antique & Auto Body of Holyoke, is on its way to Australia. Previously owned by Dale and Lorraine Rouse, the car was purchased by Jack Broderick and will be placed in his public museum, along with many other antique and collectible cars.
    Prairie Vista Care Center in Holyoke was one of 12 long-term care nursing facilities which was honored recently for providing outstanding care in 1992. A reception and awards program by the Colorado Coalition for Excellence in Resident Care was held Aug. 5 at The Legal Center in Denver.
    In a celebration to commemorate the completion of this year’s Amateur Triathlon sponsored by Melissa Memorial Hospital, a wellness carnival was held on the hospital lawn Saturday afternoon.
    The Aug. 13 Adapt-a-Rodeo at Prairie Vista kicked off with a visit by a Shagya-Arabian mare and included several events like a bean-snapping contest, corn shucking, cow chip (pancake) toss, “cow milking” and roping.
    
Fifty Years Ago — Aug. 15, 1968
    The three-day Phillips County Fair which drew to a close Thursday night was termed “the best ever” by many and is reported to have established new attendance records for the popular event.
    Badly needed rain fell across northeast Colorado during the past week, reviving parched pastureland, greatly improving the outlook for fall harvest and putting summer fallow land in good shape for wheat planting. A three-day total of 1.15 inches was recorded for the end of last week.
    Adding special glamour to the Phillips County Fair parade last Thursday morning were Mrs. Colorado, who is Doris Jean Scott of the Haxtun community, and Miss Colorado, Pam Kerker of Sterling.
    
Seventy-Five Years Ago — Aug. 19, 1943
    With an actual loss of approximately $3,900 worth of property out of a probable $77,000 during the three seasons that the rural fire truck association has been in operation, a very enviable record of performance has been established. The association was formed in 1940, with the initial cost per member in the neighborhood of $9, and there have been no further dues or assessments since. An assessment of $1 per member is being asked this year to defray such expenses as maintenance, gas, insurance and other incidentals. The fire truck belongs to the Rural Fire Truck Association and is manned by the Holyoke Volunteer Fire Department.
    Practical suggestions for the location, size and construction of a trench silo in which to store essential wartime feed crops for the use of livestock during the coming fall and winter are outlined by Rodney Tucker of the Colorado State College Extension service.
    Late Saturday, Governor Vivian appointed Leslie Jay Bennett of Julesburg as secretary of state.