Peekin' into the Past

Five Years Ago
Oct. 4, 2012
    Family nurse practitioner Dixie Ishee has been hired by Melissa Memorial Hospital and was scheduled to begin orientation Oct. 1, according to MMH administrator John Ayoub.
    Randy Boehmer and his mules Frank, Jesse, Dick, Jack and Butch have been traveling the country the past four and a half years, with their wagons proudly proclaiming “Jesus saves.” Boehmer stopped in Holyoke Sept. 28 to camp for the weekend before heading back out on Highway 385.
    Roughly 35 forest fires raged in the state of Colorado in June. While these devastating fires were blazing, much of the central United States was under record-breaking heat, with some temperatures consistently reaching the triple digits and 41 heat records being broken at that time. This has led many to believe that the climate is growing warmer.
    
Ten Years Ago
Oct. 4, 2007
    East Phillips County Hospital District board members offered a contract for the CEO position to John Ayoub at their regular meeting Sept. 25. Ayoub has been serving in an interim capacity since March 1 after administrator Arlene Harms resigned her position.
    With the planting of its first few trees, Melissa Memorial Hospital began the enormous job of landscaping the site of its new building Oct. 1. Subcontracted to the hospital through Neenan Archistruction, Absmeier Landscaping and Construction has been hired to do the dirty work. The owner, Adrian Absmeier, has close family ties to Holyoke.
    
Twenty-Five Years Ago
Oct. 8, 1992
    Requested to consider a project to put up an FM radio translator for the Nebraska Public Radio Station, the Phillips County Recreation District is surveying county residents to determine public interest in the project.
    Announcement was made last week that Klein Bros. Ltd. (parent company of Jack’s Bean Company) has merged with ConAgra Trading Company.
    The Northeast Colorado Health Department is now utilizing the Holyoke Medical Clinic in its family planning program, announced Dr. Myrlen Chesnut this week. Previously, women were referred to the health department’s Family Planning Clinic in Sterling.
    
Fifty Years Ago
Oct. 5, 1967
    Since a light to moderate frost the night of Sept. 26, temperatures have risen to summertime readings in Phillips County. The mercury soared to 96 degrees Tuesday and reached 90 or higher three other days during the past week.
    Goose permits for northern Colorado’s 1967 special goose hunting season will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning Oct. 16. These permits allow nimrods to hunt in the special goose area in Larimer, Adams, Weld and Boulder counties.
    A spokesman for the Holyoke Women’s Bowling Association announced this week that 16 local women will attend the national bowling tournament in San Antonio, Texas, next spring.
    Climaxing several special meetings recently at which a “hard look” has been taken at finances, the Re-1J Board of Education adopted a general fund budget of $534,872 for 1968 at a regular meeting Tuesday night. The budget for 1968 is approximately $60,000 higher than this year’s budget. A new base pay for teachers has also been approved by the board, increasing from $5,100 to $5,800.
    
Seventy-Five Years Ago
Oct. 8, 1942
    A storage building to house town machinery and oil tanks was completed last week when Charles Heinlin and Al Vogel put a final coat of stucco on the outside and added doors and windows. The structure is built on the west end of the power house.
    With three soldiers and a sailor, home on furloughs, serving as a color guard, the annual Fire Prevention Week parade was held Tuesday afternoon through main street.
    Oct. 14 has been set as the big day for a concerted drive to clean up all available scrap metal in Phillips County. Holyoke business houses will be closed that afternoon, as will both the high school and grade school. Farmers are asked to have a “closed farm day” along with the business houses to get the scrap to the junkyard.