Peekin’ into the past

Five Years Ago
June 20, 2013
    Fully funding the Phillips County Community Track Project grant request, Great Outdoors Colorado approved $350,000 last week for the project located on the Holyoke School District track and football field grounds.
    Office areas at Holyoke Elementary and Holyoke JR/SR High will be remodeled for better security as a result of the receipt of a security grant in the Building Excellent Schools Today program through the Colorado Department of Education. Office reconstruction with the BEST grant award will be completed in the summer of 2014.
    Holyoke High School senior Caitlyn Kramer recently earned first place in SIFMA Foundation’s InvestWrite essay competition. She was recognized at the SIFMA Foundation Stock Market Game Awards Ceremony at the University of Colorado-Boulder on May 23.
    Erin Vieselmeyer secured a first-place finish at the Northwest Kansas Swim League swim meet in Oakley, Kansas, on June 15 and now holds the new record in the 15-18 girls 100-yard backstroke event.
    Holyoke Community Federal Credit Union is hosting a barbecue on June 26 to celebrate its 75th anniversary. The local credit union was granted an organization certificate June 20, 1928.
    
Ten Years Ago
June 19, 2008
    While it may not be comparable to the devastation Iowa and the rest of the Midwest is facing right now, Phillips County had its share of  damage to deal with after two early-morning storms whipped through the area June 16. High winds, heavy rain and hail caused crop damage, downed power poles and overturned sprinklers and littered the town of Holyoke with fallen branches.
    Participating in only his third hobby stock car race, Nicholas Newman, 14, of Holyoke, won first place in his heat and in the main event on June 7 at the Lincoln County Raceway in North Platte, Nebraska.
    
Twenty-Five Years Ago
June 24, 1993
    Upon her June 25 retirement from Holyoke School District Re-1J, Virginia Wailes will complete 26 years of school secretarial work, including the past 14 years as secretary at Holyoke High School.
    In a successful venture to raise funds for the Chamber of Commerce Fourth of July celebration in Holyoke, Charity the Piglet visited over 40 local businesses Monday afternoon. Vicki Ocken and Michelle Heldenbrand escorted Charity throughout town, and donations were placed in Charity’s fanny pack.
    The Holyoke Swim Team broke four pool records last Saturday, June 19, at Goodland, Kansas. Sarah Jones and Alyson Colver each broke two records at the meet.
    This year’s Phillips County Fairbook takes on a new look, as it also includes a Phillips County License Directory, featuring the license numbers of passenger cars, motor homes, farm trucks, state trucks, recreational vehicles and motorcycles in the county.
    
Fifty Years Ago
June 20, 1968
    Dr. Bud Townsend, widely known rodeo announcer who is a college history professor during the winter months, will again serve as master of ceremonies for this year’s annual Phillips County Fair.
    A number of folks have been catching small bullheads in the large lagoons (or maybe they’ve been there long enough now to be called lakes) 4 miles south and 3 and a half miles or so west of town. Several fishermen were seen there Sunday afternoon — and some kids “boating” in a stock tank.
    Labor secretary Willard Wirtz has modified the agricultural hazardous occupations order to permit the employment of 14- and 15-year-olds to drive tractors and operate other farm machinery. The change, effective immediately, allows the hiring of these minors only after they have completed formal training in the safe use of such farm equipment.
    
Seventy-Five Years Ago
June 24, 1943
    R.E. Guild this week sold the Peerless Theatre, which he has owned and operated since 1920, to Carl Jung of Glenrock Springs, Wyoming, and Clarence Brase of Amherst. Jung, who now operates a picture show at Glenrock Springs, formerly lived in Amherst.
    Equipment of Helen’s Beauty Salon was sold Saturday by Helen Guild to Oletha Koch of Haxtun, who will move it to Haxtun and open a beauty parlor there. The shop was opened here in 1931 by Mrs. Guild, who has operated a beauty parlor for the past 12 years.
    The Holyoke Municipal Swimming Pool will open Sunday at 2 p.m. for the 1943 season, through the cooperation of the Holyoke Town Council and the junior council. It will be open daily until fall, with Willard Hofmeister as lifeguard.
    Ora Crouse has opened the Crouse Auto Service in the building formerly occupied by the IHC dealership, across the street from Holyoke Cleaners.