Peekin’ into the past

Five Years Ago
Nov. 28, 2013
    “It’s a Prairie Christmas” is the Holyoke Country Christmas theme this year, with Dec. 2 activities sponsored by Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. New this year is a reception at Prairie Winds Art Center of Colorado, which is in the works in the former Masonic Lodge building at 443 S. Interocean Ave.
    Pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, is on the rise in Phillips County, as the Northeast Colorado Health Department reports five confirmed cases since mid-October.
    “Heaven is for Real,” the movie based on the New York Times best-selling book by Todd Burpo of Imperial, Nebraska, will be in theaters April 16, 2014, during Easter week.
    Doug Kamery, assistant coach for the Fleming Wildcats volleyball program, was recently named the 2013 Colorado Assistant Coach of the Year.
    
Ten Years Ago
Nov. 27, 2008
    Filling the empty seat left by the recent resignation of Terry Meek, Holyoke City Council chose Sara Bohrer out of six interested applicants to be on the board. The appointment was made by council members at their Nov. 18 meeting.
    Friday and Saturday the Holyoke High School auditorium was fraught with superheroes, mistaken identities and uproarious laughter. Under the direction of first-time director Drew Peregoy, the cast performed an incredibly funny rendition of “May the Farce be with You” by David Rogers.
    
Twenty-Five Years Ago
Dec. 2, 1993
    Three farmsteads — two in Phillips County and one in Sedgwick County — were the sites of burglary/thefts the afternoon and/or evening of Nov. 21, and it’s believed that the incidents may be related.
    Experimenting with a different date for its annual Christmas season opening celebration, the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce has scheduled its Country Christmas promotions for Saturday, Dec. 4. For a number of years, the Chamber Christmas festivities have been held on the first Monday after Thanksgiving. The trial date change this year was set for later to provide opportunity for those who don’t get paid until the first of the month.
    While Region One Translator Association received a federal grant to assist in providing FM public radio to this area, the project will not become a reality until the required matching funds have been received from Phillips, Sedgwick and Yuma counties.
    
Fifty Years Ago
Nov. 28, 1968
    Farm Supply Inc., John Deere dealers for this area, owned and operated by the Leffingwells, will be closed this weekend in order to move the business to their new quarters one-half mile north of Holyoke in the Quonset formerly owned by Joel Biddle. The business has been located at the east edge of Holyoke for a number of years.
    Arlan Scholl, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Scholl, of Holyoke, has completed the necessary training and has passed the private pilot flight test and the multi-engine test, which entitles him to fly twin-engine craft and carry passengers. Very few pilots accomplish this fete at such an early age. Arlan is just 17 but has been flying with his father and family for several years.
    Residents of the county who have a branding iron which was used in the early pioneer days of Phillips County are urged by members of the Phillips County Historical Society to bring the brand to the new museum building at 129 W. Furry St. and burn the brand on the wooden border that will be used for decoration in the building.
    
Seventy-Five Years Ago
Dec. 2, 1943
    The use of Army trucks for hauling heavy scrap metal has been postponed because the trucks are needed by post offices in helping move Christmas mail.
    From Holyoke as the headquarters and the central power station for the Rural Electrification Association, service extensions are being made in the system which now covers 600 highline miles and serves 1,300 members. These extensions are expected to total 500-600 additional miles of power lines and serve 800 new members. This growth in business has necessitated larger office quarters. The former First National Bank building on the southwest corner of Interocean and Denver is being remodeled to accommodate the office business.