Peekin' into the Past

Five Years Ago
May 7, 2015

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and The Denver Post are excited to announce the route of the fourth annual Pedal the Plains Bicycle Tour. From Sept. 18-20, participants will cycle through 172 miles of Colorado’s sweeping plains, with stops in three host communities — Holyoke, Julesburg and Sterling. For the first time in its short history (pending permits), the tour will also venture into a neighboring state with a quick visit to Venango, Nebraska.

The office for Sully Team Realty LLC has moved across the street and is now located at 130 E. Denver St.

Julia Biesemeier is the new Phillips County Economic Development executive director, returning to the position she held back in 2005.

Ten Years Ago
May 6, 2010

Golden Plains Area Extension has submitted a $25,000 project funding request to Pepsi. It was posted May 1 on the Pepsi Refresher Project website. Votes will be tabulated throughout the month of May to determine which projects are funded.

This year’s 10th annual Cinco de Mayo celebration is bigger and better than ever. Everything from a jalapeno eating contest to folkloric dance performances will be going on May 8 at Phillips County Event Center.

Twenty-Five Years Ago
May 11, 1995

According to Holyoke Police Chief Barry Winckler, new information now indicates that the April 27 incident at the city’s practice ball diamond may not have been a shooting, as originally reported by witnesses. City Superintendent Mark Brown told police that a transformer fuse blew that day at the same time as the alleged shooting. It was reported that the transformer blowing near the ballpark could sound like a gun shot.

Phillips County Communications Center will be dropping the service of providing local telephone numbers, as of Sept. 30. Phillips County is currently the only dispatch center in the entire state still providing the 411 information service. Providing local phone numbers started back in 1976 when the phone company was one of the participating parties in forming the Information Center.

An open house is being planned for May 13 to introduce the public to a new Holyoke business called Dog Gone Kennels. Owner Tracy Timm called the business a complete boarding facility for dogs and cats.

Bill Brown, who is currently serving as superintendent of schools in Yuma, has accepted the position in Holyoke School District Re-1J, beginning July 1.

Fifty Years Ago
May 7, 1970

Eugene E. Schmidt, son of Mr. and Mrs. Oron Schmidt, Holyoke, is one of 32 seniors majoring in outdoor recreation at Colorado State University and presently on a five-week, six-state field trip that will take them over 5,000 miles. Traveling through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah, over 40 selected recreation areas are to be visited.

New wage rates for sugarbeet workers have been announced by Leo Sommerville, chairman of the state Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation committee. The new rates became effective April 27. Sommerville said workers employed on a time basis must be paid not less than $1.75 per hour for the hand labor operations of thinning, hoeing, hoe-trimming, blocking and thinning, weeding, pulling, topping, loading or leaning.

Seventy-Five Years Ago
May 10, 1945

Less than a half hour after President Truman had announced officially the end of the European war on Tuesday, the town siren sounded. An hour later, residents here assembled in the First Baptist Church for a service to observe the end of the war in Europe and to solemnly commemorate the importance of peace on that front. Next Sunday, May 13, has been proclaimed by the president of the United States as a day of prayer.

The Holyoke Airport will be bombed Sunday. More than 200 Colorado cities and towns will rock under the impact of half a million bombs on May 13 as the opening blast of the Mighty Seventh War Loan. The bomb load will amount to only 500 pounds, however, as the ammunition for this devastating bombardment will be tiny paper bombs dropped from 90 planes of the Colorado Civil Air Patrol. The sole objective will be to make every Coloradan conscious of the very important role he must play in the coming Seventh War Loan campaign.