Those Were The Days
5 years ago — Week of Oct. 11, 2007
The Colorado Rockies were headed to the National League Division Title Series and local fans were in high spirits. Devoted fan Carol Warner of Gypsum said she had worn purple every day since Sept. 23.
The Sylvan Lake Road connection to Brush Creek Road opened, giving Eagle Ranch residents a much more direct route to the Eagle Pool and Ice Rink facility.
The town of Eagle announced it would be cracking down on the placement of signs at the Eby Creek roundabout. “Absolutely no signs of any kind are allowed in the roundabout. No garage sale signs or real estate signs — nothing but the town’s Christmas decorations,” said Town Manger Willy Powell.
A group of local seniors collected more than 19,000 Christmas cards to send to U.S. military personnel stationed in Iraq.
10 years ago — Week of Oct. 10, 2002
The Capitol Theater in Eagle celebrated its grand opening with showings of “Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones,” “My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding,” “The Banger Sisters,” and “Lilo and Stitch.”
Eagle resident Garnet Ping celebrated her 90th birthday. For most of those years, she made a daily trip or two around downtown Eagle, ferreting out the news and sharing it with citizens and visitors alike. She never knew a stranger and was recognized as human landmark for the community.
A group calling itself “Friends of the Pool” launched a fund-raising campaign to finance construction of two additional lap lanes at the Eagle Pool and Ice Rink project. Cost concerns had prompted a decision to trim the number of lap lanes at the pool from six to four.
The Eagle Valley High School volleyball team was unbeaten in league play. Standout players included Erin Sterkel, Kim Smith, Jean Romersheuser and Chelsea Abbott.
20 years ago — Week of Oct. 15, 1992
Dedication ceremonies were celebrated for the stretch of Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon. The $484 million project was called “an engineering miracle” and it was the most costly highway project ever completed in Colorado.
On hand for the ceremony was Eagle’s Mary Hoza, who served as a member of the Glenwood Canyon Citizen Advisory Committee. She was the first person to drive through one of the canyon tunnels. Her passenger was Colo. Gov. Roy Romer.
The Eagle Town Board approved The Terrace sketch plan, granting a conceptual go-head for a 217-unit residential development.
Brittany Rivera was crowned queen and Eric Christian was crowned king at the EVHS Homecoming game.
30 years ago — Week of Oct. 14, 1982
The Eagle County Library was looking for a new location. Library Director Roberta Depp noted that the current space, which she described as two metal buildings that had been bolted together, had many issues, including space limitations and poor insulation. “One can, at times, see daylight where the two buildings meet,” said Depp.
The Eagle Town Board approved an ordinance granting a cable television franchise to Com-Link. As they opened the door for cable television in town, town board members voiced concerns that the existing over-the-air TV translator system still needed to be kept operational.
As the town of Avon considered its budget decisions for the coming year, consultant Stan Bernstien noted the town’s financial future was tied to what happened with mortgage interest rates. Under the best-case scenario, rates would drop below the current rate of 14 percent.
Tammi Eddings and Pete Herranen were crowned EVHS Homecoming queen and king.
40 years ago — Week of Oct. 12, 1972
Bernie Doyle was hired as Eagle’s new police officer. He came to the area from Simi Valley, Calif. His working hours were not strictly defined. “The town brought me in as a police officer, and I intend to enforce the law seven days a week.”
Eagle County Sheriff’s deputy Charles W. “Buck” Davis died of a heart attack following a chase involving a federal prisoner. Davis had apprehended the 20-year-old escapee from the Englewood Federal Youth Center and had taken him for a meal in Basalt. As they were leaving the restaurant, the man in custody took off running. Davis chased him down, but while he was driving his prisoner to Aspen for the night, Davis suffered the massive heart attack and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Dwight Lee was named principal of the new Dowd Primary School.
A ribbon cutting ceremony celebrated the opening of an 8.5 mile section of I-70 between Wolcott and Eagle.
50 years ago — Week of Oct. 11, 1962
Veteran Colorado State Patrolman Jim Seabry resigned his post to run as a write-in candidate for Eagle County Sheriff. He was set to face incumbent Democrat Hank Knuth of Gypsum and Republican challenger Fred Pierson of Minturn.
“County residents are reminded that the upcoming Sunday is polio day and everyone is urged to take Typel II Oral Vaccine,” the Enterprise reported.
A midnight fire at the Western Slope Lumber mill in Eagle resulted in a $2,000 loss for the company. The fire was apparently started by a spark from a burner used to get rid of scrap lumber at the site.
Owners Ross Chambers and Bob Havener announced the sale of Castle Peak Dairy to Clymers Dairy of Grand Junction. Local residents were advised that the new owners would maintain the same milk routes with delivery to homes in Minturn and Red Cliff, along the Eagle River Valley and along the Colorado River Valley.
60 years ago — Week of Oct. 9, 1952
“The expression ‘small potatoes’ is no description for the crop harvested by Ed Watson on the Alec Macdonell ranch on Brush Creek this year. A cross-section of the spuds brought into the Enterprise office shows them to weigh and average of 2 1/2 pounds a piece, and average nine inches in length,” reported the Enterprise.
The Upper Colorado River Valley Milk Producers voted to increase prices by one cent per quart effective immediately.
John Greve, owner of the Eagle and Minturn theaters, was chosen as the Republican candidate for county judge. He was a former Republican county chairman.
70 years ago — Week of Oct. 9, 1942
“Contrary to popular rumor in the community, the boys who are pulling down the big money at Pando are investing a great amount weekly in war stamps,” the Enterprise reported. A large-scale building project was under way at the site. “There is a weekly payroll in camp of $400,000 with 6,000 workmen employed. There are around 600 trailer houses on the grounds, where families of some of the employees live.”
Eagle County High School reported that attendance was very low because many students were at work in local fields, helping to bring in the potato harvest.
Lloyds Red Mountain Ranch in Eagle announced its fourth annual registered Hereford bull sale. The event was planned at the Shults Sales Pavilion in Grand Junction.
