Looking Back at Pages from the Past

The following stories are summarized from past issues of the Caribou County Sun over the last fifty plus years.  The Enterprise thanks Mark Steele for permission to use the contents, and the Grace Public Library for access to the archives.

2020

A recent City Council meeting in Grace involved a conversation about the damage being done by rockchucks.  Mayor Jackie Barthlome, City Clerk Shelley Reeves, and Lead Man Riley Crookston were involved.  Damage had been reported at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, especially to the cement.  It was decided that to make sure that the gates and fences were as tight as possible to try to prevent entry, and that hog panels should be put around the areas where animals could fall into the chlorination basin.  The council approved the purchase of hog panels, the repair of the damaged cement, and the services of the state trapper.  Crookston reported that he and Jake Wright had attended a demonstration of a screw pump at the Preston Wastewater Treatment Plant recently, and were interested in pursuing one when the Grace plant underwent an upgrade.   

The public was invited to a ribbon cutting of the Caribou Loop Trail on Aug 15 at the Tincup and Bridge Creek roads intersection area on Highway 34 near Grays Lake.  The trail, which is 192 miles and loops through Bonneville and Caribou counties in Idaho and Lincoln county in Wyoming, has been the effort of those three counties starting in 2014 to have a looped trail for legal riding by side-by-sides, motorcycles, bicycles, horses, ATVs, or foot traffic.  The Caribou Loop Trail Committee has been comprised of county commissioners from the three counties, along with numerous members and supporting organizations ranging from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and Idaho Transportation Department to the Blue Ribbon Coalition and several others.  Caribous County Commissioner Bryce Somsen has been the lead for this county and a driving effort to see the project completed.  Kim Spencer, Road and Bridge supervisor for Caribou County, said the route loops from Alpine, Wyoming, to Smoot, Crow Creek, Diamond Creek, Lanes Creek, by Highway 34, Tincup, Bridge Creek, Grays Lake, and down McCoy Creek to Alpine, Wyoming.  The trail is marked, Spencer said, and the majority of the trail miles are in Caribou County.  

A bull moose statue was recently installed in from of the Soda Springs Public Library, in support of the theme “You Have a Friend at the Library.”

An ordinance to allow the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to regulate and enforce fishing at the Kelly Park upper pond was approved.  It was necessary to allow F&G to be able to stock more fish throughout the summer at the pond, but needed the city to adopt their uniform fishing rules to do so.  Eight years and younger youths fishing will still need to be accompanied by an adult.

Recreation Director Celeste Billman discussed volleyball and flag football program, explaining that their continuation this year is dependent on whether the schools and their programs continue to be open during the pandemic.  “If something happens at the schools, we could be out,” she said, about using their facilities.  “I can say we will clean lockers, sear, etc., but I can’t say or guarantee it will happen when we travel.”  He said several parents had contacted her and said they did not want to travel to other cities for play.  The protocols from cities around the region are not clear at present.  “Are you prepared to pull out?” Councilmember Jon Goode asked, if other cities do not adhere to safety protocols.  “I want to see the kids play, but if we have to, we will play on our own,” Billman said.  “If the schools stop, we will stop.  And the parents understand we may have to fold at any moment.  It is something for the community and will try to do this.  I would rather work and have it fall through than not,” she said.

2010

The North Gem Booster Club purchased materials for the new concession/announcers stand at the football field, as well as helping pay for some of the camps and tournaments North Gem High School students have been able to participate in this summer.  They also purchased as canopy for the track team to get in out of the weather, funded two scholarships for seniors in May, and purchased a new scoreboard and volleyball standards.

The Caribou Historical Society has planned a tour of sites on the Pioneer Historic Byway starting in Franklin and ending at Soda Springs, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 14.  Meeting at Soda Springs City Hall, the group will go to Frankling, the oldest town in Idaho, to begin the tour.  At Preston, they will see the restoration in progress of the Oneida Stake Academy.  A few of the other sites to be visited include the Bear River Massacre site, Red Rock Pass, Niter Caves, and Black Canyon.

Several members of the Soda Springs cross country team attended the 2010 Summit View High Altitude Running Camp at Summit View Campground in Caribou National Forest.  Runners from Star Valley, WY and Idaho Falls High School also attended the camp, setting a new record of 52 participants.  Of the 52 participants, 24 were Cardinal harriers.

The North Gem Student body spent the day gathering roadside litter beginning at the China Hat Store and ending at Agrium’s Mountain Fuel Mine facility.  Sixty-five students, along with their teachers, cleaned 23 miles of road.  The Agrium Dry Valley Mine staff hosted a hamburger picnic lunch and provided a $1,500 donation and Kiiewit Minig Group, the mining general contractor, also donated an additional $500 as a token of their appreciation for their hard work. Due to these generous donations, the North Gem School District informed Agrium that they will not be charging an athletic fee to the students for the 2010-11 school year.

On Saturday, Aug. 7 Idaho Power lost six structures (a little over a mile of line) on its 345 kilovolt transmission line that runs from the Goshen Substation in Bingham County to Rocky Mountain Power’s Three Mile Knoll substation north of Soda Springs.  The cause appears to be a high wind event (microburst of mini tornado of sorts).  The damaged area is eight to nine miles north of Soda Springs.

On Saturday, Aug. 7, the north Gem Class of 1949 held their 61st class reunion at the home of DuWayne and Vivien Lechtenberg on Lund Road south of Bancroft.  Many posters with class photos and memories of their years at North Gem were displayed on posters scattered round the room.  Each class member introduced their spouse and told about what had happened in their lives since graduation.

2000

More than double the acres had already burned by by Aug 1 compared to the 10-year average, Caribou County Sheriff Ray Van Vleet reported Friday after discussing the current situation with Interagency Fire Personnel.  The Sheriff said as of Aug 1, there had been 156,000 acres burned compared to the 10 year average of 70,000 in Eastern Idaho.  A lightning storm that passed through the area on Wednesday started more than 45 fires over the next two days.  As of last week, there were 546 fire fighters, 52 engines, 20 dozers, two helicopters, and two air tankers listed among the resources in eastern Idaho.  By the end of July, 8,500,000 gallons of retardant had been dropped, compared to 150,000 this time last year.  Suppression costs to date in east Idaho have amounted to $1.2 million, the sheriff said.

A Japanese film crew from Fuji Creative Corporation recently visited Soda Springs while filming a show on Dalmatians.  The producer of the weekly Japanese animal show “Mutsugoro’s Animal Kingdom” had seen a picture of Peggy Ann Strupp and her matching horse and dalmatians on the internet and made arrangements to film the team in the Bailey Creek area.  They also made arrangements with Janis Ozburn to film the dogs working behind a horse-drawn cart in the Wood Canyon area.

Janene Mathews, of Grace, has recently returned from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where she spent a week training and competing at Hoctor’s Dance Caravan.  Janene competed with the Tueller School of Dance, in which they were awarded overall Grand National Champion with the dance entitled “Blue”.  Janene was also picked to be a Caravan Kid, which would allow her to tour with Hoctor’s and be an assistant teacher.

The Highway 34/Hooper Avenue construction is about on schedule with excavation finished, all the sanitary sewer completed, and 98 percent of the water line work complete. Storm drains are being worked on this week and one water line has to be lowered at Pioneer Drive.  October 10 is the planned completion date for the $3.5 million project that widens the highway to four lanes in Soda Springs.

A local teacher has been cited for outstanding performance in reading education, the School Renaissance Institute announced.  Pamela B. Cartwright, who works at Hooper Elementary School, was awarded the Reading Renaissance Model Classroom Level I Certification by the Madison, WI based institute.  Model Classroom Certification indicates that Pamela’s efforts to adopt Reading Renaissance methods have resulted in measurable increases in student reading performance.

Caribou County Gire Division Chief Daren Schwartz helped line out other fireman who responded to a brush fire east of the railroad tracks near the Soda Springs airport Sunday.  It was spotted by ISP Officer Josh Green.  Firemen and volunteers brought the fire under control, thanks to favorable winds and a fire break dug in the stubble previously by the landowner.  Schwartz said upon investigation after the fire that a lightning stike point in an old garage at the location was found.  Lightning struck in that area Thursday night, and apparently smoldered in the garage until winds kicked it up Sunday

1970

Mountain Bell gained 5,900 telephones in Idaho during the first half of 1970, according to figures released this week by the company.  The increase brings to 250,000 the number of phones in service in the state as of June, Soda Springs telephone manager K.E. Pollard said.  In the six month period, long distance usage in the state was up 14 percent over the similar period last year.  Pollard said the company is expecting to spend a record $14 million in Idaho this year for construction to meet the unabated demand for telephone service.  Company wide, Mountain Gell reported a gain of 90,000 telephones by the end of June, and long distance calling up to 13 percent over the first six months of 1969.  Soda Springs telephones now number 2,111, a gain of 79 since year end, Pollard continued.  

“Thank Heavens for Little Girls” was the theme for the 4-H Style Revue Wednesday.  Girls taking 4-H projects modeled the garments they had constructed this year.  The girls and projects were judged and placings will be announced at the fair.  Approximately 100 girls participated this year.  Entertainment was by the Tom Hatch family, and Adrian Ruger from Bancroft; Jana Loye Andersen and David Lansberry from Soda Springs.

Winners in horse races during the Caribou County Fair included: Blaine Robinson, Harold Passey, Merlin Peterson, Hyrum McLain, Vester Olsen, Merlin Wilde, and Stanley Hull.

Dean Taylor, Soda Springs, had one of his recipes printed in the Chefs of the West section, a man’s column, in the August issue of the Sunset Magazine.  The recipe was “Hungry Boy Spuds.”

Monsanto promotes safety in all ways possible.  Recently, the local plant completed one full year without a disabling accident.  An unusual way was taken to celebrate this fact.  At the family picnic July 18, postal cards identifying each employee were released attached to a helium filled balloon.  Owners of the four postal cards returned the greatest distance from Soda Springs by Sept. 18 will receive safety prizes.  To date, the top winner is Don Ayers, whose card was returned from Oxford, Nebraska.  A farmer found the card while turning land for a fall crop.  He and his wife were surprised when they “finally” found Soda Springs on a map and realized the great distance the balloon had flown.  Another card, belonging to Lloyd Rasmussen was found by Plant Engineers Tom Caldwell and Phil Scott while fishing on a lake in the Stough Creek Basin in the Popagie Wilderness area near Lander, Wyoming.