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 good portion of the Soda Springs City Council meeting Wed, Nov 4 involved discussions on the Covid-19 pandemic, its increasing numbers locally, and protocols for the city.  Celeste Billman, City Recreation director, discussed plans to move forward with little league basketball with the new Stage 3 requirements.  “D we need to make masks mandatory?” was the big question she asked the mayor and council for input.  She said the games would be played on school property, but such issues were the option of the city.  Normally, there will be two games played in the weekend and attendance will be limited to two spectators per player, Billman said, to keep the numbers below 50 for attending an indoor event.  That figure does not include coaches, staff, and personnel.  The rec director said they would clear out the gym between games and disinfect the areas.  Those attending will be asked to wait in their cars while that is being done.  “I know people want to be there, but that is not possible,” she said.  “If you want kids to play, we have to sacrifice a bit.  Council Pres. Mitch Hart said if the city is going to mandate something, they had better be prepared to enforce it.  He and the rest of the city officials generally agreed it would be better to strongly encourage people to wear masks at the events, rather than make it mandatory.  

The Friends of the Soda Springs Library will be hosting the third annual Festival of Trees at the Soda Springs Library.  Due to the current Covid stage, there will be some changes.  The Festival will continue to happen, but they will not be hosting an Open House at the library.  They will be accepting personal or business donations of your decorated large or small Christmas tree or wreath, or by cash donation.  There will be a Facebook Album set up on the Friends of the Soda Springs Library Facebook page for voting of favorites during the week.

Bancroft Area News: congratulations to Roy and Myra Eddins on their 50th wedding anniversary.  The family celebrated the occasion together this past summer with an RV trip to the Oregon Coast and Redwood Forest.  

Community Lighting of Teuscher Square is coming up at the first of December.  Supper is Shirley Christensen’s homemade chili, donuts, cookies, hot dogs, and hot cocoa.  

From Coach Ken Christensen: North Gem girls basketball is underway.  The North Gem Cowboys roster is a little thin, composed of only nine players.  The Cowboys will play a varsity schedule only.  They include seniors Makayla Mabey and Camelyn O’Brien, juniors Maranda Hill, Dannika Barfuss, Whitney Newman, Shannessy O’Brien, and Elizabeth Michaelson, freshmen Journey Gunter and Hayden Corta.  The Cowboys are coached by Ken Christense and Sheils Low.  The Cowboys traveled to Ashton on Saturday to play the North Fremont Huskies.

2020

By Mark Steele: “Gary and Rosli Gier were busy in recent days at the home in Soda Springs.  For all the right reasons.  Gary, a retired biology teacher for the Soda Springs School District, donated his collection of butterflies and moths to two Idaho college museums.

The amazing collection of some 17,000 butterflies and moths, both of which are grouped in the scientific order of Lepidoptera, will be going to the College of Idaho Orma J. Smith Museum of Natural History in Caldwell and the University of Idaho W.F. Barr Entomological Museum in Moscow.

Both schools had their museum curators and their spouses at the Giers at the end of October to number, photograph, and catalog the 381 wooden and glass boxes that Gier had built and were full of 17,000 specimens he had collected from all over the world.

Gier, who began his teaching career in 1961 in Soda springs and taught for 30 years before retiring, collected specimens of moths and butterflies from Canada to Peru.  He has samples from Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Malaysia, Vietnam, Europe, Mexico, and other countries in his collection spanning a lifetime of scientific interest.

One of his favorites is a white mottled specimen with a wingspan of 11 inches, known as the white witch moth.  Thysania agrippina has the largest wing span of any known insect.  The largest known one is only less than one-inch wider than his specimen.

Gier said he wanted his collection to be preserved for science research and exhibited as a group showing a series in variations among the species.

Seventy percent of the collection will go to the College of Idaho and 30 percent to the University of Idaho.  

Museum curators William Clark from Caldwell and Luc Leblanc from Moscow were ecstatic with the fine work done by Gier, his preservation techniques, and the variety of specimens.

They explained an important part in splitting the collection between the two schools was to have them in two different locations and to preserve them in northern and southern Idaho.  Not only does it make them more available for pure research in the future—including things like species variation and historical value—two locations of many of the same specimens protects their scientific value from any possible future damage, accidents, or destruction if they were in only one site.

“I wanted the collection used and appreciated and someone to take care of it,” Gier said as the group meticulously photographed, listed, and boxed the displays into trailers and vehicles to make the trip to their new homes.

“I wanted to foster interest and appreciation of the natural world,” the local science teacher said…

2000

A surprise tribute to World War II veteran Gerald Jolley was the highlight of the Tigert Middle School Veteran’s Day assembly on Friday, Oct. 10.  Jolley serves as the school counselor and also coaches seventh grade girls’ basketball team.  The assembly was arranged and emceed by Principal Marylin Simons and was attended by all students and teachers.  Also present were members of the community, including Jack Poerter, representing veterans in the area, and family members of Gerald Jolley.  The colors were presented followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.  Several band numbers were performed under the direction of Kathy Campbell.  The seventh grade choir sang, with members being drafted for certain parts.  Then Director Susan Murdoch called for volunteers to sing solos.  This demonstrated to the student-body a small understanding of what it would mean to be drafted or to volunteer for service to our country in the armed forces.  Next, Gerald Jolley talked on what it meant to be a veteran and the importance of patriotism to the nation’s past.  He stressed that he was one of the lucky ones who came home and had the opportunity to live a good life.  The men who lost their lived would have liked to become veterans too, they are the ones who gave the ultimate sacrifice to keep this nation free.  He emphasized that these are the men who deserve the honors.

Then, son-in-law Ken Heuseveldt, Tigert Middle School history teacher, related stories of Jolley’s own service during WWII.  During the height of the conflict in 1943, Jolley volunteered at the age of 18, as soon as he graduated from high school.  He was trained to serve in the Army infantry and was sent to battle in the Pacific.  He then volunteered for service on a specially designed gunboat that would strafe the beachheads preceding the landing of troops.  This was very dangerous duty, especially since his boat was often used as a decoy to draw fire from the Japanese so that U.S. artillery could pinpoint enemy gun locations.  He went in on the first day of the Philippine invasion and saw much action in New Guinea, Leyte, and Luzon.  Jolley manned the 20mm gun mounted on the rear of the boat.  His unit was preparing for the invasion of Japan when the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki resulted in the surrender that ended the war.  

1975

From the office of Senator Jim McClure: 

This week another proposal for the transfer of Idaho water to other parts of the country has reached my desk.  Each time I learn of another grand scheme to use Idaho’s water in the Wyoming coal fields, or on the front lawn of Phoenix, Arizona, I get that much more disturbed.  

Almost all of the water in the Upper Snake River Basin has been committed for beneficial uses.  Agriculture Is the number one industry in Idaho and the number one user of our most precious resource.  Idaho is one of the very few areas in the country to have water and land still to be developed.

There are many studies which have been made, are being made, or which will be made on the future of our water.  Unfortunately many of these studies are being made in States outside our borders.  These studies—or proposed projects,--all call for energy, and subsequently water.  The most recent I have seen calls for the use of Idaho water in a coal slurry pipeline to transport granulated coal from Wyoming to Oregon.  This would require a good deal of water, and the proponents of this plan—although it is still in its early stages—are looking to the Sanke River as a ready supply.

This coal slurry pipeline would require one pound of water to transport one pound of coal.  The major users of the coal would be power generating plants in Southwestern Idaho, and in the Boardman, Oregon, area.  

As I talk with Idaho farmers, especially those in the Sanke River Basin, I am made well aware that during a short water year, or an exceptionally dry summer, there just isn’t any water to spare.  If we are to export any of our supply we would have to construct more dams on the Snake River to increase storage, and I think most Idahoans would agree with me that additional dams are out of the question.

If there is a lesson to be learned from agreements such as the Colorado Compact, it is that you just can’t over-appropriate your water.  We have always had signs printed which say, “IDAHO WATER IS NOT FOR SALE.”  I think it’s about time we begin posting those signs at all locations where out of state water interests might be looking.

Calling the scriptures a “Treasure of wisdom, inspiration, and practical suggestions for more abundant living.” The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has pledged its full support to National Bible Week, November 23-30.  The Church leaders noted that “America continues to be shaken by rising crime, widespread permissiveness, and the breakdown of far too many marriages and homes.”  The statement was signed by President Spencer W. Kimball, world leader of the Church, and by N. Eldon Tanner and Marion G. Romney, counselors in the First Presidency, the ruling body of the church.

Senator Frank Church is cosponsoring a bill to prohibit meat and dairy products that don’t measure up to the same standards of purity required of domestic eat and dairy products.  “Permitting the importation of impure meat and milk products is unfair to both the America consumers and American cattlemen and dairy farmers,” Church said.  “Consumers have the right to expect the same attention to the quality of foreign meat and dairy products.  And American producers have the right to compete on an equal basis with foreigners.  The existing lower standards on foreign products are unfair to American producers.”  The bill Church is cosponsoring was introduced by Senator Robert Packwood of Oregon.  It calls for an inspection system on quality of the imported products on a par with that imposed on domestic products.  The legislation also requires that the foreign imports be labeled as such.  Church said the quality on imported meat and dairy products is inspected only on a spot-check basis and not with the thoroughness accorded domestic production.   “And yet, even that cursory look demonstrates the need for more comprehensive inspection,” Church said.  “Evidence of filth has been found in imported products.  If the foreign producers knew that everything they sent to this country would be inspected, they would be compelled to take the same care that domestic producers do.”