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.
2021
Guest column by Gov. Brad Little:
It is Teacher Appreciation Week across the country, and while one week is hardly enough time to show our teachers how much we value them, it is a good opportunity to tell the teachers in your life that you notice all they do for our students and communities.
Teachers get to work early so they are prepared for a productive day of learning when their students walk through the classroom doors.
Teachers are adapting all day long, tailoring lesson content to a variety of learning styles so each and every student can walk away with a better foundation of knowledge and skills.
Teachers are meeting the daily challenges of helping one or two, perhaps more, students with behavioral problems that disrupt the class.
Teachers step up to fill needed roles in coaching, leading student clubs, and other extracurricular activities.
Teachers spend their evenings and weekends grading schoolwork and replying to text, phone calls, and e-mails from parents and students with special requests when they could spend that time with their own families.
Teachers are passionate about preparing students or eventual careers and creating an environment where students feel safe and supported.
Thankfully, in Idaho, our schools have been open longer than any other state during the pandemic. Keeping schools open and students in their classrooms for valuable in person learning has been and continues to be the priority, which is why I decided to make the COVID-19 vaccine available to teachers before many others.
That said, it has still been difficult to adjust to all the sudden changes in learning and instructing throughout the pandemic. Students, parents, families, teachers, and school administrators have met the challenges by coming together to support one another.
We should signal to our educators that we value them and we want to keep them in the profession. We should be laser focused on equipping teachers, parents, and schools with the tools they need to prepare our students to become eventual participants in our state’s workforce and lifelong learners.
To all the Idaho teachers, I thank you on behalf of the people of Idaho for your dedication to our students. Together with families, volunteer school board members across the state, and our school administrators, you are the backbone of strong communities in Idaho.
Thank you, teachers!
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Local Scouts and their leaders had the opportunity to practice their camping, rock climbing, leadership and basic scouting skills April 23-24 at Spring Camporee held at the Fort Hall Replica in Pocatello.
The event was sponsored by the Scout Mountain District of the Grand Teton Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The district includes units from Pocatello, Soda Springs, Malad, American Falls, and other surrounding communities.
Participating scout troops set up camp Friday night. After pitching their tents and setting up their equipment, campers had some time to prepare dinner before gathering for an evening flag ceremony and campfire program.
Saturday morning, campers enjoyed a breakfast provided by Scout Mountain District leadership. Following breakfast, several Cub Scout Packs joined the scout activities. Over 25 stations were available for participating units to rotate through. These activities focused on leadership and team building skills, but also included basic scout skills like knot tying, lifesaving, and physical fitness. Afternoon activities also included rock clibing, compass course, and rope making.
“We want the scouts to work together,” said Ralph Oborn, District Program Chairman. “We are giving the patrol leaders the chance to lead without adults.”
At the conclusion of the event, the Scouts were each presented a Special Camporee patch.
1991
Several homes were evacuated as a precautionary move Thursday night when lightning struck the Farmers Grain Elevator in Bancroft. The concern by firefighters, the Sheriff’s Office, and city officials was a fire in the gran may ignite the grain dust.
Sheriff Ray VanVleet said lightning struck the elevator at 2:30 p.m. The initial shock blew nine of the 10 inspection hole covers off the bins and started a grain fire.
Homes facing the grain elevator on Second East were evacuated overnight from a concern about the fire possibly igniting the grain dust, which can be extremely explosive under the right conditions, the sheriff said.
The Bancroft and county fire department responded, as well as city officials.
“The people were very cooperative in leaving their homes,” VanVleet said. “The fire departments and city officials deserve credit, too,” he said, noting the firemen had to climb the outside elevator ladder and then pull hoses up by rope to try and put the fire out.
Three five-gallon cans of expandable foam were placed in the main elevator portion, the sheriff said, adding that all the sections vent to the same area and it was difficult to determine the exact location of the fire. Firemen stood by until morning, but as of Monday morning, the fire was still smoldering and about three semi-truck loads of grain were to be hauled from one bin and spread out.
“Grain dust is very explosive, like dynamite. That’s why we were being careful. There was quite an electrical storm,” the sheriff said about lightning hitting the Bancroft area.
In addition to also blowing out the windows on top of the elevator where the lightning grounded out it left a three-foot by one-foot crater six inches deep. There were two or three workers in the area, who were not hurt.
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The Monsanto Company has announced that Dravo-Soda Springs will begin hauling ore from the Enoch Valley Mine to the plant north of town on Monday, May 13. This will continue throughout the summer and into October.
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Sheila Lemmon, director of services for the Southeastern Idaho Region of the Easter Seals Society, and Sharman Kay Snow, program manager for Caribou, Franklin, and Bear Lake counties, will discuss services available to area residents at the May 16 meeting of the Soda Springs Chamber of Commerce.
One program currently being established is the transition program, a vocational program for the disabled population between 16 and 22. Information will be available regarding the new Disabilities Act and its effect on employment, public accommodations, and services operated by private entities. The lunch begins at noon at the Enders Café.
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A German shepherd trained to detect drugs was brought into the Soda Springs High School and junior high last week as part of the Soda Springs Police Department’s crime prevention program. Canine handler Paul Fagnant from the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, took Xaver down the rows of lockers and where the dog would detect an odor of drugs the lockers were searched under school policy, and the guidance of the principal. Only odors, such as smoke or residue, were located in each school and it was the police department’s policy to let the school district take administrative action this time had any drugs have been found. Random searches will be conducted in the future, according to police and school officials, in an effort to keep drugs away from school property and students.
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Two Soda Springs seniors are really going out of their senior year with a bang. They got together and surprised their dates by taking them to the Junior Prom in style.
They rented a limo out of Pocatello and picked up their dates, took them to the Crystal Cottage for super and from there to the prom.
When asked why they did it, they said nobody else has ever done it. “We wanted to be the first.”
The seniors are Howie Humphreys and Chris Rosenbaum, and their dates are Stephanie Rosenbaum and Carrie Johnson.
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The SSHS Class of 1981 is planning their ten year class reunion to be held on July 6. They will be having a picnic at noon at Hooper Springs Park and a dinner at the Cedar View Supper Club at 6.
They have not been able to locate the following people: Heidi Barlow, Edith Melby, Amy Mann, Lee Summers, Andrea Smith, Ed Fleming, Scott Payne, Jerry Hansen, Debbie McBride, Robin Roatcap, Lonnie Krawl, Dena Nykalayow, or Darla Olson.
If you know where these people are or have any information that might help locate them, please contact Brenda (Wells) Erickson.
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Connie Ozburn hosted the Conda Friendship Club meeting at her home Wednesday, with Ruth Lewis assisting as co-hostess. There were 11 club members and one guest, Hazel Ozburn, in attendance.
Members signed a get well card for club president Betty Peterson, who was reported to be showing improvement at the Bannock Geriatric Center in Pocatello.
Plans were discussed for a no-host tasting party for the May 24 meeting to be held at 6 p.m. at the home of Laura Finlayson. A highlight of the evening came when Verla Ayers stopped by with a notebook from which Connie read parts of minutes taken during the early meetings of the club, including elections of officers at the Jan. 21 1944 meeting when Verla’s mother, Kate Martin, was elected President, Ruby Gunnell as Vice President, Ethel Caress and Financial Secretary, and Elaine Bourne as Recording Secretary.
Following refreshments Skip-Bo was played, with Laura Finlayson winning high, Norene Bunn low, and Margaret Hemmert the allcut prize.
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Results of a Quality of Life questionnaire in Soda Springs have been released bu the Gem Community certification group. Some of the results are of little surprise, but others may lift an eyebrow.
Emery Bahm, chairman of the Gem Community group, said 187 people responded to the survey, for a 47 percent return rate, which is the highest return in 16 surveys done in the state. The surveys were randomly sent to residents from utility listings.
Bahm said the survey will give feedback to help with community development and needs. “We will be able to use the survey, along with a business survey, to find ways to improve the community and its development. We have one common goal,” he said, “to improve our community.”
The full results of the survey are at city hall for review, but here are a few highlights:
The top six things people liked about living in Soda Spring were – Community safety and order, Urban open spaces and green spaces, Supply of water for household use, Parks and Recreation facilities, Water for outdoor recreation, Availability of health services.
The top ten unsatisfactory things were: Lack of retail shopping, Poor quality of retail shopping, Lack of eating options, Lack of artistic activities, Few employment opportunities, Lack of cultural activities.
Items most often purchased out of town included: Women’s clothing, Footwear, Men’s clothing, Children’s clothing, Furniture and appliances, TV and electronics repair services, Automobiles.
Items most often purchased in Soda Springs included: Groceries, Prescription drugs, Gas, tires, and auto repairs, Hardware and lumber, Movies and entertainment.
Service people went out of town for included: Public eating establishments, Farm equipment, Legal services, and Dental services.
48 percent of respondents said air quality was satisfactory or highly satisfactory. Only 17 percent said it was unsatisfactory or highly unsatisfactory. One third of people were uncertain.
What the preferred recreational activity respondents said they would like to see in Soda Springs was a swimming pool, by 43 percent, followed by a recreation center with 39 percent.
Only 5 percent of people said they wanted tourism as the ideal business or industry for the community. 43 percent favored manufacturing and 27 percent wanted high-tech manufacturing.
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Juan Salvador and Rosa Maria Ferrer traveled to Grace from Malaga, Spain in order to visit with their son and his host family. Juan Jose Ferrer has been living with Ron and Carole Hegstrom and family for the last school year.
The Ferrers had to attend a World Avocado Grower’s Convention in Orange County, California. Ferrer works with the Brocraw Nursery in Saticoy, CA. While at the convention that included many counties, they learned how to utilize water for each plant, resulting in more productive yields.
