Berthoud Weekly Surveyor June 5, 2014 Page 5
A LOOK AT BERTHOUD
Berthoud High School once stood at corner of Ninth and Massachusetts
T
he Berthoud High School classes of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s will be holding reunion activities on Berthoud Day weekend. Members of these classes remember Berthoud High School as a twoThen & Now story, blondeSurveyor brick building Columnist at the northwest corner of Ninth Street and Massachusetts Avenue. Turner Middle School occupies that location today, but for over a half-century the site was home to a building Mark that housed the French town’s junior and senior school students. In 1919 Berthoud residents began discussing the construction of a new school. Prior to that time, the entire town’s elementary, junior and senior high students assembled in a schoolhouse that stood in the center of present-day Fickel Park. The building was so crowded that manual training classes met on the second floor of the
school and its Chamber of Commerce state-of-the-art Building, and eighth gymnasium, basgrade classes met in ketball games the Masonic Hall. were played in Classes were also held a large, secondin the school’s basefloor room in ment, where the coal the lumberyard furnace was located. building on In a bond election East Mountain held in January 1920, Avenue. Berthoud’s voters apThe school’s proved the construction first floor of a new school by the boasted four margin of 133 to 22. classrooms, the In April John Bell, a superintendent’s Berthoud contractor, office and the won the contract to conentrance to an struct the school with auditorium that a bid of $89,287.92. was described as Wallace Plumbing & “ ... the largest Heating Co. of Denver room in town.” was awarded the conPhoto courtesy of the Berger Collection, Berthoud Historical Society The side wings of tract for heating and the auditorium’s ventilation at a cost of In 1920-21 Berthoud Junior/Senior High School was built at the corner of Ninth Street and Massachusetts Avenue. John Bell, a local contractor, built the school stage doubled $4,159. The building at a cost of $89,000. as the school was finished in time library. On the to begin the 1921-22 furnace room, lockers and toilets. The second floor there were five classrooms school year. gym’s ceiling was a mere 17 feet in and the entrance to a balcony in the Berthoud’s new junior-senior high height and was partially obstructed by auditorium. school consisted of two floors built over heating and ventilation ducts. SpectaThe gymnasium and auditorium a concrete “semi-basement.” A gymtors sat in a balcony above the gym represented major upgrades over the nasium that measured 50 x 65 feet floor. old school building that contained neishared the semi-basement with manual Prior to the construction of the new ther amenity. When the town’s seventh training and domestic science rooms, a
Les was born Jan. 12, 1937, in Clarion, Iowa. He grew up on the family farm and attended the Clarion public schools. He Leslie Ross Mechem went on to attend Iowa State University Jan. 12, 1937 — May 25, 2014 with an emphasis in agriculture/farm courses. In 1959 he enlisted in the U.S. Leslie Mechem of Berthoud, Colo., Army and served until 1962. He met his passed away on May 25, 2014, in Mount wife Connie while he was staDora, Fla. He was vacationing tioned at Fort Carson in Colorado with his wife at their daughter’s Springs, Colo. The couple married home when he became ill. After on Jan. 1, 1964. At that time they heart surgery and rehab treatmoved back to Iowa and farmed ment his heart gave out. His the family farm until 1979. memorial service will be held on Leaving the farm, the couple June 10 at 10 a.m. at the Bermoved back to Colorado, settling thoud United Methodist Church, in Berthoud. Les gained employNinth Street and Lake Avenue, ment with the Regional TransporBerthoud, Colo. tation District and retired from Leslie Mechem He was preceded in death by that company after 20 yrs. From both parents and his sister Florthere he worked part time as a driver for ence Noelck. Les is survived by his wife the Mead Coop in Mead, Colo., for the Connie, daughter Deb (Virgil) of Mount next 8 years. Dora, Fla., son Brad (T.J.) of Torrington, Les was a member of Masonic Cyrene Wyo., granddaughters; Taylor (Jeff), Lodge of Clarion, Iowa for 49 years. He Bailey, Carly, Nicole; grandsons, Braden, was also a member of the Berthoud UnitCody(Sara), Bo (Jaquel); five great ed Methodist Church, 085 Mobile Squares grandchildren, sister Eleanor Griffin, and the American Lowline Association. Waxahachie, Texas, brother Frank (Mary) In lieu of flowers the family requests Mechem, Clarion, Iowa, sister-in-law Loydonations be made to the Berthoud dene (Mark) Strum, Littleton, Colo., and United Methodist Building Fund. many nieces and nephews.
OBITUARY
COMMUNITYNEWS&NOTES Katie Workman, of Berthoud, Colo., a sophomore in nursing, was named to the Dean’s List for the spring semester 2014 at MacMurray College in Jackosnville, Ill. She is the daughter of Rob and Laurie Workman of Berthoud. To be named to the Dean’s List, a student must have a 3.5 grade point average and be enrolled for at least 12 credit hours. Alexandra Sullivan of Berthoud, Colo., was named to the Dean’s List at Morningside College for the 2014 spring semester. Each semester the Dean’s List recognizes students who achieve a 3.67 grade point average or better and complete at least 12 credits of coursework with no grade below a “C-.” Alternatives to Violence (ATV) announced the organization has raised 80 percent of the $1.3 million necessary to open a SafeHouse in Loveland. ATV has been providing services for victims of domestic violence in Loveland for over 30 years, and the SafeHouse is one more element in the continuum of care for victims to help them change their lives and find a path to healing and safety. Details on an open house at the new facility can be obtained by calling 970-669-5150.
through 12th grade students moved into the new school, the old school building in Fickel Park became the home of first through sixth grade students. At that time the town’s elementary and high school teachers were paid minimum salaries of $1,200 and $1,400 per year respectively. Berthoud’s school superintendent earned $3,000 per anum for overseeing the educations of the town’s nearly 400 elementary, junior and senior high school students. Few changes were made to Berthoud High School (BHS) from the time it was built in the early 1920s to the days when the classes of the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s attended school in the building. Overcrowding spelled an end to the gymnasium and auditorium in the early 1960s when those facilities were replaced with classrooms. A new gymnasium was built west of the old school, but Berthoud languished without a high school auditorium until the current high school was built on Spartan Avenue. The BHS classes of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s will assemble this coming weekend to recall their school days when 20, 30 and sometimes 40 students made up the graduating class. Today that number is closer to 150, but that same small town feel continues to prevail.
Carter Lake Sailing Club will again provide three fun filled weekends for youth to learn to sail on beautiful and clean Carter Lake Reservoir. Youths from 10 to 16 year of age will have the opportunity to sail sunfish and learn to maneuver around the lake. Sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the following weekends: June 28 & 29 — July 12 & 13 —July 26 & 27 Costs include $85 per weekend, plus a one time materials fee of $25 for books and t-shirts. Register now at the CLSC website: www.sailcarter.org. The first two weekends will be for beginner/intermediate sailors, and will focus on basic sailing skills such as points of sailing, parts of the boat & sail, weather awareness, care of the boat, and understanding sail trim enough to successfully pilot the boat. For more information check out the website www.sailcarter.org or call the director, Laurel Bower, at 303-717-4824.
Berthoud Library kicked off summer in style on Saturday, May 31, the library held a wildly successful Summer Reading Program (SRP) kick-off event with close to 1,000 people attending. The day’s festivities included a barbecue and lawn games, bouncy castle, mad scientist/green screen photo ops, a DJ and, most importantly, Summer Reading Program registration for the whole family. Countrywide public library summer reading programs aim to advance students’ literacy and academic performance, to involve parents and families in their children’s reading efforts, and to promote a love for the written word for every age level.
Photos by Pam Martin
Berthoud Feed & Supply 970-532-3774
603 3rd St. • Berthoud, Colo. berthoudfeed@gmail.com BerthoudFeed.com
Livestock & Pet Feed & Supplies
New owners: Brett, Sylvanna, Bella, Ashton and Mia Zurbrick
Summer Is Finally Here! Make sure the heat stays outside.
A+ Heating & A/C
$30
OFF
SPRING
TUNE-UP
Normal Price $98 One coupon per customer. Not valid with any other coupon or special promotion. Call for details. Must mention coupon at time of booking call. Present the coupon during time of service. Expires 6/30/14
• Avoid Breakdowns! • Blow Colder Air! • Make It Last Longer! • Save On Utilities!
Locally owned and operated in Berthoud CALL, Text or Email 970.302.2532 or visit APlusHeating-AC.com