10 YEARS AGO

Jan. 16, 2003 – A whooping cough outbreak has been reported at Colfax High School. Whooping cough is a bacteria that is carried into the lungs, throat and nose from inhaling after some else has coughed. Teen-age students are the age group most affected because childhood inoculations wear off at about the age when immunity has faded. Colfax’s Dr. Fox reported only two cases of whooping cough this winter.

Beerman’s Roadhouse will be the name of the new restaurant that will open at the present location of Dingus McGee’s. Confirmation of the sale came from David Rosenaur, partner in the ownership of the Horseshoe Bar Grill in Loomis. Rosenaur is also a partner in the ownership of Beerman’s Brew Pub in Lincoln. Dingus McGee’s closed its doors on New Years day 2002. Bob Townsend and Dennis Friedig co-owned Dingus McGee’s for many years.

Julie Gillmore, an eighth-grade student at Alta-Dutch Flat School, will represent California in the VFW Patriotic Pen Essay Contest. She and her parents, Gary and Debbie Baughman of Dutch Flat will be honored at an award dinner on Jan. 25 at the Sacramento Hilton.

The community was supporting the Natalie Bangert family, which included a single mother with four boys under the age of 7, who lost their home and everything in it to a fire on Dec. 29.

Capitol Corridor Amtrak released a new schedule on Jan. 6 that included four buses leaving Colfax each day to connect with Amtrak trains to the Bay Area. The number of daily trains continues to increase as ridership is also reported to be on the increase.

20 YEARS AGO

Jan. 20, 1993 – A large group of residents quickly put the brakes on any idea of closing Interstate 80 during snowstorm conditions. After hearing from a number of angry residents, the California Highway Patrol and Colfax City Fire Department, the Colfax City Council unanimously voted to able consideration f the road closure. A week earlier, the council voted to approve in concept sponsoring legislation to require Caltrans to close I-80 in Colfax rather than Applegate. After a week of hearing from residents and emergency personnel, the council unanimously reversed its decision. Resident Betty Taylor said closing the road would bring Colfax to a standstill. “The whole town would be paralyzed. Lt. Don Nelson of the Gold Run CHP office said it was unfortunate the council had not asked to met with his agency and Caltrans before backing the closure of I-80 at Colfax. Nelson said he does not foresee any change in the current policy by either the CHP or Caltrans.

50 YEARS AGO

Jan. 17, 1963 – The Colfax Area Living War Memorial, Inc., was dissolved last Thursday evening, Jan. 10, when the committee met at the city hall. With the creation of the Recreation Advisory Committee by the Colfax city council, the directors felt that the services of the Living War Memorial committee were not necessary and it was unanimously voted that the lease for the playground that expires Jan. 25 not be renewed and that the Living War Memorial committee be discontinued. It was agreed that the balance of $105.47 be turned over to the city for park purposes. Directors attending the meeting were Oswald Marson, Walter Woolley, Gordon Farrell, Robert Barnes and Kenneth Quinn. The Colfax Area Living War Memorial, Inc. was organized Dec. 8, 1948 when cash, labor and material donations were received for the purpose of constructing a war memorial. Total donations of cash, labor and material exceeded $20,000 and were received from all parts of the U.S. Citizens who composed the first board of directors were Oswald Marson, Jean Dittemore, Harry Gould, and the late H.A. Wittich and L.A. Prisk.

Weimar Medical Center may become a rehabilitation center in the near future. The hospital, which was built before 1920 for the care of tuberculosis patients, has undergone considerable changes in the past few years. A new building would be built for the medical care of the aged in which the government would assist financially. Sacramento County is urging the change at the center as that county pays a large portion of the expenses of the Weimar institution.

From Jan. 9 to 15, the thermometer measured minimum temperatures of 39, 34, 24, 23, 23, 22, and 29, respectively.