Voices from the Past

May 6, 1949

Plan Formation of High School District

Mrs. Grace Carter, County Superintendent of Schools, has this week issued a call to the chairman of the various school districts in the County to meet in Broadus at an early date to decide the question of whether or not a Countywide high School District shall be formed.

At present Broadus High School is district No. 79 high school and is under the jurisdiction of the board of trustees No. 79. The school is supported under the law by a county-wide high school levy. If a countywide high school district is formed the high school will be directed by a board of trustees elected from the whole county.

The formation of a countywide high school district becomes necessary under the new education law passed by the last legislative session. Under the term of the new law a formula has been worked out for a foundation program for each school. This is based on the average number of pupils belonging to that school.

The formula works a hardship on many of the high schools of the state, including Broadus High School. The countywide levy is only applicable to the foundation program portion of the high school budget. Inasmuch as district No. 79 has only one sixth of the valuation of the whole County, it can readily be seen that too stiff a burden would be placed on the local school district which provides the only high school in the county.

By creating a countywide high school district, the tax levy would be equalized among all of the districts of the county. The enrollment at Broadus high school is from every district. A large portion of the students enroll from districts outside of No. 79.

Junior Prom attended by nearly 150 couples

On Friday Night, April 30th, Broadus High School juniors sponsored a spring prom for the graduating class. Approximately 150 couples were in attendance. The gymnasium was decorated with a Maypole theme. During the course of the evening a group participated in the Maypole dance and an added number, Buzz Jones and Lois Bartholomew, singing “You Was” was presented. Comstock’s orchestra from Miles City furnished the music.

May 9th, 1974

Cycle Accidents during Weekend

Two motorcycle accidents occurred during the weekend but riders received only minor injuries. Lyle Simms collided with Thomas Magee on Highway 212 and South Street near the Town Park Saturday. Damage to the motorcycle was estimated at $40 to $50, according to information received from the Sheriff’s Office and the pickup wasn’t damaged. Simms received minor cuts and bruises in the accident.

Rick Gatlin was taken to a Miles City Hospital by Jesse Ambulance Service Sunday afternoon after being thrown from his motorcycle in a collision. Gatlin was headed south on Lincoln Avenue and Fred Toman made a turn off Lincoln where the vehicles met. Gatlin was thrown 49 feet from the point of impact, according to Sheriff Grant Gatlin. He received a gash on one leg which required medical attention plus many cuts and bruises.

The Gatlin motorcycle was wrecked and the Toman car received a broken headlight and bent fender and bumper. Neither motorcycle rider was wearing a helmet at the time of his accident, State law requires anyone operating a motorcycle to wear protective headgear, Gatlin expected to be released from the hospital Tuesday.

May 13th, 1999

Students Trek to Denver by Dawson Dunning

Reprinted from the Talon

This past Thursday through Sunday the majority of the sophomore class, along with two juniors, four chaperones and the ever famous Warren Wash as the bus driver, traveled to Denver, Colorado, for the annual Greg Childress Biology class trip. We left Broadus at 8:30 and arrived in Denver about 4:30; which gave us time to eat and then attend the Denver Nuggets/Phoenix Suns basketball trip.

The next morning the thirty plus group of outsiders from Broadus toured the Denver Mint, where we learned the process of making coins. (Although, the most interesting part had to be the bullet hole through the glass ceiling in the waiting room!). Then at 10:00 we toured the Natural History Museum, where we participated in watching the IMAX theater presentation of Alaska, along with a look at historical and biology exhibits, a planetarium show, and a grand tour of the “Hall of Life”. After returning to the motel to freshen up, we proceeded to eat dinner at Casa Bonita. Truly a long day!

On Saturday, may 1st, we toured the Denver Zoo and then went to the Denver International Airport for a brief tour of each of the concourses. We again ate supper and then were treated to an evening of shopping at the Cherry Creek Mall, swimming, eating pizza, and watching movies.

Finally, the last day of the trip arrived, and the ever-lively group of teenagers traveled to Westminster for a tour of the Butterfly Pavilion. We arrived back in Broadus (to everyone’s relief) and most, I'm sure, went directly to bed. It was truly a great trip, although Denver was too large for most of us Montanans.

What was your favorite part of the trip?

Ren Gardner: “My favorite part was the zoo because we passed three golf courses on the way there.”

Ben VerWolf: “I would have to say the zoo, because there were so many animals we had never seen.

Carsten Phillippi: “The basketball game, because I had never seen one before, but the trip home wasn’t too shabby either.”

Emily Perleberg: “The striped deer at the zoo, camel-fighting in the pool, and the mall.”

Jaylyn Quaring: “The reptile exhibit in the zoo.”

Gillette Children Bitten by Rabid Skunk

(Blaine and Susie Earley Wilson are Broadus natives)

Four boys are receiving rabies shots after three were bitten and another exposed to a rabid skunk that crawled into their tents while they slept.

The skunk tested positive at the Wyoming State Veterinary Lab in Laramie. It was the 10th confirmed rabid skunk in Campbell County so far this year, according to Ken Mills with the lab.

The boys decided to sleep in the tents while spending the night at the home of Blaine and Susie Wilson west of Gillette. Luke Wicks awoke about 4 a.m. Sunday to find a skunk biting him inside his sleeping bag, Susie Wilson said.

‘He said he kept dreaming that these little animals, these little dogs, or something were biting him,”and he kept trying to flick it off, Susie Wilson said. When he finally did (awaken) he panicked and started yelling.

Eighth-graders Les Wilson and Bobby Wilson and sixth grader Joel Wilson were sleeping in another tent. The skunk went into that tent and bit Bobby Wilson inside his sleeping bag. Only Joel Wilson was not bitten, Susie Wilson said.

The boys ran into the house for help and Blaine Wilson shot the skunk.

The boys started a series of rabies shots Sunday and had a second shot Wednesday. They are scheduled to receive two more shots over the next two weeks.