STORIES FROM THE PAST

50 years ago

The bill amending the Field Act that is now waiting for Gov. Ronald Reagan’s signature has a “back-off mechanism,” said Assemblyman Victor V. Veysey in Sacramento yesterday.

In a telephone interview, Veysey said this feature of the bill would relieve a school board of personal liability if it follows certain procedures to replace school buildings found unsafe.

The assemblyman from Brawley said he believed the Calipatria board “didn’t use the procedures they could have used to relieve themselves of liability.” In reference to the bond issue which failed earlier this year by a handful of votes, he noted that it appeared the board was fairly sure it was going to pass.

Veysey added that he was aware that the board made its move based on the findings of structural engineers regarding the high school main building’s defective state, and also because the district’s insurance carrier would not cover students occupying the building.

A second feature of the bill, said Veysey, is to “narrow down” the requirements of bringing school buildings up to minimum standards.

40 years ago

CALEXICO — Parents of school-age children will receive notification of school district plans to implement recent state legislation concerning bilingual education in California.

The Calexico Unified School District Board of Trustees on Monday night approved a plan to outline for parents various options at their disposal concerning bilingual education. The program is designed for children from kindergarten to the eighth grade.

First, children will be given a letter to take home to their parents today listing four scheduled night meetings at local schools to explain the new legislation.

The Chacon-Mascone law goes into effect in September and states that if a school has more than 10 limited or non-English-speaking students per grade level, it must offer a bilingual program for all those who desire it.

30 years ago

The ailing economy of the Imperial Valley has taken its toll on another local business, forcing the manager of the Buick Restaurant to announce today the restaurant will close its doors June 6.

Despite the closure of the restaurant, the Buick night club and bar will remain open and possibly expand to a seven-day a week operation, manager Marty Hopelian said. The night club presently operates six days a week, Monday through Saturday.

The decision to close the restaurant was made Friday when owners decided not to continue the operation through the summer, which is traditionally a slow time for local restaurants, Hopelian said. The restaurant’s business has never recovered from the devaluation of the peso and the poor farm economy, which have combined to depress the local economy since 1984, he said.

20 years ago

The Brawley Union High School team came to Brawley’s Wiest Field to play Friday, something San Jacinto found out much too quickly.

The Wildcat hitters jumped all over the Tigers’ pitching, banging out eight hits en route to a 9-0 Southern Section first-round win.

“We’ve been playing well and we came out and kept it up,” Brawley coach Bill DiAngelo said. “This is the way a first-place team should beat a third place team — convincingly.”

Fernie Noriega went the distance for Brawley. He allowed three hits and struck out five.

“Fernie pitched a decent game,” DiAngelo said. “We made no errors and hit decently. That’s how you win a ball game.”