STORIES FROM THE PAST
50 years ago
Sale of some Valley well water to Mexico was banned by an action of the Imperial County Board of Supervisors in a joint meeting with the planning commission this morning.
The ban arose through the application of W. Erle Simpson to sell water from wells located in Lot 11, Track 776, six miles southeast of Ocotillo near Highway 98. For Simpson, attorney T.J. Sands said the proposal was only to sell to Mexico up to the end of 1968, until the Mexican Government has completed facilities for its own water. He said there was “dire need.” He also said that this supply to Mexico would be in substitution for present sales from other wells involving nine trucks per day.
Sands stated the Mexican authorities would prefer to switch to Simpson’s wells. Chairman Charles W. Kilgore said, “It’s not nine trucks a day, its 21, and no application has come before this board for such sales of water during the tenure of present supervisors.
40 years ago
A downpour of rain left California 78 closed today between Brawley and Palo Verde, where the deluge forced evacuation of 10 people from a trailer park.
Another 75 trailer residents refused to leave their homes. The rains apparently hit hardest in the Palo Verde Valley, where as much as 1.5 to two inches fell late Saturday and Sunday. Other areas of the Valley reported as little as 0.1 inches, though.
Route 78 was washed out in two large sections at the Milpitas Wash, on the eastern side of the Chocolate Mountains, said the California Highway Patrol.
Caltrans estimated the road would be closed until Friday or Saturday.
The Imperial Valley got only a trace of rain, with Holtville reporting 0.08 inches. There were also some reports of hail falling briefly south of Holtville.
All the other cities in the Valley reported dry conditions, including Ocotillo.
30 years ago
YUMA — The Central Spartans destroyed the Yuma Criminals 69-0 here, Friday, in the 1987 football season opener for both teams.
The Blue Wrecking Crew, as Central should be known after the opener, rolled up 548 yards from the line of scrimmage and held Yuma to 162. Indeed, Central played the entire ballgame without punting the ball. “We got a good opener,” Central coach Cal Jones understated. “The kids played well, under control the whole time.
“We didn’t expect to win like that. We had some of our starters out in the first quarter.” Central’s big weapon of the night was a nifty inside reverse, officially designated ‘67 reverse’ in the Spartan playbook. The play sprung Gene Martin loose on gains of 21, 22 and 57 yards and Emmanuel Jones for a 71-yarder.