STORIES FROM THE PAST
50 years ago
Big splurges in one-sided victories moved Brawley’s Willie Bascus and Calexico’s Donnie Garcia to the top of the Imperial Valley scoring race.
Garcia and Bascus scored three touchdowns each as Calexico pounded Imperial, 40-0, and Brawley ran over Bonita Vista, 47-0. Bascus added five extra point kicks in Brawley’s victory.
Garcia, a 150 pound sophomore break-away threat for the undefeated Bulldogs scored on runs of eight, nine and 61 yards to take the scoring lead with 37 points. He has six touchdowns for the season and has run for one extra point. Bascus, a big, strong senior end for Brawley, scored on a blocked punt return of 25 yards, and passes for 68 and 64 yards in addition to kicking five extra points. The 23 point output gave him 35 points for the season on four touchdowns and 11 extra points.
40 years ago
“I spent five years in big government and, frankly, it scares me to death,” former Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz told a $25-a-plate Republican fund raising breakfast in Imperial County today.
“It’s time we got some of the do-gooders out of there and elected someone who thinks it’s OK for farmers to make a little money,” Butz said.
The controversial former agriculture secretary spoke at the Imperial Valley Country Club today as part of a statewide tour to rouse Republicans to action and to blast big government Democrats and politics in general.
Butz told the crowd of about 250 that agriculture is the nation’s number one industry but it is being shackled by government interference and regulations.
30 years ago
IMPERIAL — One annexation has been stalled and two others are threatened in a tug of war between county and city officials over procedures.
Recently, the city has received and approved applications for annexation from three different property owners for parcels near the Motor VU Twin Drive-In Theatre, south of Imperial on Highway 86.
Despite instructions from county officials, the city staff apparently told property owners they did not need to go before the Airport Land Use Commission since the proposed city zones for the property will be the same as the current county zones.