STORIES FROM THE PAST
50 years ago
A Baldwin Park man suspected of murdering his brother was apprehended at a roadblock near Westmorland shortly before noon today. The brother’s body, wrapped in a blood soaked sheet and clothing, was on the back seat of his 12-year-old sedan.
The suspect, identified only as “Mr. Sheppard” by sheriff’s deputies, is being given emergency treatment at Imperial County Hospital, where he is reported to be in “deep shock.” He collapsed at the roadblock after stopping his car.
Baldwin Park police this morning issued an alert that the suspect might be on his way toward Imperial Valley. At 11:28 a.m. Deputy Sheriff George McGrath spotted a car fitting the description, near Heise Station on Highway 86.
McGrath was joined by California Highway Patrolman Steve Dickerson, who followed the vehicle east toward Westmorland. Sheriff’s officers, Westmorland police and the CHP hastily put up a roadblock west of the city.
Westmorland Police Chief Philip Cocova said the suspect stopped and did not resist arrest.
40 years ago
National Land for People (NLP), the organization pushing for changes in Reclamation Act regulations to encourage family farming, Wednesday issued 21 recommendations it wants Congress to adopt.
The major recommendation is to limit the maximum size of farms receiving water from federally subsidized irrigation systems to 640 acres.
The maximum could be owned by an individual or family, according to George Ballis, MOLP spokesman. “The 640 could be one person; it could be 25 percents; it could be a corporation,” he said.
His group proposes to allow farms larger than 640 acres only if the growing season is less than 180 front-free days.
30 years ago
Imperial Irrigation District Director Tony Gallegos on Tuesday used the discussion of a national water marketing association to berate IID officials for competing with each other instead of working together.
Following the discussion, the board, by a 3-2 vote, endorsed the concept of the new American Water Marketing Association but reserved the right to seek changes in the association’s bylaws before making a final decision on whether to join the organization.
Gallegos’ comments were focused on what he called competition between a group including General Manager Charles Shreves, legal counsel John Carter and public relations coordinator Dick Taylor, and Tom Havens, the man who is founding the association. Havens is also the district board’s adviser on water marketing.
20 years ago
Natalia Hirales is worried she won’t be able to pay for child care for her three girls when she starts working. She currently attends orientation and jobskills training at the local Greater Avenues to Independence office so she can gain experience to work in hospital maintenance.
“I’m a single parent. It would be difficult for me to pay for child care,” said Hirales, 38, a Calexico resident.
Finding reasonable and quality child care is a major concern for some Imperial County residents, like Hirales, struggling to find jobs so they can get their families off welfare.
When the welfare reform program CalWORKs, short for California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids, begins Jan. 1, welfare recipients have up to two years to gain employment or face losing their benefits.
However, local social service agencies said they can help families pay for their child care needs.
Carla Moore, program manager for the county’s GAIN program, said everyone in CalWORKs qualifies for child care assistance.