STORIES FROM THE PAST
50 years ago
All Southern California and Arizona police authorities are alerted to the theft of a $36,000, 20-ton skip loader removed early Monday morning from a travel pit on S78, about four miles north of Glamis.
But clues are scant. Miss Jolene Crittenden of Brawley, who owns the skip loader, said this morning that she has been told that the equipment may be stored in a remote area of Arizona, either to be dismantled or held until it can be hauled later into Mexico.
The loader, under lease to the All American Aggregates Co., of Brawley, was being used to load gravel from the Glamis pits. It was removed sometime between 2:30 p.m. Sunday and 6:50 a.m. Monday.
According to Miss Crittenden, a ramp was built of sand and the large rubber-tired machine was run up the ramp and onto a low flatbed.
40 years ago
HEBER — Ten Valley law enforcement support units converged on the Circle K Store here Wednesday after a clash between sheriff’s deputies and a large crowd of local youths resulted in an emergency officer assistance broadcast and declaration of an unlawful assembly.
The clash erupted shortly before 7:30 p.m. when sheriff’s Deputies David Boer and John Pierce began scuffling with an intoxicated juvenile at the rear of the store. During the scuffle deputies were surrounded by about 25 youths.
A deputy’s gun was freed from its holster and momentarily lost and one youth grabbed a deputy’s nightstick and threw it over a nearby fence.
Fearing the incident was getting out of hand, back-up units from the California Highway Patrol, Border Patrol and El Centro, Calexico and Holtville police departments were dispatched to the scene after Boer radioed for emergency officer assistance.
Six persons including two juveniles were arrested. Three brothers and one juvenile were booked on suspicion of failure to disperse.
30 years ago
Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-45th District, said Monday he does not support a proposed extension of the deadline for amnesty under the new immigration law but he does favor creation of a guest worker program for agricultural workers.
During a question and answer session with reporters at the El Centro Naval Air Facility, Hunter also said delays at the international border are a useful way to put pressure on the Mexican government to extradite Rafael Caro Quintero. Quintero was indicted two weeks ago for the 1985 killing of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique Camarena, a Calexico native.
20 years ago
HOLTVILLE — Tom Peckham really can’t explain it.
As hard as he may try, the Holtville High girls’ basketball coach can’t put his finger on the difference he sees when his team plays at home.
Not that he is about to start complaining.
One night after suffering a 40-point road loss in La Jolla to Bishop’s School, the Vikings made a complete turnaround Wednesday night, cruising to a 5640 victory over visiting San Pasqual.
Holtville rushed to a 15-4 first-quarter lead, led once again by senior Danell Cartee, who scored 13 of her game-high 26 points in the game’s first eight minutes.
There must be something to this home-court advantage thing.
“They’ve got their fans here, they have their parents here and I guess they’re just more relaxed here,” Peckham said. “They just really like to play here.”