STORIES FROM THE PAST
50 years ago
The remains of an ancient ship have been uncovered by workmen using a drag line to clean a drainage ditch near the Delta Canal about 25 miles southeast of Mexicali, La Voz de la Frontera, a Mexican newspaper, reports.
The old ship, in which handmade nails were used for construction, lies partially buried in the barranca country in an area which may at one time have been the bed of the Colorado River in this delta country.
It was first sighted about 20 days ago.
The newspaper complained that authorities have done nothing about posting a guard on the vessel and that people are digging up the old ship and carrying parts of it away.
It is feared that a group from the anthropology and historical institute of the University of Southern California who are expected this weekend to examine the ancient ship, may find nothing left to examine.
Old-timers in Mexicali and Calexico believe the buried ship may be one of the many lost in storms around the time of the California gold rush when ships plied the Colorado River, going as far north as Yuma, loaded with freight and gold rush passengers.
40 years ago
CALEXICO — United Farm Workers President Cesar Chavez Saturday called for Gov. Brown to appoint a statewide blue-range benefits and drawbacks of increased mechanization in California agriculture.
The UFW leadership is concerned about recent technological advances in farm machinery made by the University of California that will enable growers to employ fewer farm workers. In turn, according to the union, this will put many farm workers out of a job and indirectly contribute to a rise in the crime rate.
Chavez was attending a mechanization seminar. Following a one-hour slide presentation on the effects of mechanization to a large group of union and ranch representatives at a local parish hall, Chavez summarized the problem:
The research being done at UC Davis has focuses only on more efficient farm machinery while “nothing has really been done for the workers,” Chavez said.
30 years ago
A Japanese Company will build the first of two 37-megawatt East Mesa geothermal power plants for Geothermal Resources International Inc. (GEO), according to GEO officials.
GEO announced this week it had signed a contract with the Mitsubishi International Corp. (MIC) for the engineering and construction of the first plant with an option for the second 37-megawatt plant to be built later.
Despite a setback caused by the October stock market crash, GEO’s East Mesa project, with an estimated cost of $200 million, is still on schedule to meet an estimated August, 1989, completion date, according to Michael Cale, GEO vice president and project manager for the East Mesa development.
The contract with Mitsubishi for the engineering and construction of the two proposed plants represents half of the total cost, according to GEO’s Chief Executive Officer Ronald P. Baldwin.
20 years ago
As Glenn Cadrez looked around Cal Jones Field, he couldn’t stop memories from climbing into his head.
“I see myself in a lot of these kids,” said Cadrez, a 1987 Central Union High graduate and member of the National Football League world champion Denver Broncos. “It’s a long road, but if these kids keep working hard and listening to their coaches, teachers and mentors, they are going to be just fine.”
Cadrez, a reserve outside linebacker with the Broncos, was in El Centro on Sunday for the fifth annual Desert Youth Football Camp, at which 70 youngsters were taught the fundamentals of football while at the same time hearing lifetime messages.