STORIES FROM THE PAST

50 years ago

El Centro Rotary Club Thursday presented a cattle feeding company executive who “talked straight” about the problems of Valley cattlemen and feedlots.

Dick Kershaw, a prominent Brawley feedlot operator, caused some raised eyebrows in the audience with some of his charges, suggestions and views.

One of his charges was leveled at the California Public Utilities Commission, which he claimed was “a sweetheart” to trucking companies on freight rates — to the detriment of cattlemen in Imperial Valley as well as the rest of California.

“It’s cheaper to ship cattle from New Mexico to the Los Angeles market than it is to ship them from the Imperial area to Los Angeles,” Kershaw said. “The problem is our PUC’s sweetheart arrangement on freight rates with the trucking lines.

“The PUC needs to put Imperial cattle and feed men in a competitive position with our competitors in the states east of California,” Kershaw suggested.

40 years ago

Losing a baseball game at the wrong time cost the Central Spartans a chance to win the Coachella 2030 Tournament championship in Riverside County Wednesday.

Dave Middleton’s Spartans stayed in the winners’ bracket with a pair of victories Monday. The County Seat varsity returned 48 hours later for two additional clashes.

Central lost a semi-final round game to the Palm Springs Indians, 12-8. The Indians went on to lose the championship game to the hosting Coachella Arabs, 3-1.

The wear and tear on pitching staffs was apparent by scores in Wednesday’s games. After losing to Palm Springs, the Spartans beat Brawley’s Wildcats, 10-9.

“Neither game was an artistic accomplishment,” Middleton said, “but was more of a situation where one team just outlasted another from start to finish.”