STORIES FROM THE PAST

50 years ago

Imperial Valley’s subterraneous soul is getting its pulse, temperature and weight examined this summer.

A small group of scientists and technicians fussing about with the deliberation and intensity of highly paid specialists poking at a millionaire patient, are working in the Valley in hopes of perfecting ways to detect geothermal sources.

Not just any old source. They are sure the Valley is a frying pan sitting atop a molten fire; but they hope to find the kind of geothermal source the Mexicans are successfully tapping at Cerro Prieto, 20 miles south of Mexicali.

The four-month, $40,000 detection study is sponsored by the University of Redlands, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the National Science Foundation and an unidentified industry.

Youthful and articulate university geologist Robert W. Rex explained that “what we are doing is delineating the areas of this high heat flow to assist the local, state and federal governments, and to evaluate what can be done with this hot water, and help plan for development in the lower Colorado River basin.

40 years ago

A walkout by local members of the Retail Clerks Union reached somewhat bitter proportions Sunday as a number of “temporary employees’” automobile tires were reportedly deflated and windshields smeared with egg.

Employees of Safeway and Mayfair markets in the Valley joined 55,000 other retail clerks from throughout Southern California in the first day of the walkout.

Pickets appeared at each of the local stores early Sunday morning.

Mayfair market employees returned to work this morning, however, after the Mayfair management signed interim agreements late Sunday.

In El Centro, at least five of those temporary employees hired to take the place of striking Mayfair employees reported to El Centro police that their tires were deflated Sunday.

At the El Centro Safeway, three temporary employees reported their tires were deflated while they were inside the market.

30 years ago

Acting just as its chairman had hinted, the state Water Resources Control Board on Monday released a proposed order that would force the Imperial Irrigation District to conserve 100,000 acre-feet of water by 1994.

After more than four years of fruitless negotiations between the IID and Metropolitan Water District aimed at reaching an agreement to fund a conservation program, the order would force the IID to find a source of funds by January.

By the same time, the IID would have to submit a schedule for implementing specific conservation projects that would save at least 20,000 acre-feet of water by Jan. 1, 1991, and 100,000 acre-feet three years later.

Progress toward meeting the schedule would be reviewed every six months, beginning next July.

The order is scheduled to be adopted Sept. 7, during a state board hearing in Sacramento. While no new evidence may be presented in the next two weeks, the IID and interested parties may comment on any factual errors in the draft.

20 years ago

OCOTILLO — The late Al Miller, the owner of Miller’s Garage just west of Ocotillo, was a good mechanic and a funny man.

He was quick to throw out a quip, take the vapor lock out of cars or toss water on over-heated brakes for people traveling Mountain Springs Grade.

Miller was born March 18, 1895, in Limestone County, Texas. According to information found in “A Place in the Sun,” by Billie Bernal, he arrive in Jacumba in 1926. From there Miller took a job in a garage on Mountain Springs where much of his time was spent dealing with steaming cars. He died in 1986 at age 91.

For nearly 30 years he ran a combination garage-restaurant just off the road on Mountain Springs Grade. He kept a couple of monkeys, Lulu and Maggie, near the restaurant for the entertainment of customers.