STORIES FROM THE PAST
50 years ago
A meeting to reorganize the El Centro TeenTown was held at Denny’s Restaurant over the weekend, and plans were discussed to make it appeal to all teenagers rather than just a minority.
Henry Mendoza, CUHS student whose urging brought white school club leaders to the luncheon, told the group, “This idea is remarkable. It is the first time, to my knowledge, that black and white teen leaders have gotten together voluntarily around here for a constructive purpose.”
Police Chief Paul Wheeler commended the teenagers and said several adult service clubs in the city were watching the activity of TeenTown closely.
“The clubs want to help you, so formulate plans and outline an organization — show you can do beneficial things as a unit, and you will have the support and help from a lot of these clubs.”
Dilda McFadden, TeenTown president, stressed to listeners “the organization is not just for one race; it is not to be run by one race. It is a community project, and it is up to the teenagers to make it a success.”
He said a building is a primary goal for TeenTown “We hope to be able to go before the City Council Oct. 23 and request one.”
40 years ago
Sewage by any other name still smells as rank. That was the reaction of two Imperial County supervisors Wednesday to the details of a San Diego brainchild that proposes piping partially treated waste water over the mountains and dumping it in the desert.
“Frankly, to call that stuff water is a euphemism,” Supervisor Luis Legaspi said Wednesday after meeting for a half hour in Jacumba with two San Diego supervisors who were trying to sell the idea.
“I don’t see any benefit for Imperial County in this thing; in fact, I see a lot of disadvantages,” he said.
Legaspi and Supervisor Tunney Williams both said they will recommend against agreeing to San Diego’s request for a feasibility study when they report to the board Tuesday.
“I will do everything possible to prevent the Valley from becoming a sewage sink for any other county,” Legaspi said.
He added, “I don’t think we ought to agree to a feasibility study because that leaves the door open.”
San Diego’s waste water proposal developed as an alternative to an Environmental Protection Agency order to build a secondary treatment.