Stories from the past
50 years ago
Quarterback Larry Eyer and tight end Gerald Richardson of the Imperial Valley League champion El Centro Spartans topped the annual All-Imperial Valley League team as selected by the four coaches.
The coaches decided to do away with the policy of naming a most valuable player and picked a Back of the Year and a Lineman of the Year.
The Spartans copped both honors with Richardson being named Lineman of the Year and Eyer getting Back of the Year honors.
In total, 11 Spartans were named to the team along with nine players from Brawley, several from Calexico and five from Palo Verde. Voting on the selections were head coaches Cal Jones of El Centro, Hal McNaughton of Brawley, Joe Enserro of Calexico and Phil Ramsey of Palo Verde.
40 years ago
The first restaurant in the new Ocotillo Plaza mini-shopping center at Imperial Avenue and Ocotillo Drive, El Centro, is to open Monday.
The center’s liquor store and delicatessen called the Booze Bin, has already opened, as has a new Slenderella figure-reducing salon. An ice cream and sandwich shop is scheduled to open this weekend, along with Top Source, a T-shirt shop.
The $1 million mini-center is just completed and has store and office spaces still available for lease, according to John Ramey, associate Realtor with Robert L. Childers of El Centro.
The center’s new restaurant will offer a change from tacos, fast food and steaks. Known as Curry’s and Kebags, it will specialize in authentic foods of India, prepared by Indian owners Tarsem and Sodesh Sharma.
The two are brother and sister-in-law of University of California entomologist Rajinder Sharma of El Centro. Born in Kenya under British rule, they have lived in England for the past 16 years, operating an Indian restaurant in Houslow, Middlesex, for the past five years.
30 years ago
FELICITY — Recognition may be slow in coming to this little town eight miles west of Yuma, but it’s on its way.
Last month, the National Geographical Society of France presented a medal to Felicity, population five, recognizing the town, which consists of a gift store, restaurant and post office, as the center of the world, Mayor Jacques-Andre Istel announced Friday.
“The National Geographic Society is an official government body, so this is like getting recognition from the Government of France,” he said.
Dominique Riggs, the daughter of the Hon. Franics Lacoste, former French Ambassador to the United Nations, was appointed ambassador from the center of the world to accept the medal, Istel said.