STORIES FROM THE PAST

50 years ago

A stark and very unpretty picture was painted of the rising narcotic traffic along the border by Robert Poley, port director, United States Customs Bureau of Calexico, at yesterday’s Brawley Rotary meeting.

And nothing, he said, is specifically being done to halt the rising tide.

“I believe that until the American people become as concerned over the drug traffic as it was in the ‘40s over hoof-and-mouth disease and be prepared to do something about it,” said the director grimly, “we will have drug traffic in our midsts in ever-increasing numbers.”

As an example of the alarming rise in drug flow, Poley cited the following figures:

In 1966 customs people seized 5.5 tons of marijuana on the U.S.-Mexico border.

In 1967 customs seized 13.5 tons.

The figure last year nearly tripled to 34 tons.

Heroin seizures jumped from 78 pounds in 1967 to 245 pounds in 1968. Heroin is so expensive it’s measured in ounces. In terms of value, the 1968 heroin seizure is equivalent to the city of Brawley’s 1968-69 budget, or more than $1.5 million. This is using Poley’s figure of $400 per ounce for heroin.

40 years ago

Lori DeForest and Diane Thomas scored 17 points apiece Tuesday night and the Brawley Wildcats crushed the Indio High School girls basketball team, 71-36.

Undefeated in Desert Valleys League play, the defending champs are on their way to the title. The Wildcats have had too much firepower throughout the DVL year.

Brawley scored 20 in the second quarter and 21 in the third vs. Indio. Tina Evans gave the Wildcats a lift with 14 points, and Esmeralda Tagaban played a super game.

“Some of the things Esmeralda does,” coach Nadine Grass said, “don’t show up in the statistics but she contributed greatly to our successful showings.”

Anita Thomas and Suzy DuPree each scored six for Brawley, Rosa Vasquez adding four. Kim Peterson led Indio with 20, and Patty Granella scored 12 for the Rajahs.

30 years ago

Struggling with rapidly growing enrollment and a slow-paced school construction bureaucracy, Central Union High School is expanding into the residential area around its existing campus.

The district Board of Trustees Tuesday approved the expenditure of $51,000 to purchase a lot on the northwest corner of 10th Street and Brighton Avenue.

The four rental cottages on the property will either be torn down or moved to another location to make room for portable classrooms to accommodate an expected increase of 300 students next year, said Superintendent Joe Maruca.

“If we don’t buy those properties over there, then we’re going to have take the student parking lot, or at least part of it,” Maruca told the board.

The school, which was constructed to handle 1,400 students, already is using portable classrooms to house about 2,500 students.

The district is planning to build a second high school on LaBrucherie Road, north of Interstate 8, but a lack of funds in the state school construction budget has held up construction.

20 years ago

HOLTVILLE — Another successful Rib Cook-Off came to a close Sunday afternoon here, and with it so did another Holtville Carrot Festival.

Holt Park overflowed with rib lovers who put away more than 2 tons of ribs by 2 p.m.

Visitors who got to the cook-off after the ribs ran out had to settle for some of the trimmings — rice, beans, salad, vegetables and rolls.

Dean Hayes and Bill Bruggema, both of Lakeside, have entered the cook-off for five years.

“It’s the most hospitable contest we go to,” said Bruggema.

“Everybody here is just fabulous,” said Hayes. “If it is not fun, I don’t want to do it.”