STORIES FROM THE PAST
50 years ago
One man’s pleasure often is another man’s sorrow. Brawley wrestling coach Jack Gifford is enjoying the Imperial Valley League season thus far, but the rest of the coaches are finding it less than pleasant.
With only two league matches remaining, both against the Calexico Bulldogs, Brawley has been showing the same strength it had last year when it took the California Interscholastic Federation.
Central and Holtville were the Wildcats latest opponents and neither will look upon the matches with fond memories. The Vikings were blanked, 48-0, and the Spartans came away on the short end of a 41-11 count.
Ken Hamilton, Lance Burfield and Bill Beard scored pin victories to pace the Wildcats to the victory in the Holtville encounter that was made somewhat easier when the Vikings forfeited three matches.
Beard and Gil Mendez notched pin wins in the match with Central that also was helped along by four Spartan forfeits. Central managed to pick up three wins overall.
In the feature match of the night, Virgil Chappell of Brawley and Matt Littrell of Central battled to a 2-2 draw in the heavyweight ranks.
40 years ago
Visiting Superior Court Judge Ed Butler Friday turned down an Agricultural Labor Relations Board injunctive relief request to stop struck Valley growers from paying the “going seasonal rate” to strikebreakers.
The decision, following a long hearing, represents one of the more significant victories for the growers in the strike and could be a determining factor in the length of the strike, which is a year old today.
Judge Butler called it one of the most complex cases and the “toughest” decision he’s had to make in recent years.
The injunction request came after growers struck by the United Farm Workers increased pay to their strikebreaking employees just prior to opening the harvest season. They wanted to ensure a steady workforce throughout the strike.
The increase is in line with the industry-wide increase in pay established in August when SunHarvest Inc., signed a UFW contract. Remaining unsigned growers contend they have no qualms with the basic economic issues stipulated in the SunHarvest contract and the union’s demands, but cannot come to terms with non-economic demands they feel leaves them powerless before the union.
After the growers hiked the pay to attract strikebreakers, the UFW countered with an unfair labor practice complaints to the ALRB. The board found merit in its complaints, based on National Labor Relations Board precedent.
The union maintain that increasing wages while companies are involved in bargaining activities slows down the bargaining process. Union officials said growers aren’t as likely to feel the pinch of legitimate union bargaining tactics.
Through the ALRB’s administrative process, a decision on the matter will take months, so the ALRB went to Superior Court last month to seek an injunction which would force growers to “rollback” ages.
ALRB attorney Barbara Dudley argued that immediate relief was needed since the harvest season would end in Imperial Valley before the ALRB could complete its administrative process on the matter.
30 years ago
CALIPATRIA — Call it Hornets-Tigers I, battle of the heavyweights in Desert League boys’ basketball.
In one corner, the defending San Diego Section champion Calipatria High, which hasn’t lost to Imperial on its home court in the last four years. In the other corner, Imperial, which claimed the Desert League title last season although losing twice to Calipatria.
And like any good title fight, the momentum shifted back and forth until the fourth quarter, when the Hornets supplied the knockout punch. Calipatria limited Imperial to only four points in the fourth quarter and won, 52-40.
“The game was a must win for us because it was in our gym,” said Calipatria coach Wallace Williams. “If you can’t win in your own gym, how can you expect to win in someone else’s? But I expected a close game.”
And through the first three quarters, it was just that. The lead changed hands seven times, and until the Hornets went on a 15-1 run early in the fourth quarter, no team had led by more than six points.
In the fourth quarter, however, the Tigers were limited to only one basket and two free throws — all by C.P. Pitones — and attempted only 10 shots. The Hornets’ defense forced four straight turnovers midway through the quarter to turn a 36-33 deficit into a 41-36 lead.
“We gave them the basketball game,” said Imperial coach Kerry Legarra. “That’s all there is to it. Only thing I told them is that ‘Hey, you guys gave it to them. They’re not a better basketball team that you are.’”