STORIES FROM THE PAST
50 years ago
The merging of Desert Air Conditioning, El Centro, with University Mechanical and Engineering Contractors Inc. — under that name — has been announced here by Sam Gaddis, former owner of the local firm. The announcement was made in San Diego by Richard B. Huntington, executive vice president of the San Diego-based firm.
Desert Air Conditioning was one of the older air conditioning firms in the Valley. Sam Gaddis, the former owner, will remain with the new enterprise as sales manager and engineer. Clint Gaddis, who has been a service engineer with the University’s Imperial Valley operation this past year, will be service manager. “Augie” Miranda, a service engineer with Desert Air Conditioning for 10 years, will continue, while Mel Randolph has been added as a heating and air conditioning serviceman. The sheet metal shop is remaining under lease to Max Jackman and Wayne Gaddis.
The exclusive franchise for Arkla Gas Air Conditioning equipment will be retained, as will Feddeers Heating and Air Conditioning equipment. University will also offer to the resident of Imperial Valley Lennox and Payne-Day and Night equipment.
University is one of the 15 largest mechanical contractors in the United States. The main office is located at 4464 Alvarado Canyon Road, San Diego. In addition, the firm has offices and facilities in Escondido, Orange County, and Oakland, as well as Portland, Ore. and Tucson, Ariz. During 1969, University completed approximately $21 million in contracts.
40 years ago
A grocer in Bay City, Mich., had a few words of advice for an El Centro woman.
“Tell her to be more careful with her purse,” he wrote.
The unidentified grocer found the purse when he unpacked a box of Joe Maggio broccoli which had been shipped from Holtville.
He sent the purse to the Bay City police who contacted the El Centro Police Department.
ECPD located Mrs. Josefina Zamarano, of El Centro, who identified the purse, and explained how it must have made its way to Bay City.
Mrs. Zamarano explained that when she went to work at Maggio’s Jan. 30 where she works in the broccoli, she put her small clutch type bag into an empty box under the “skid” or belt.
At the end of the day, the box and the purse were gone, she said.
A week later the Bay City police reported the purse had been found. It arrived Friday at the El Centro station.
According to the note from the grocer, the purse contained $70.29, and he deducted $3.60 for postage and insurance, leaving 66.69. The money was there, and so was the free advice.
30 years ago
CALEXICO — Mayor Victor Legaspi was clearly a proud politician Tuesday as he greeted some of the more than 200 guests who gathered at the De Anza Hotel to witness the signing of document establishing a sister cities relationship between Calexico and Ching-Shui, Republic of China.
“This is really going to put Calexico on the map,” Legaspi said, moments before the ceremony began. “I was interviewed this morning by some Taiwanese reporters and then they rushed off to broadcast their report for the evening news in Taiwan.”
Legaspi and several other Calexico officials visited Ching-Shui in October after the City Council passed a resolution establishing a sister cities relationship with that city. But the relationship was not formalized until the mayors of each city signed the official documents on Tuesday.
The luncheon ceremony included numerous exchanges of plaques and speeches by local and Taiwanese officials thanking one each other for establishing the new bond.
“The world could take a lesson in friendly relations from the Taiwanese,” Legaspi said in his address to the Ching-Shui delegation.
“I’m sure the bonds of sister cities between Calexico and Ching-Shui will last forever. ... Your presence here brings the Republic of China a little closer to America, and to Calexico.”
Ching-Shui Mayor Tzu Hsiung Hsu delivered his speech in his native Chinese. Speaking through an interpreter, he thanked Calexico officials for their hospitality, and presented the city with a statue of a horse, since 1990 is the Chinese year of the horse.
In an interview, Hsu said Ching-Shui decided to establish the sister cities relationship partly because Ching-Shui companies already have manufacturing operations in Mexicali and are interested in establishing related industrial operations in Calexico.