STORIES FROM THE PAST
50 years ago
Decision by Imperial city officials to annex the commercial area along Highway 86 south of the California Mid-Winter Fairgrounds and Aten Road appears to rest upon the opinions of the property owners.
At a special council meeting last night the annexation proposal was outlined by Mayor Victor Barioni.
Most of the property owners present seemed favorable but several said they felt more information on costs and advantages was needed.
Barioni said the city could provide water at $5 a month and also free trash collection, sewer service as well as fire and police protection. Annexation to the city with better fire and police protection would bring lower insurance rates, he said.
40 years ago
San Diego Gas & Electric Co.’s proposal to build the Sundesert Nuclear Plant near Palo Verde came under heavy attack Friday as opponents argued it could contaminate the Colorado River and would take land and water from farmers.
Ten of the 12 persons to speak during the state Energy Commission hearing Friday at the airport on SDG&E’s notice of intent argued against the project.
Both formal intervenors in the case, including Imperial County, also opposed the project.
30 years ago
JACUMBA — U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested two men and seized a record 1,285 pounds of cocaine here Monday after two vehicles tripped ground sensors placed alongside a known smuggling route between the U.S. and Mexico.
The cocaine, with an estimated wholesale value of $57 million, was stuffed into cabinets in the bed of a pickup truck stopped by Border Patrol agents at the Interstate 8 westbound on-ramp.
Agents arrested the driver of a van, believed to be a scout vehicle, and the driver of the pickup. Alan Eliason, chief patrol agent for the San Diego sector, said the bust was the largest to date along the California-Mexico border.
20 years ago
CALEXICO — David Ballesteros, dean of San Diego State University-Imperial Valley campus, announced during a faculty meeting this week that he has changed his mind and will not be resigning in two years as he stated in July.
Ballesteros also told faculty members he would agree to have a job performance review. The review is scheduled to begin this fall.
Ballesteros’ announcement came less than two months after former SDSU President Thomas B. Day issued a letter to campus faculty, staff and the community advisory board stating Ballesteros would resign July 31, 1998. Day wrote the letter just four days before his own resignation as SDSU’s president became effective after 18 years with the university.
Stephen L. Weber replaced Day in July.
SDSU officials said Ballesteros originally planned to resign for personal reasons and because of his allegiance to Day, but Ballesteros said this morning he decided to stay on because he would like to work with Weber and implement several new programs at the campus, including an international business institute.