STORIES FROM THE PAST
50 years ago
Herbert C. Melin, former operator of the Imperial Valley Memorial Cemetery, has been arrested on grand theft charges.
The California Highway Patrol arrested Melin in Descanso yesterday afternoon shortly after he was indicted by the Imperial County Grand Jury.
He is presently in San Diego County Jail and will be transferred to Imperial County Jail today unless he manages to raise $12,500 bail.
District Attorney James Hamilton explained this morning that the indictment was the result of investigation into the cemetery’s records by the state Cemetery Board and by the office of State Attorney General Thomas Lynch.
Hamilton said that the matter came to his official attention last May by James Lahey, executive secretary of the Cemetery Board. Lahey, in turn, had been urged to investigate by Assemblyman Victor Veysey, who had been looking into the affairs of the cemetery since Melin closed it in January, 1967.
40 years ago
The caliber of competition at most Valley high schools is such, the lone objective for the Central High School girls’ softball team to point for in exhibition play is to try and help pitchers fire no-hit efforts.
The Spartans achieved the goal again Wednesday, the third time this season hurlers haven’t given up a hit. This time the victims were the Imperial Tigers.
Coach Otto Low used Karen Jungers and Sally Ritter against the girls from Tiger Country in the exhibition clash. The final run totals gave Central an 18-0 triumph.
Game officials stopped the action after five innings. Central put together a 12-run eruption in the top of the fifth and the Tigers had little chance of catching up.
30 years ago
About 70,000 acres of previously unclassified land managed by the U.S. Navy has been classified and will be jointly managed by the Navy and the Bureau of Land Management, said Ben Koski, BLM local area manager.
“We are working with the Navy to manage the land,” said Koski. “The Navy cannot manage the land like we can,” hence the cooperation, he said. “It is a lot more economical for the government if we do it.”
The classified land is in the Superstition Mountains, he added.
“A section in West Mesa was classified as larger intensive areas making them open to off-highway vehicles,” said Koski. About 13,000 acres was open to users.
20 years ago
HOLTVILLE — For a pitcher throwing on six days rest, Hector Torres showed no signs of rustiness.
Had there been any need for an oil can, the Holtville High right hander needed to look no further for assistance than all around him.
Torres threw a no-hitter and got plenty of offensive support as the Viking exploded for 10 runs and pounded out 12 hits en route to an easy 10.0 five inning victory over visiting Julian Tuesday afternoon.
Holtville jumped out early, scoring seven times in its first at bat before Torres took over.
“That helped me a lot in what he was doing, “Torres said. “I never expected to throw a no-hitter and I just felt like I always do throwing strikes.