STORIES FROM THE PAST

50 years ago

Raymond Alvarado isn’t very big, standing just 5-foot-9 and weighing just 140 pounds, but during the last football season Ray looked like a giant to many offensive stars as he was cutting them down to size with vicious tackles from his defensive back position.

Not only did he make touchdown-stopping tackles, but he broke up many scoring passes by sticking his hand in the path of a long pass before the would-be receiver could get a part of the football.

For his efforts, Ray was selected to the All-Imperial Valley League football team as a defensive back.

But he topped all previous high school honors at the annual Calexico-Elks Athletic Awards banquet.

Alvarado was named the Most Valuable Athlete of the school year. His name goes on a permanent trophy displayed at the school, and he was presented with a trophy for his own safekeeping.

Former Calexico great, Danny Villanueva presented the award to Ray.

Villanueva has played several seasons in the National Football League with the Dallas Cowboys and has been a place-kicking artist.

40 years ago

Authoritative predictions about the effect passage of the Jarvis-Gann Initiative would have on county government run the gamut from minimal to absolute catastrophe.

While the county administrative office states that government can continue with little more than belt-tightening measures despite Proposition 13, some supervisors believe massive cutbacks will be absolutely necessary just to break even.

And at least one supervisor has been highly critical of the Board of Supervisors for failing to make contingency plans to meet the impending disaster.

And with this backdrop, the proposed county budget for 19781979 will be unveiled Tuesday, while the fate of Proposition 13 and the county’s future funding will be decided at the polls.

30 years ago

Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, Regional Water Quality Control Board and the state fire marshal are scheduled to examine the site of a chemical fire at the Stoker Chemical Company today to determine what action need be taken for cleanup and to ascertain the cause and origin of the fire that caused more than $427,000 in damage.

But even that may not be enough for Roger Redd, who lives in a mobile home 200 yards downwind of the site, to want to go back to his home.

Redd told the county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday he would like a written authorization from the Environmental Health Agency before he enters his home.

“I don’t want to go in and die two months later from cancer,” Redd said. “The wind goes directly over my house.”

Dr. Lee Cottrell, count environmental health director, said no one from his agency has visited the home personally, but said staff members told Redd a thorough dusting and changing of air conditioner filters would be enough to make the house safe.

20 years ago

The El Centro City Council will be discussing at its bi-monthly meeting Wednesday a suggestion that the city submit an unsolicited proposal to U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to operate a 200-bed detention center for women and children.

The city would be contracted with INS through a sub-contract with Correctional Systems Inc.

Should the proposal be submitted and accepted, the city would benefit by the creation of 40 new jobs in the community and an economic benefit of about $3.4 million of new revenue, according to a letter submitted to city staff from Correctional Systems Inc.

The detention center would be created at the site of a former labor camp on Dannenberg Road between Highway 86 and Dogwood Road, which is being used illegally by homeless people.