STORIES FROM THE PAST

50 years ago

In April 1969, the “Jet Set” clothing manufacturing in Los Angeles established as assembling plant in Calexico for a line of clothes, “Valle Verde Sportswear.”

Pieces were shipped from Los Angeles to the Calexico plant where they were finished for sale to clothing buyer. The Valle Verde line became part of “Jet Set” collection of women’s outer coats.

The present plant now set up in the old T.C. Worthy warehouse on McKinley Street has been so successful that plans for a new facility have been disclosed with Calexico, according to Miguel Arana, Calexico plant manager.

Recently, Arana outlined the proposal for erection of a $70,000 building adjacent to the American Legion softball field. The present facility includes only assembling of pre-cut items, but the new facility will include not only the cutting and the assembling but also a shipping department for direct contact with buyers.

But agreements with the city have not been forthcoming, said Arana.

“A proposal was presented to the city some time ago that included a 10-year lease with options to buy. All we need is a price to begin the legal forces rolling to finalize plans,” Arana said.

40 years ago

You could hardly call it an “overnight success” but almost 20 years after its “first big break,” Holtville again has a part in a motion picture.

Last time it played the part of a small town where a couple of itinerant crop dusters fight the forces of evil (“No Place to Land”). This time the city, and spots around the Valley, will be portraying Tijuana.

That’s the name of the movie, according to Lewis Bacon, manager of the Brawley Chamber of Commerce, acting as liaison for a movie company. He did not name the movie company.

The movie likely will start in January, he said. The movie company will spend a week in Holtville, a month in the Valley, including time in Calexico, he said. It will use local actors and be on the lookout for 1962 automobiles.

The warehouse behind the Modern Market in Holtville will be disguised as a “tuck and rill” (upholstery) shop. The city park will be a Tijuana park. A plaster statue or two may be added to give it a Mexican look.

Bacon Monday asked the city’s permission to allow the movie company to film in Holtville. All of the park scenes will be done at night, he said, and it may be necessary to block off a street to keep post 1963 cars from the view of camera.

The council took no formal action but it did not seem adverse to the idea. Among other spots in the Valley to be in the movie is scrap metal yard at Highway 80 and 111.

“They love the junkyard,” said Bacon.

Calexico also will figure prominently in the movie. In fact, said Bacon, the film is being postponed until January so that Christmas lights will be down and Calexico streets may be filmed. Local people will be hired as extras, Bacon said. So far, the movie has not been cast.

30 years ago

It has been little more than a year now that radio KUBO has been fusing over the airwaves the cultural sounds that define the Imperial and Mexicali valleys.

Better known as Radio Sin Fronteras or “radio without borders,” KUBO transmits an amalgam of musical sounds, ideas and thoughts that range from mariachi and salsa, to jazz and classical, to political and community affairs talk shows.

Established in April 1989 with the financial support of Fresno’s KSJV-Radio Bilingue, KUBO was intended to eventually stand on its own with the support of the community. But that hasn’t happened yet, said administrators in Fresno.

In an attempt to get needed financial support from Valley residents, KUBO has taken on the challenge of expanding its programming in an effort to gain broader appeal in the community.

Attracting more listeners perhaps will bring in more financial support from business and public service organizations, said Station Director Raul Silva.

Having a limited budget, however, KUBO has not been able to attract the larger variety of listeners it seeks. The origins of community radio are tooted in the philosophy that people of all sectors of the community should have access to the media and its programming. KUBO is taking the concept on step further by trying to break down cultural barriers within the Imperial Valley and between the United States and Mexico by creating the stage for cultural fusion.

20 years ago

Two days after police officers here said they are scaling back services in a conflict over salaries, City Manager Jerry Santillan said he plan to request the City Council have a special meeting on the issue next week.

The council was not set to meet until Sept. 5. Santillan does not have the authority to call a special meeting but will request a meeting to discuss the actions of police officers.

Those actions include officers asking that the courts declare Brawley’s budget for the current fiscal year invalid. The actions also include scaling back duties so that officers only respond to emergency situations and do not provide services such as taking reports on non-injury accidents, responding to reports of loud parties and other nuisances and giving traffic citations.

Officers have said city officials have not met in good faith for salary negotiations and until city officials do so, the scaling back of duties will continue. They said when the city passed a budget that included 3-percent salary increases for employees, the city effectively closed the door on negotiations.