Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
On this date ...
1941: Clovis city commissioners reminded residents that bicycles were not allowed on sidewalks.
The fine for violating the city ordinance was $1 to $10 and commissioners warned violators would be hauled into court.
1942: A Bovina farmer had witnessed the enlistment of three of his sons into the U.S. Coast Guard.
Earl Bates and J. R. Bates of Clovis and R. L. Bates of Friona had enlisted in Amarillo after resigning from their civilian jobs.
Earl was a teacher in the Eugene Field school in Clovis. J. R. worked at the Stone Elevator in Clovis. R. L. was a teacher in Friona.
“I’m proud of my boys,” B. B. Bates said. “And I’m proud they are in the service.”
B. B. Bates had lived in the Bovina area since 1916. He was the father of eight sons.
1950: The first showing of 1951 Kaiser model vehicles was coming soon to the Bob Whitley dealership at 1201 Main in Clovis.
Four-door sedans were scheduled to arrive in two days.
1961: Clovis residents were debating whether they should shell out $883,217 to pave 165 city blocks.
Some said costs were too high, while others said they did not think paving would improve the streets.
Mrs. John Lesly, who lived in the 800 block of Cameo, said that street was fine “until the city tore it up to lay a sanitary sewer line and just threw it back together.”
But Edward Verell, who lived on Tennessee Street, said he was “entitled to have paved streets in front of my house,” and he wanted more paved streets in town.
About 1,700 property owners were being asked to fund the paving project.
1965: Gertrude Hopper, 85, of Pleasant Hill was named Curry County Mother of the Year.
She and her husband of 64 years had lived in the area for 33 years. They had one daughter.
Hopper was nominated for the award by her 17-year-old great-grandson, Mike Spearman of Clovis.
1968: After two years of planning, a new post office building was under construction in Elida.
The 27-by-27-foot building was budgeted at $4,700, including the parking lot, sidewalk, ramps, and mailing platform.
An Oklahoma City contractor was putting up the new structure on the southeast corner of the town square on land originally owned by the Irvin Nunn family.
The Elida Post Office had operated out of the ground floor of the Odd Fellow building since 1933, but was expected to move to the new facility in July.
1971: Two Eastern New Mexico University students, trying to raise money for cancer research, were recovering from injuries suffered in a vehicle accident.
Michael Scott Foster of Lovington and Tom Frazier of Mount Lebanon, Pa., were riding in a slow-moving pickup when it was hit by a car traveling the 65 mph speed limit on U.S. 84 about 5 miles east of Clovis.
The pickup was following students in a wheelchair, trying to attract attention for the fundraiser.
Frazier was treated and released from Clovis Memorial Hospital soon after the mishap. Foster was hospitalized overnight for bruises and abrasions.
1975: Three more business owners had applied for liquor licenses in Portales, bringing to 14 the number of applicants since voters approved alcohol sales a month earlier.
Latest applicants included owners of the University Lounge at 224 W. Second, VIP Lounge planned for 1311 South Ave. D, and El Paisano Lodge and Package store, planned for 312 N. Ave. B.
State officials said licenses were not expected to be issued until August.
1976: About 550 Clovis High School seniors were expected to participate in May 24 graduation exercises at Rock Staubus gymnasium.
Class members chose four speakers for a “Spirit of 76” theme: Sarah Dalbom, Lemuel Green, Susie Kinyon and Steve Madrid.
1988: A year after they had added a gangly flock of ostriches to their farm in Rogers, Barry and Becky Walker were profiled in a feature in the Clovis News-Journal.
The Walkers added the leggy birds as a supplement to the more traditional crops of wheat and milo they had raised for years.
"I have orders for all I can produce and then some," Barry Walker said, noting that prices for the birds had doubled in the last year. Eight-week-old ostrich chicks were valued at $1,200, and grown laying adults were fetching $15,000 to $30,000 apiece.
1989: In local sports news:
• Bill Hill had recently scored a hole-in-one on the Farwell Country Club’s 161-yard seventh hole. Hill used a seven iron for his ace. Bill Cole, Bill Schilling, Joan Boney and Chris Fontanilla witnessed the shot.
• Jay Draper of Melrose had set a Class A state record in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:01.41. He broke the mark of 2:02.5 set in 1980.
• Matt McGaughey of Fort Sumner had won gold in the Class A state track meet’s pole vault. He cleared 13 feet, a foot higher than runner-up Shane Drake, also of Fort Sumner.
Pages Past is compiled by David Stevens and Betty Williamson. Contact:
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