Pages past — March 22

On this date …link

1975: Medical reports showed two Iranian students attending Eastern New Mexico University died March 13 from carbon monoxide poisoning. Seyed Moshen Ariarad, 31, and Ebrahim Karimi, 27, were found dead on the bedroom floor of Karimi’s home at 1519 W. 17th St. in Portales. Officials said a friend found them earlier passed out on the floor in the living room, thought they were drunk, and summoned more friends to move them to the bedroom. The graduate students were found dead eight hours later. Tests showed “a concentration of carbon monoxide” was found in Karimi’s car, and officials theorized that may have been the source of the poisoning. Their bodies were being flown to Tehran, Iran.

1960: Lions Clubs in Portales and Elida were preparing to celebrate the opening of a new gym at Elida High School. Both clubs had formed basketball teams and would play each other at the gym’s dedication on March 24. Players included Bill Tinsley, Pete Jones, Pat Patterson and B.B. Lees.

1950: Portales’ community-financed hotel was scheduled to be built on the Carr-Jones property at the corner of Union and Nevada streets, next to Hobbs Chevrolet. A $20,000 contract for the purchase of the property had been signed. Estimates to build the hotel were at $400,000. About $240,000 had already been paid, though 12 subscribers were behind in payments, The Portales Daily News reported.

In state news ...

1955: Gov. John Simms announced he would not sign a bill that would have built a youth reformatory in Quay County. Simms cited cost as his primary concern. The proposed institution’s price tag was $650,000.

Their business …

1960: Portales National Bank reported it had deposits totaling more than $4 million. Douglas Stone was bank president. Directors were Lewis Cooper, Frances Hatch, T.E. Mears, T.E. Mears Jr., and Stone.

Pages Past is compiled by Editor David Stevens. Contact him at:

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