Pages past - Sept. 28

On this date ...

1977: The West Team of the Clovis Police Department was settling into its new "neighborhood police" headquarters at the Clovis apartments at 1000 Thomas, and had scheduled an open house with local residents.

Members of the team included Joe Casarez, Det. Keith Crooks, Sam Elliston, Robert Farley, Mike Ferguson, John Gallegos, Randy Merrick, Doug Miller, Gary Mitchell, Clay Morris, Lt. Harold Russell, Sgt. Fred Smith, and Bob Steltzer.

1962: In a mix-up enabled by similar ignition keys, Clovis superintendent of schools Travis Stovall came out to find his blue Ford missing as he left the Department of Education Building.

Instead he found the brown Ford normally used for driver training. A little detective work solved the case: Driver's education students inadvertently moved Stovall's car to Clovis High School, where it was then used by Tom Jinks, a CHS coach who took Stovall's car to Las Cruces where his team had a game.

Jinks, it was reported, was surprised when he went to add gasoline and was unable to unlock the gas tank cap, so had to have it removed and replaced.

Stovall took a "great deal of ribbing over the incident," according to the Clovis News-Journal, but aside from the need of a new gas tank lock, "no harm was done."

Pages Past is compiled by Betty Williamson. Contact her at: [email protected]