Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
On this date …
1947: The Bryson-Tanner Furniture Co., at 410 Main in Clovis, claimed “A new year calls for new things for your home” in a paid advertisement.
A space-saving folding bed was on sale for $29.50.
“Reflector type” floor lamps were $19.50 to $32.50.
Platform rockers were $49.50.
1948: A newspaper ad claimed a medical test had “proved” Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound was a “great way to relieve ‘periodic’ female pains.” A spokeswoman declared, “It’s grand, girls!”
1955: La Fonda Drive In Theatre offered a double feature — “Fallen Angel,” starring Alice Faye and Dana Andrews, and “Key Largo,” starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Adults were admitted for 50 cents.
1959: Clovis city officials claimed at least 500,000 people visited Hillcrest Park and zoo annually and that 70 percent of cars at the park had out-of-state license plates. Efforts were under way to improve the zoo’s animal pens, which had been built in 1932 with Works Progress Administration assistance.
1962: Movies at local theaters included Frank Capra’s “Pocketful of Miracles,” “The Guns of Navarone,” starring Gregory Peck and “Spartacus,” starring Kirk Douglas.
Movie tickets were a quarter for kids and 60 cents for adults.
1963: A “fierce cold front” moving south out of the Rockies sent area residents scurrying for their warmest wraps. The morning began with a temperature reading 1 below zero in Clovis. The day prior had seen a high temperature of 57 degrees.
The United States Weather Bureau classified the storm as a “near blizzard” with 20-mph winds whipping light, powdery snow into drifts throughout the state.
1965: The Water Rights for New Mexico Landowners Association was preparing to fight the Portales Valley Project, which desired to drill 197 wells on 96 sections of land northeast of Portales. Some of the land in question was owned by ranchers and farmers in Curry and three other New Mexico counties, the Clovis News-Journal reported.
1965: About 200 people attended the annual Melrose Chamber of Commerce Banquet. Mayor C.B. Myers was named citizen of the year and praised as “the man behind the progress of Melrose.” Clovis Chamber of Commerce Manager Bob Spencer was the guest speaker, telling the community that most Clovis residents supported Melrose efforts to fight off school consolidation proposals. “We think the folks in Melrose know better what the Melrose schools needs are than anyone else,” he said.
1967: A man and two boys were killed when a small plane crashed near the Texas-New Mexico line.
James Harold Norton, 28, the plane’s pilot, was killed, along with his son, James Jr., 8, and Russell Langford, 7.
All three victims were from the Farwell area.
The plane crashed near the Nortons’ Parmer County home.
The Clovis News-Journal reported Norton had received his pilot’s license about a week before the accident.
1967: A Clovis school board member expressed concern about a deluge of federal programs infiltrating the Clovis school system. “Every time a federal program comes out we jump on it … one of these days they’re going to own us,” said Dan Hardisty.
His remarks came after the school’s cafeteria director asked the board to approve a pilot project under the Child Nutrition Act to serve breakfast to “economically deprived” students in three Clovis schools. The federal government had approved $37,000 for the project in New Mexico.
“When are they going to serve supper?” Hardisty asked. Then he made a motion to approve the program, which passed unanimously.
1973: Hy-Tones Music Studios at 1614 Main in Clovis was “Your sacred music center,” offering sheet music, tapes and records, according to an advertisement on the Clovis News-Journal’s church page.
1974: Clovis city commissioners took steps toward acquiring additional land for expansion at Clovis Municipal Airport and appointing an airport zoning board. Lack of zoning at the airport was holding up funding from the Federal Aviation Administration, city officials said. Area property owners had opposed zoning because it would set limits on heights of obstructions.
1975: A Clovis man suffered two broken legs and multiple facial lacerations in a farm accident four miles north of Farwell. Manuel Martinez, 43, of 404 Johnson St., was crushed between a pickup and combine while picking corn, witnesses said. He was rushed to Memorial Hospital in Clovis by Farwell ambulance driver Smokey Gast.
1978: Local Girl Scout leaders were gearing up for the annual Girl Scout cookie campaign, which was set to kick off at the end of the month.
Eastern New Mexico neighborhood leaders met to sample cookies and plot their strategy for the sale.
Marilyn Wilson was the district cookie coordinator. Cheryl Fisher represented the Portales neighborhoods, while Clovis representatives included Betty Huggins (Cameo, James Bickley, Zia, Parkview, Lockwood, and Sacred Heart areas), Carolyn Johnson (Cannon Air Force Base), and Diane Smith (La Casita, Bella Vista, Lincoln-Jackson, Sandia, Highland, Berry, and the three Clovis junior highs).
1983: The Melrose Chamber of Commerce had honored a number of its local citizens at its annual banquet.
Mary Lou Bagwell was named Citizen of the Year, and Ed Estes received the Work Horse award.
Melrose Mayor Lonnie Daniel and his city council were cited for outstanding achievement, while Bruce Carter, Twila Wade, Melissa Misch, and Dennis Smith were given special recognition.
Grady Bright was named outstanding business person, and Thelma Rogers received the president’s award.
Former Melrose resident Austin Brooks delivered a humorous keynote address.
Pages Past is compiled by David Stevens. Contact:
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