Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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On this date … 1835: Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the pseudonym Mark Twain for nearly 50 years, was born in Florida, Mo. He was born shortly after an appearance of Hailey’s Comet and famously predicted he would go out with it as well. Clemens died in Redding, Conn., in 1910, the day after the comet made its closest approach to Earth. He was still working on his autobiography, PBS.org reports. 1952: A letter to Santa Claus was published in the Clovis News-Journal from 3-y...
On this date ... 1962: Terry Stovall, 14, had received the Eagle Scout award, the first Clovis scout to earn the honor in 1962. A court of honor ceremony was held at Kingswood Methodist Church. “The Eagle Scout rank is the highest award attainable and only about one percent of Boy Scouts achieve this rank,” the Clovis News-Journal reported. In other scouting news, Chad Lydick and Tom Black had received their “Life” badges. A minimum of 21 badges were required for recepti...
On this date … 1977: Anyone needing something to do on Thanksgiving Day was in luck – dining, movies and shopping were all available. Clovis’ Holiday Inn offered a Thanksgiving buffet for $3.75 per person, Sambo’s Restaurant had a turkey dinner special for $2.95, while the Clovis Hotel Restaurant Buffet featured a Thursday special of turkey and dressing or baked ham with wine sauce for $3.50 Holiday movies included “The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training,” “Oh, God,” starrin...
On this date ... 1972: An early morning fire caused close to $10,000 in damage at the Thunderbird No. 2 restaurant at 221 Prince in Clovis. A police officer reported smelling smoke in the area about 1:30 a.m. but was unable to locate signs of a fire. The fire was located about 2 a.m. and police officers battled the blaze with fire extinguishers until firefighters arrived, the Clovis News-Journal reported. Fire Chief Joe Maddox said the fire started near deep fryers in the...
The year’s not over, but one political award of shame for 2022 has been locked up already. In the category of “most disrespectful public official,” the honor goes to Curry County Commission Chair Chet Spear whose smart mouth on Tuesday targeted Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce President Robyn Snowberger. Spear was unhappy that Chamber Executive Director Ernie Kos had not shown up in person to ask for a donation to the annual Clovis Music Festival. Kos was on speak...
On this date … 1967: A Racine, Wis., man had won the fourth annual sandhill crane hunt sponsored by the Muleshoe Jaycees. William Pugh’s crane weighed 8 pounds, 7 ounces. Two other hunters, including another Wisconsin man, also bagged cranes that weighed more than 8 pounds. “We feel that the hunt was successful and hunters came from throughout this area with the two Wisconsin winners traveling the farthest distance to participate,” said Jaycee Bob Stovall. Hunt Chairma...
On this date ... 1952: Three Roosevelt County businesses had been hit by burglars, but the only significant loss was $40 from a Portales farm supply store’s cash drawer, soft drink and candy dispensers. An Elida service station reported two old automobile batteries were missing, but new batteries were left behind. The service station was also missing a gallon of milk. A Roosevelt County Sheriff’s deputy said it wasn’t clear if the three burglaries were related. Pages Past...
On this date ... 1987: The staff at Ellison’s Too Hair Salon was preparing for its grand opening. Discounts of 20% were offered on cuts and styles. Staff included Ellison Green, Barbara Marshall, Rudy Garcia, Day Beevers, Clint McIntosh, Karen Prichard, Debi Elmore and mascot Harry Hair. Ellison’s Too was located at 128 W. 21st in Clovis. Pages Past is compiled by David Stevens. Contact: [email protected]...
On this date … 1967: The Clovis Evening Lions Club had raised flags in the city in memory of Cpl. David Stoll, who had recently been killed in Vietnam. Lions Club President Harry Smith said the club had voted to fly the flags on the day of memorial services or funeral services held for any Clovis youth killed in Vietnam. Stoll’s service was the first since the club voted to raise the flags. Stoll died Oct. 27, 1967, “through hostile action, small arms fire,” according to hono...
It's been decades since reports have been widespread. But for half a century, downtown Clovis was haunted by ghostly apparitions, heart-stopping screams and midnight mysteries. Hundreds -- sometimes thousands -- of ordinary, working people reported witnessing the frightening events. Newspapers documented much of them as well. A 1935 Clovis Evening News-Journal report warned of "table raising ... ghostly spirit slate writing ... talking skulls." The ghosts, the newspaper...
Eastern New Mexico University on Sunday will formally announce five finalists for its chancellor/president position. The finalists are: • Bruno Hicks, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dalton State College • James Johnston, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Midwestern State University • Gary Ligouri, Founding Dean, College of Health Sciences, University of Rhode Island • Larry Sanderson, Vice President of Institutional Research and Accreditation, New Mexico Junior College • James Williams, Senior...
It’s been 30 months since Jeff Elwell officially and mysteriously resigned as chancellor at Eastern New Mexico University. The search for his long-term successor has been just as mysterious with allegations of impropriety coming from a regent early in the process. And last week it became stranger still. Five “finalists” for the job were selected by a search committee, but taxpayers still don’t know who they are. Secret keeping at ENMU in 1988 helped lead to a new state l...
A business license application -- aimed at abortion clinic operators -- and compliance with a “years-old” federal law are the key points of a proposed ordinance Clovis city commissioners will be asked to adopt on Nov. 3. City Attorney Jared Morris said last week that “years-old” law is the Comstock Act. It was passed in 1873. Just so we’re all clear, activists led by Mark Lee Dickson from Longview, Texas, want Clovis to become a “sanctuary city for the unborn.” City official...
On this date ... 1957: Two Clovis men had been acquitted on charges they’d been selling alcoholic beverages without a license. The men had been arrested “following a raid on the Alpha & Omega Club south of Clovis,” the Clovis News-Journal reported. “Considerable quantities of beer and assorted whiskey, gin, crème de menthe and other liquors were taken and brought into court for state exhibits.” The newspaper reported jurors initially voted 9-3 for conviction, but three hour...
On this date … 1972: The First National Bank of Muleshoe had compiled the region’s first freeze dates from 1950 to 1971. The earliest freeze in those 22 years occurred Oct. 7, in 1951 and 1952. The latest first freeze occurred Nov. 20, 1964. Temperatures across eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle were the coolest this fall over the weekend. But temperatures did not drop below 40 degrees and they’re not expected to fall below 40 for at least another week. The Farme...
On this date ... 1972: Rumors of bomb scares at Eastern New Mexico University had been “greatly exaggerated,” according to the head of the college’s security force. George Reynolds said ENMU had received only one recent bomb threat. That one had been phoned in to one of the women’s dormitories and, after a search, was “proved fruitless.” Jeane Dixon, an American psychic, had made a prediction there would be “mass murder” on a campus in west Texas or eastern New Mexico. Rey...
On this date … 1957: Camille Vohs had been honored as Woman of the Year by the Clovis Business and Professional Women’s Club. The purpose of the award was to recognize outstanding women in the community who had also been active in business or professional fields, the Clovis News-Journal reported. Vohs “is well known in Clovis and surrounding communities as a woman who gives tirelessly and selflessly to the advancement and progress of the community to which she belon...
If you’re looking for ways to mistreat a college president, look no further than Clovis-Portales. We’re pretty good at it. At Eastern New Mexico University, the ever-loyal Patrice Caldwell remains chancellor, the position she accepted only after the sudden – and still curious – departure of Jeff Elwell, ENMU’s 10th president, in 2020. Her plan was to retire that summer after 40 years as a dedicated faculty member and vice president, but she stepped up on request in hopes of en...
On this date ... 1962: Sophomore linebacker Earl Dunn had been named Hound of the Week for Eastern New Mexico University following a 13-7 win over Tarleton State. Dunn recorded 12 unassisted tackles and seven assisted tackles as the Greyhounds evened their season record at 2-2. The Clovis News-Journal reported Dunn was 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, describing him as “lanky.” Other ENMU players nominated for the week’s Hound award were senior middle guard Jim “Tank” Forrester...
On this date … 1962: A 23-year-old diesel mechanic from Yuma, Ariz., was in the Roosevelt County jail for speeding after he also attempted to elude police. Norman Thrun “lost two races,” the Portales News-Tribune reported. State Police Officer Dick Gibson first encountered Thrun traveling 100 mph in his 1962 Thunderbird on U.S. 70 between Portales and Elida. The posted speed limit was 70 mph. Gibson “managed to overtake and stop the sports car,” the newspaper reported. The off...
On this date ... 1977: Clovis had opened a detoxification center for women. The new facility, located at 219 Ross, “is fully furnished for its purpose of serving as a temporary home for female alcoholics,” the Clovis News-Journal reported. Sharron Marrazzo, director of treatment services for the Curry-Roosevelt Council on Alcoholism, said the purpose of the detox center was to help female clients “through the withdrawal phase.” “We expect to keep such women for about 72...
Election Day is Nov. 8 and early voting begins Oct. 11 in New Mexico. Our ballots are full of Republicans, Democrats and even a few Independent candidates. But we seem to be a little short on small-government proponents. Oh, sure, those words are coming from some candidates’ mouths and their websites and their promotional advertising – they say they are “conservative,” they say they want to reduce spending, they say they believe in individual “liberty.” But too many of tho...
On this date … 1957: More than 6,000 people had visited the Roosevelt County Museum in the past nine months, Eastern New Mexico University officials reported. Curator James Rowan said visitors had come from 29 states and several foreign countries. “Visitors will find the museum open seven days a week between the hours of 2 and 4 p.m.,” the Clovis News-Journal reported. “From Monday through Friday, the building is normally open from 8 a.m. to until 5 p.m.” Rowan said some of t...
On this date ... 1952: Fire broke out in the Clovis home of Ted and Marie Waldhauser, causing an estimated $4,000 in damage and leaving Marie Waldhauser with third-degree burns on her left hand. Fire Chief George Maddox said the fire began in a pan of grease on the gas stove. Firefighters arrived on scene about 2 p.m. and had to chop a large hole in the ceiling above the kitchen to combat the blaze. Fire damaged the ceiling in the kitchen and adjoining living room. The home,...
On this date … 1972: Prosecutors had decided they will not pursue felony charges against 10 people arrested Sept. 7 for illegal gambling at the Clovis Elks Lodge. “Since the city attorney does not wish to prosecute it as a misdemeanor we will not pursue further,” District Attorney Fred Hensley told the Clovis News-Journal. Police had raided the city service club and charged 10 people with misdemeanor gambling. But when the city decided not to prosecute, Hensley said his only...
