Pages past — Sept. 13

On this date ...

1966: Southwestern Public Service officials were responding to Clovis residents’ complaints that water-rate increases were too high.

“The Public Service Commission of New Mexico held the hearing in Clovis so the people could be heard,” said SPS District Manager Gerald Dorough.

“No one showed up to object to the proposed rate, although the hearing was widely publicized.

“Had the citizens attended this hearing they would have seen a complete presentation on the part of our company and would understand why the new rate was necessary.”

Dorough said SPS’ “rate of return” was “dangerously low,” and even the increased price would not allow the company to see a “full return” of its costs in supplying water to the city.

1966: Clovis Justice of the Peace A. C. Olona had resigned his office after 14 years.

“I haven’t felt so good for a whole year,” Olona told the Clovis News-Journal.

“My doctor says I should be out of the office for quite a while.”

CN-J did not report the specifics of Olona’s illness.

1946: Roosevelt County health officials reported they had confirmed three new cases of polio and a fourth case was suspected.

One confirmed victim was a 31-year-old military veteran. The other two confirmed victims were 2-year-old children from different Portales families.

While officials debated closing Portales schools, they remained open on the advice of Dr. H. D. Newman, the county’s health officer.

Pages Past is compiled by Editor David Stevens. For more regional history, check out his weblog at:

www.highplainsyesterdays.com